5 ms·

I cannot help but feel sorry for Will. It would be my worst nightmare to be processed by American psychologists to be placed on Big Pharma's latest medications.

slackson 13y ago
You know what my worst nightmare was? Depression.
- danielweber 13y ago
  My second-worst nightmare is that a loved one is about to get help but then a "friend" convinces them about how eeeeevil Big Pharma is and they stop. The "friend" feels happy and walks away, while the close relations of the loved one have to deal with the latest relapse. I view those who discourage people from taking their meds as the same as people who encourage alcoholics to "just take one drink."
  - jon-wood 13y ago
    Totally agreed here. I don't understand people who discourage others from taking medication to treat a medical problem, its akin to somebody suggesting that a diabetic should stop taking insulin and just man up instead. In some cases doctors over prescribe to people who are suffering from situational depression, giving out medication instead of treating the root cause and finding a way to tackle the problems in somebody's life, but for others it is a medical complaint. Without knowing which category somebody falls into its grossly irresponsible to tell them they shouldn't be taking medication which in many cases quite literally keeps them alive.
  - tunap 13y ago
    My worst nightmare is when a friend tells me how she wanted to kill her 2yo son and husband in terrifying detail. Despite her physician's assurances, she stopped taking the happy pills. They are all alive & well and the dark thoughts dissipated within a week of cessation. YMMV.
    - jon-wood 13y ago
      It sounds like there was more to that situation than simple depression, there are many conditions that can be made worse by inappropriately applying anti depressants. Unfortunately it seems your friend was in that situation, but it doesn't make the drugs universally bad.
      - tunap 13y ago
        Yeah, doc was calling it post-natal depression. Two years after birth. I suppose it's possible, I'm no physician. I posit perhaps it was was an ambitious, accomplished woman programmed since birth through culture & genetics to be a 'mommy' and was having trouble coming to terms with the daily realities while losing her independence, selling her business & having no time left for herself. No gruesome thoughts, just feeling over-whelmed. The doctor was throwing pills at the problem, IMO and that is when she began having the images. Again, I'm no doctor but I am a person who hallucinates on Doans & becomes a drooling, incoherent wreck if I take Coricidan or Dramamine. YMMV.
Theodores 13y ago
For those down voters: I am British, we have the NHS. Over here healthcare is not just another business, it is a public service. We grumble about the NHS but we love it too. With the NHS you don't have to second guess whether that doctor is after your wallet, or even think about it, he/she isn't. By comparison the American healthcare system is something that, with a British perspective, appears to have something tantamount to 'Münchausen syndrome by proxy'. With the British NHS you can end up on pills all your life but there is not a business case for it. Meanwhile, in America, if you can be signed up for a smorgasbord of uppers, downers and a few off-label side orders for the rest of your days then Big Pharma is happy. Here is one of my favourite books that describes what goes on: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Medicine-Blowing-Deadliest-Prescription/dp/0452298504 http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Medicine-Blowing-Deadliest-Presc...
- taiki 13y ago
  I've been through the wringer with depression in the American system, this has not been my experience. I've heard this particular chestnut often. In so far as I understand, if your doctor does this, they're committing malpractice. I'm not saying doctors don't do this, or someone's doctor doesn't, but this is not the norm. Not by a long shot.
  - hga 13y ago
    Ditto. In fact, my psychiatrists have loved generics, they don't want cost to get in the way of treatment. (Caveat: generic mood stabilizers (used for treating bipolar disorder) that are also anticonvulsants have I've heard a bad history of not working like the brand name, First World manufactured originals.)
- taurath 13y ago
  I was put on literally dozens of medications from age 10-18 to try to treat depression and anxiety. None of it responded the way psychiatrists or doctors claimed it was supposed to, for me. I only started to alleviate symptoms once I forcibly and against my parents' wishes took myself off of them. It was rough at first, but slowly I started to gain the social skills that I had lost over time due to being completely out of whack during the time I was on medication. I've gone back and tried a few, but the only things that seem to have any positive effect are short-acting anxiety medications which I take maybe once every 2 weeks to help with a flare-up. The long-term depression is nearly gone. I still would recommend that anyone that is in a deep depression that hasn't tried medication before try them, because it works well for most people. But if you are one of the unlucky ones that it does not work for, keep trying, as coming out the other side is definitely worth all the pain and suffering. You also get a wonderfully nice perspective and can empathize with others who are going through it, something a lot of people can't say.

