Depression

[kvnchrist]

I've had thought I'd had them hundreds of times. Mostly when I could see changes coming down the pipe that I thought would adversely effect me. The last time was when I was about to take my physical for my job. That was always a concern for me. The way I deal with it is to draw into myself and get into a deep dark fog, where I can see no way out, and then get pissed at myself for thinking all is lost and get a burst of confidence that usually pulls me through.

 

Some people take medicine for depression, but I'd always thought that people should learn to cope with things, in a manner that suits them. I think drugs only mask things and whenever they come off of those drugs, then their problems will still be there. I look at the policies that were enforced awhile back that the schools were druging their students for this A.D.D. whatever, and I wonder if that was to help the students or just to let the teachers off the hook for not instilling discipline. I have heard rumors that all those kids that have done these school shootings were on these drugs and had just stopped using them. I also heard that these drugs were never tested on kids to begin with, and no one actually knew how kids would react on them. What do you think?

[grannywils]

Although I will admit to having mixed emotions on this subject, basically I disagree with your premise. I defintely agree that we tend to over medicate in general. However, I do not believe that many of these drugs are useless or are harmful. I also agree with you regarding how often we just pop pill into our kids without exploring other options. However, I know that there are many cases where the medication is not only necessary, but extraordinarily helpful.

 

My gripe would be more with the pharmaceutical companies who want to rush to get a drug out on the market for the "disease of the month" and may not necessarily take the time they should to properly test them.

 

In addition, there is the issue of just how long a person should be on a particular medication. Sometimes no one really tells you. I was on a mediction for acid reflux for quite sometime, and just recently a new doctor casually mentioned that I should really not have been taking it for so long, as your body becomes dependent upon it and you can no longer absorb nutrients properly (or something). But they had been prescribing it to me. So now I am attempting to wean myself off the medication, and I get really bad heartburn. But had I been told that in the beginning (by the first doctor who prescribed it, I might have stopped taking it a lot sooner)

 

Anyway, my point is that there are lots of factors that come into play with respect to medication.

 

I also take a very mild dose of a depression med. The doctor did tell me in the beginning that this could cause a dependency issue, but that my dosage is so small it should be easy for me to stop taking. At least in that instance she told me.

[greywaste]

Well, over here (Denmark) the amount of teenagers on Anti-depressants has doubled in the last 10 years. We definitely over-medicate. But in Denmarks case, that's just the way things are done out here - It's a colossal nanny state. Everythings taken care of for you.

[Flintlockecole]

I myself suffer from a nasty bout of Depression, but society these days thinks that eating pills like candy is alright. I've met people who are more messed up from all these pharmaceuticals than any actual benefit. Sometimes you have to just deal with the crap that makes oneself feel like crap, the little red pill can't help much. Medication does have it's benefits but overdoing it causes more damage than there was to begin with.

[Vagrant0]

We over-medicate for everything that cannot be verified from some objective means. What really makes the problem worse is when doctors are paid to push medications, or when drug companies need to think of some new 'disorder" that their new drug just happens to treat solely so that they can hold onto their drug patents.

[SilverDNA]

We over-medicate for everything that cannot be verified from some objective means. What really makes the problem worse is when doctors are paid to push medications, or when drug companies need to think of some new 'disorder" that their new drug just happens to treat.

 

True Vargant0!

I might want to add that mostly here Psychologist and Neurologist are responsible for diagnosis and due to studies here 45% of the diagnosies are belived wrong or severely questioned. That leads to the question what happens if someone for the wrong diagnosis gets the the wrong treatment (pills)?

[Keanumoreira]

I suffer from depression on account of my Attention Deficit Disorder, but I take Amphetamines to deal with it. My emotions are more stable than they ever could have been, but when the depression does set it, it can be a nasty thing to deal with. I'll tell you now that as an A.D.D diagnosed human being, the medication does not mask the depression, it helps to deal with it. Although it is an existing condition, that doesn't mean the problems that continue to exist are immediate.

[FavoredSoul]

We over-medicate for everything that cannot be verified from some objective means. What really makes the problem worse is when doctors are paid to push medications, or when drug companies need to think of some new 'disorder" that their new drug just happens to treat solely so that they can hold onto their drug patents.

 

So true. So true.

 

Over here Anti-Ds are the miracle answer for Doctors who cant find anything wrong with their patients. Basically the doctor will think your ailment is psychosomatic; that you believe something is wrong with you when there probably isn't.

 

You can get your hands on Anti-Ds for the most ridiculous things. Like, my friend at school had trouble keeping on top of her homework cause she was so busy. She just wanted a doctors certificate so she could have a note to give to the teacher that will excuse her from submitting an assignment on time, but while she was there getting it, he wrote her a prescription for Anti-Depressants.

 

I think Anti-Depressants are vital for people who have a legitimate need for mood stabilisation, but I think the line for when and where its appropriate to dispense them is getting quite blurry.

[marharth]

I think pills for mental illness are a bad idea.

 

The side effects could be terrible, and their are better ways to deal with it IMO.

 

Not only that, doctors over diagnose kids and even adults now to sell this crap.

[Keanumoreira]

I think pills for mental illness are a bad idea.

 

The side effects could be terrible, and their are better ways to deal with it IMO.

 

Not only that, doctors over diagnose kids and even adults now to sell this crap.

 

1. The side Effects aren't horrible

 

2. I'm not over diagnosed. My medication solves the very problems I deal with, plus I only pay 25 dollars for my checkup, and go to the pharmacy to buy my medicine there, so why the doctor would do this for her gain money wise wouldn't make any sense.