3 ms·

> it is increasingly becoming clear that many forms of the condition are caused by either chemical imbalances, brain abnormalities or connections between neuron

by smegel 10y ago

> it is increasingly becoming clear that many forms of the condition are caused by either chemical imbalances, brain abnormalities or connections between neurons in the brain Ka-ching! A drug company CEO just bought another yacht. I wonder if the people here who support the pathologising of unhappiness support the mass drugging of school children afflicted by "ADHD". Look at how France deals with such issues and you see there are other ways. Pills for the brain, mass incarceration, gun culture and junk food - things America fails at and leaves the rest of the world shaking its head in amazement.

WalterSear 10y ago
I'm glad that you haven't had much experience with clinical depression.
- jjbiotech 10y ago
  I see this rhetoric every time this subject is brought up. Keep on believing there is something wrong with you. Keep paying your pharmacy to supply you with SSRIs to "fix" your brain. Sounds really healthy.
  - WalterSear 10y ago
    SSRI's don't work for me, as does pretty much everything: I feel let down by the medical establishment. However, I know what depression feels like, and how different that is from sadness.
    - jjbiotech 10y ago
      All I'm trying to say is there are alternative paths in treating depression, besides popping pills. These alternative and "wholesome" remedies are rarely recommended though, because there's no financial incentive. A doctor/pharmaceutical company makes no money by recommending a healthy diet, sufficient exercise, and socialization. Pharmaceutical fixes should never be a first choice for treatment. And it seems like you're telling me that I've never experienced "true" depression. You have absolutely no basis for that 1.) because you don't know me 2.) because our perceptions of reality are unique.
- smegel 10y ago
  There is no evidence such a thing exists. It is about as credible as demonic possession. In fact, there is probably a historical parallel there.
jjbiotech 10y ago
Wow, just read an article on ADHD in France, and I think that their system is incredible. It really aligned with what I've thought all along: depression, ADHD, and a few other "neurological disorders" are symptoms of a person not operating in an optimal environment (for themselves specifically). Take ADHD for example: A child won't sit still in class, is constantly distracted, and performs poorly at school work. Let's use occam's razor to figure out what's going on here. Was this child born with a rare neurological disorder causing an imbalance in monoamine neurotransmitters? Possibly... Or maybe was the real cause is this: a lack of exercise, a poor diet that includes lots of sugars and unnecessary carbohydrates, lack of socialization outside of the school context. The list goes on and on. I really believe that if you do your due diligence in ensuring your diet, health, social life, and other important factors are all in a good state, these conditions magically disappear. Sure, the kid might have low levels of dopamine because of their suboptimal lifestyle. But there are ways to fix the problem without shoving NDRIs/amphetamines down their throat: change their routine, their diet, their life. I'm not saying that ADHD doesn't exist, I'm just saying the true percentage of ADHD cases is probably a much lower (see France) than what's purported in the US. But in the end, it's easier to pop a pill than change you or your child's lifestyle. Plus the pharmaceutical companies make a buck, and tell you what you need to hear to believe that stimulants are the only option for treatment. Sometimes they might be a good option to jumpstart the process of digging yourself out of depression (SSRIs in this case) but I don't think that the chronic administration of drugs is healthy and optimal in the long run. There are better solutions out there. (P.S. Obviously I'm not stating any of this as fact. It's just what makes sense to me after dealing with, and evaluating my own anxiety and depression.)

by smegel 10y ago

WalterSear 10y ago

I'm glad that you haven't had much experience with clinical depression.

jjbiotech 10y ago
I see this rhetoric every time this subject is brought up. Keep on believing there is something wrong with you. Keep paying your pharmacy to supply you with SSRIs to "fix" your brain. Sounds really healthy.
- WalterSear 10y ago
  SSRI's don't work for me, as does pretty much everything: I feel let down by the medical establishment. However, I know what depression feels like, and how different that is from sadness.
  - jjbiotech 10y ago
    All I'm trying to say is there are alternative paths in treating depression, besides popping pills. These alternative and "wholesome" remedies are rarely recommended though, because there's no financial incentive. A doctor/pharmaceutical company makes no money by recommending a healthy diet, sufficient exercise, and socialization. Pharmaceutical fixes should never be a first choice for treatment. And it seems like you're telling me that I've never experienced "true" depression. You have absolutely no basis for that 1.) because you don't know me 2.) because our perceptions of reality are unique.
smegel 10y ago
There is no evidence such a thing exists. It is about as credible as demonic possession. In fact, there is probably a historical parallel there.

jjbiotech 10y ago

Wow, just read an article on ADHD in France, and I think that their system is incredible. It really aligned with what I've thought all along: depression, ADHD, and a few other "neurological disorders" are symptoms of a person not operating in an optimal environment (for themselves specifically). Take ADHD for example: A child won't sit still in class, is constantly distracted, and performs poorly at school work. Let's use occam's razor to figure out what's going on here. Was this child born with a rare neurological disorder causing an imbalance in monoamine neurotransmitters? Possibly... Or maybe was the real cause is this: a lack of exercise, a poor diet that includes lots of sugars and unnecessary carbohydrates, lack of socialization outside of the school context. The list goes on and on. I really believe that if you do your due diligence in ensuring your diet, health, social life, and other important factors are all in a good state, these conditions magically disappear. Sure, the kid might have low levels of dopamine because of their suboptimal lifestyle. But there are ways to fix the problem without shoving NDRIs/amphetamines down their throat: change their routine, their diet, their life. I'm not saying that ADHD doesn't exist, I'm just saying the true percentage of ADHD cases is probably a much lower (see France) than what's purported in the US. But in the end, it's easier to pop a pill than change you or your child's lifestyle. Plus the pharmaceutical companies make a buck, and tell you what you need to hear to believe that stimulants are the only option for treatment. Sometimes they might be a good option to jumpstart the process of digging yourself out of depression (SSRIs in this case) but I don't think that the chronic administration of drugs is healthy and optimal in the long run. There are better solutions out there. (P.S. Obviously I'm not stating any of this as fact. It's just what makes sense to me after dealing with, and evaluating my own anxiety and depression.)