RE: How to cure depression?
November 20, 2012 at 7:50 am
(This post was last modified: November 20, 2012 at 8:18 am by Aractus.)
(November 19, 2012 at 10:43 am)festive1 Wrote: A group of 4 people hardly constitutes a large enough sample from which to draw the conclusions you are presenting. Someone's opinion of a drug they used is probably accurate to their experience, but not representative of all people who have taken this drug.Again, it isn't my responsibility to prove that the drug is effective. That's the responsibility of the pharmaceutical companies. And as they are notoriously slow with releasing any scientific data to do with their antidepressant medications, I will remain as sceptical as I feel I should. Just like Rossi has to prove to me that his E-Cat is effective scientifically before I'll believe it, until then I'm a sceptic.
On antidepressants, the opinion between psychologists (let me guess their opinion doesn't count because they aren't doctors - and by "doctors" I mean "physicians") is split. The opinion between psychiatrists (their opinions obviously count) is split. I have not adopted the hard view that some take. Many have the view that GPs shouldn't be allowed to prescribe antidepressant medication at all, I don't take that view because I still think antidepressants are useful short term without the need for a psychiatrist. There are plenty of doctors out there who totally disagree with me though and think that GP's shouldn't be allowed to prescribe antidepressants at all. My opinion is not unique, I didn't come up with it one night on my own, I adopted it after I was confronted with what I see as irrefutable evidence that long-term antidepressant use under the care of a GP does more harm than good. That's my opinion, my advice to anyone on antidepressants long term is NOT to stop taking their meds, my advice is to switch from a GP to a psychiatrist. I don't know what I've said that is controversial!
(November 19, 2012 at 10:48 am)Faith No More Wrote:Nope, I'm not. Why do you think my friend was moved from one antidepressant to another for 10 years? Effexor has negative side-effects I have witnessed happen to two of my friends, the one that I've told you about suffers extreme insomnia, weight gain, and a number of other side effects - all of which are directly attributable to Effexor since it all started together when he was moved onto that specific drug.
Bullshit. I just introduced you to someone. Me.
And again, you are using one drug to demonize the entire category. You might as well tell people that all fruit sucks, because you didn't like an apple.
That doesn't change the fact that I've still never, ever, seen anyone I personally know that has benefited from long-term use of antidepressants. FNM I'm sorry, but you don't count – that isn't to insult you FYI. Just because the other drugs don't have such severe side effects, they still have a negative impact when used long term. This isn't in doubt - all that is in question is whether the benefits outweigh the cost, and this specifically is what has psychiatrists split over it. In total I've known three people (one of which was on Effexor and I've already mentioned him) that overcame their depression shortly AFTER they stopped taking antidepressants. How each of them came to decide to stop taking them I'm not entirely sure, but none of them said "I'm no longer depressed so I'm going to stop taking these drugs" they all said words to the effect "I think my depression has gone now" when they had never said it on their meds.
The friend of mine that has been on antidepressants for 15 years tells me he sees his psychologist twice a year, but I doubt that he even does that. 4 years ago a mutual friend of ours offered to set up and pay for psychiatrist visits for him, and he refused. BTW, he goes to a bulk billing GP up until he left Canberra it was one which has a reputation here for overprescribing and overusing powerful mind-altering drugs. This is why I'm so passionate - the law needs to FORCE patients who need antidepressants long term to have someone properly qualified to handle their care taking care of their medical prescriptions, and NOT a GP.