slackson 13y ago

You know what my worst nightmare was? Depression.

danielweber 13y ago
My second-worst nightmare is that a loved one is about to get help but then a "friend" convinces them about how eeeeevil Big Pharma is and they stop. The "friend" feels happy and walks away, while the close relations of the loved one have to deal with the latest relapse. I view those who discourage people from taking their meds as the same as people who encourage alcoholics to "just take one drink."
- jon-wood 13y ago
  Totally agreed here. I don't understand people who discourage others from taking medication to treat a medical problem, its akin to somebody suggesting that a diabetic should stop taking insulin and just man up instead. In some cases doctors over prescribe to people who are suffering from situational depression, giving out medication instead of treating the root cause and finding a way to tackle the problems in somebody's life, but for others it is a medical complaint. Without knowing which category somebody falls into its grossly irresponsible to tell them they shouldn't be taking medication which in many cases quite literally keeps them alive.
- tunap 13y ago
  My worst nightmare is when a friend tells me how she wanted to kill her 2yo son and husband in terrifying detail. Despite her physician's assurances, she stopped taking the happy pills. They are all alive & well and the dark thoughts dissipated within a week of cessation. YMMV.
  - jon-wood 13y ago
    It sounds like there was more to that situation than simple depression, there are many conditions that can be made worse by inappropriately applying anti depressants. Unfortunately it seems your friend was in that situation, but it doesn't make the drugs universally bad.
    - tunap 13y ago
      Yeah, doc was calling it post-natal depression. Two years after birth. I suppose it's possible, I'm no physician. I posit perhaps it was was an ambitious, accomplished woman programmed since birth through culture & genetics to be a 'mommy' and was having trouble coming to terms with the daily realities while losing her independence, selling her business & having no time left for herself. No gruesome thoughts, just feeling over-whelmed. The doctor was throwing pills at the problem, IMO and that is when she began having the images. Again, I'm no doctor but I am a person who hallucinates on Doans & becomes a drooling, incoherent wreck if I take Coricidan or Dramamine. YMMV.

Theodores 13y ago

For those down voters: I am British, we have the NHS. Over here healthcare is not just another business, it is a public service. We grumble about the NHS but we love it too. With the NHS you don't have to second guess whether that doctor is after your wallet, or even think about it, he/she isn't. By comparison the American healthcare system is something that, with a British perspective, appears to have something tantamount to 'Münchausen syndrome by proxy'. With the British NHS you can end up on pills all your life but there is not a business case for it. Meanwhile, in America, if you can be signed up for a smorgasbord of uppers, downers and a few off-label side orders for the rest of your days then Big Pharma is happy. Here is one of my favourite books that describes what goes on: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Medicine-Blowing-Deadliest-Prescription/dp/0452298504 http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Medicine-Blowing-Deadliest-Presc...

taiki 13y ago
I've been through the wringer with depression in the American system, this has not been my experience. I've heard this particular chestnut often. In so far as I understand, if your doctor does this, they're committing malpractice. I'm not saying doctors don't do this, or someone's doctor doesn't, but this is not the norm. Not by a long shot.
- hga 13y ago
  Ditto. In fact, my psychiatrists have loved generics, they don't want cost to get in the way of treatment. (Caveat: generic mood stabilizers (used for treating bipolar disorder) that are also anticonvulsants have I've heard a bad history of not working like the brand name, First World manufactured originals.)
taurath 13y ago
I was put on literally dozens of medications from age 10-18 to try to treat depression and anxiety. None of it responded the way psychiatrists or doctors claimed it was supposed to, for me. I only started to alleviate symptoms once I forcibly and against my parents' wishes took myself off of them. It was rough at first, but slowly I started to gain the social skills that I had lost over time due to being completely out of whack during the time I was on medication. I've gone back and tried a few, but the only things that seem to have any positive effect are short-acting anxiety medications which I take maybe once every 2 weeks to help with a flare-up. The long-term depression is nearly gone. I still would recommend that anyone that is in a deep depression that hasn't tried medication before try them, because it works well for most people. But if you are one of the unlucky ones that it does not work for, keep trying, as coming out the other side is definitely worth all the pain and suffering. You also get a wonderfully nice perspective and can empathize with others who are going through it, something a lot of people can't say.