SSRIs without talk therapy for depression/anxiety is like prescribing Vicodin without a cast for a broken leg. They can both help the immediate problem, but don

SSRIs without talk therapy for depression/anxiety is like prescribing Vicodin without a cast for a broken leg. They can both help the immediate problem, but don't address long-term health. What we have, at least in the US, is too many pharmacological solutions and not enough CBT. It was once explained to me that depression and anxiety are like a top spinning out of control. There's too much momentum throwing it off, no amount of self-effort will correct it and eventually it will probably crash. Meds are like resetting the top, and talk therapy equips you to keep it spinning correctly. Then once you're properly equipped with strategies to keep your top spinning straight you can taper off the 'crutch'. But it's way, way easier to write a prescription and say 'come see me again in 8 weeks when the meds take effect', leaving the patient to suffer for 2 months.