4 ms·

>But for me, they are life changing This is not something you can claim. How could you possibly know that the SSRI is responsible for your recovery? I'm not

>But for me, they are life changing This is not something you can claim. How could you possibly know that the SSRI is responsible for your recovery? I'm not going to say that antidepressants are useless, but it is important to understand how placebo works. The key point is that placebo works and it is impossible for an individual to distinguish between a placebo and a life changing drug. In antidepressant studies, SSRIs often outperform placebo to a degree. However, the placebo group has an excellent recovery rate! That means there are people who are clinically depressed, suicidal etc. who are then given a sugar pill as part of a study and make a full recovery. >You often need to try 2 or 3 different SSRIs That makes it even murkier. SSRIs take a long time to work, and if you try several of them that's going to take months to years. There's a high probability that in that time, you might naturally recover. You have the combined benefit of placebo and waiting in addition to the effects of the SSRI. You tried 2 SSRIs that didn't work. What makes you so confident that it was the third? Again, I'm not saying SSRIs are useless. But it's important that we rely on controlled studies to make these determinations. Personal experience and anecdotes are beyond worthless; for example they are the reason why homeopathy is a $20 billion dollar industry even though it is actually provably useless.

samtho 4y ago
> This is not something you can claim. How could you possibly know that the SSRI is responsible for your recovery? This is the kind of trash thinking that makes it hard to get potentially life-changing medication. I take a heavily controlled substance for a sleep disorder and ADHD and our laws surrounding it’s distribution and refill are unconscionable. My life falls apart when there is lapse in medication and nobody takes it seriously. I cannot stay awake, focus, or function after about day 5 without it. It’s appalling that peoples’ well being is in danger every month because someone decided that it might be abused and restricting legal distribution is the solution for this. First, you do not and cannot know what this person has been through or know what their baseline is. Second, if someone’s life is improved when taking a medication, what does it matter to you that they take it? I’m not going argue the efficacy of the family of SSRIs, but we need to let patients make their own decisions and assessments of what works for their situation.
pencilguin 4y ago
Your "controlled studies", to mean anything at all, depend utterly on accurate, specific diagnosis. But for most of these conditions, the only way to get any specificity is to note which medications help. Absent any way to produce accurate, specific diagnosis, such trials are a waste of time and money.
alpaca128 4y ago
> How could you possibly know that the SSRI is responsible for your recovery? By noticing their effects? Seriously, what kind of condescending question is that, implying people can't tell severe differences in their own state of mind. Disregard it as "beyond worthless" anecdotes as much as you want, when this stuff works it's very clear and not some "might be placebo" kind of deal, including remarks from other people who notice the changes. > That makes it even murkier. SSRIs take a long time to work, and if you try several of them that's going to take months to years. Better months than the rest of my life.
PointyFluff 4y ago
Presented like a true graduate of the Facebook School of Medicine and Immunology.

samtho 4y ago

> This is not something you can claim. How could you possibly know that the SSRI is responsible for your recovery? This is the kind of trash thinking that makes it hard to get potentially life-changing medication. I take a heavily controlled substance for a sleep disorder and ADHD and our laws surrounding it’s distribution and refill are unconscionable. My life falls apart when there is lapse in medication and nobody takes it seriously. I cannot stay awake, focus, or function after about day 5 without it. It’s appalling that peoples’ well being is in danger every month because someone decided that it might be abused and restricting legal distribution is the solution for this. First, you do not and cannot know what this person has been through or know what their baseline is. Second, if someone’s life is improved when taking a medication, what does it matter to you that they take it? I’m not going argue the efficacy of the family of SSRIs, but we need to let patients make their own decisions and assessments of what works for their situation.

pencilguin 4y ago

Your "controlled studies", to mean anything at all, depend utterly on accurate, specific diagnosis. But for most of these conditions, the only way to get any specificity is to note which medications help. Absent any way to produce accurate, specific diagnosis, such trials are a waste of time and money.

alpaca128 4y ago

> How could you possibly know that the SSRI is responsible for your recovery? By noticing their effects? Seriously, what kind of condescending question is that, implying people can't tell severe differences in their own state of mind. Disregard it as "beyond worthless" anecdotes as much as you want, when this stuff works it's very clear and not some "might be placebo" kind of deal, including remarks from other people who notice the changes. > That makes it even murkier. SSRIs take a long time to work, and if you try several of them that's going to take months to years. Better months than the rest of my life.

PointyFluff 4y ago

Presented like a true graduate of the Facebook School of Medicine and Immunology.