(November 6, 2011 at 12:18 am)Phaedra Wrote: Studies indicate that people with mental disorders have a better chance at recovery if they never touch "meds". They also indicate that "meds" typically work no better than placebos. I'm not suggesting that you cease taking yours, some people do need them. But the majority do not.
Sorry, Phae, you're an intelligent gal, but this is wildly incorrect. Studies suggest that mental disorders like depression and anxiety can often be alleviated, if not "cured," by exercise alone. They also suggest that behavioral therapy works wonders for anxiety disorders, such as OCD and PTSD. What about schizophrenia, dissociative personality disorder, manic depression, psychosis, etc? In some cases, the placebo effect did come into play, when it came to mental disorders that can be alleviated by endorphins, which can be created by the hope a new medication brings. That's not really placebo, as there are brain chemicals reacting to the specific ailment. It's not placebo in the same regard as treating a cold with placebo, as a cold is not a mental chemical imbalance. Psych meds being overprescribed does not mean that the majority of people who have mental disorders do not need them -- not by a long shot. They may only need them temporarily. They may need them all the time or they may not need them at all. It depends on the ailment, the severity and the patient's tolerance of the medications. Give a schizophrenic a placebo and you will still have a sick schizophrenic. There is scientific evidence that specific psych meds help tremendously, but patients really have to work with their doctors to find the right meds because we are talking about brain medication here. It is not one size fits all.
