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I can see some on here taking issue with this statement. My current issue with existing modern medicine is that we are very limited by what we can measure but t
by yomly 6y ago
I can see some on here taking issue with this statement. My current issue with existing modern medicine is that we are very limited by what we can measure but there is a body of scientists that take the existing literature as gospel.
Meanwhile we have materials which have in some shape or form been passed down throughout human history which we willing discard as their models no longer match reality.
This is sometimes the right thing to do, it is also sometimes the wrong thing to do, after all - all models are wrong, some are useful.
On the flipside, a broken clock is still right twice a day.
Empiricism is the best we have at the moment, but we must not overlook the shortcomings of only working with things we can measure.
EDIT we should not kid ourselves with research not being shaped by that which we think to measure or it being shaped by what we can currently measure today. Before we had microscopes, it was very hard to consider germs being a thing after all.
The body is exquisitely complex and we barely understand the mind-body connection. Observations from as far as distressed myofascial tissue to gut flora can affect the mind so it's perfectly reasonable for me that a proportion of patients who experience depression find help via "alternative" means.
I guess another way of thinking about it is that "depression" is actually far too vague a classification for an issue, especially when considering the myriad causes
- collyw 6y ago> we barely understand the mind-body connection Western science barely understand it, I would say that a number of Eastern practices (types of meditation, yoga for example) seem to have a better understanding. Unfortunately there is a lot of woo that gets mixed up with this, so its difficult to separate the genuinely useful stuff out.
- mapcars 6y ago> existing modern medicine is that we are very limited by what we can measure Something I can add to this is depression (and related states with so many names) is a subjective thing in a way that the cause is in how person sees the world. Subjective things you can't measure by definition so they only work with the consequences which can be measured like chemical changes, brain activity etc. But the source is quite different.
- dragonwriter 6y ago> Something I can add to this is depression (and related states with so many names) is a subjective thing in a way that the cause is in how person sees the world. I think you are literally confusing cause and effect of depression here.
- mapcars 6y agoWell it works in my experience so I will stay on that side. Can it be scientifically proven? Probably not since it's not measurable. But if it happens to work for you - your experience will be far bigger than any proofs.
- vertex-four 6y agoIt has worked for you - which doesn't necessarily mean it works for everybody - and in fact exercise and group activity are things which are encouraged by doctors in order to treat depression, along with medicine where it would help. People are really, really good at believing that mystical things help them, when in fact they are no better than placebo. Placebo, by the way, is an incredibly strong effect which has helped some people tackle illnesses of all sorts. However, it's not replicable enough that we suggest everybody suffering from depression be treated with placebo and only placebo, and any medication is unhelpful.
- mapcars 6y agoYou never tried it and already made up your mind. Being a negative believer is not different than being a positive believer. Unless you try it your words worth nothing.