Why do people rely on meds so much?
Question:
So why do people just rely on depressiong meds or rely on "professional help" like a psychiatrist? They'll just point out the obvious to you. Wouldn't it be better to talk to people who actually know you and can really help you. I'm just being practical.
Answers:
Some people do over-rely on medications. And they can also over-rely on their shrink. Meds alone will NOT control and manage depression, you're right. There also needs to be counseling, support groups, and building a support network of family and friends, if possible. But I think the most important part is the daily work that we do INDIVIDUALLY to recover. All the other things are merely tools to help us with that.
The meds will only slightly lift the edges of the clouds, so to speak. enough to give a person a better chance at recovery. Meds themselves aren't the complete answer, at least for the vast majority of people.
Jack
Other Answers:
Cuz the government allows us to be dependent on meds that they can tax.
not really.
maybe cos they think
meds work for them?
People don't use medications (or shouldn't for any long period, anyway) for 'life problems'. Medications are used to correct chemical imbalances in the body, just like a diabetic will use insulin.
If I don't take medications, my brain doesn't work properly and I don't think logically so I don't act logically. When I am taking my medication, I can help myself with my problems and I can act logically.
Not everyone is depressed because bad things have happened to them in the past or because they're sad about something. They are depressed because their brain will not allow them to be any other way without correcting the chemical imbalance. It's a medical condition.
The majority of mental illness is organic, especially depression, bipolar, psychotic disorders, and anxiety disorders. I won't deny that some mental illness is due to environmental, situational, or family factors, but telling someone that their problems are temporary and they should just get over them is completely invalidating.
No, medication does not fix everything, but it definitely does help. Think of it in terms of cholesterol medication. They recommend diet and exercise (fixing the problem on their own), but sometimes, even though they eat well and run everyday (work on the problem), they still can't get their cholesterol down. So, they need to take pills to help lower their cholesterol. Depression is very much the same. Sometimes, doing the work on your own just isn't enough and you need a little extra push. Doesn't mean you'll be taking antidepressants the rest of your life.
Why are people so aversive to medication? You wouldn't be asking this if someone had hypertension. Would you tell someone that their high blood pressure was temporary and stop relying on their meds?
If all therapists did was point out the obvious, then people wouldn't need to go to the therapist or they wouldn't return to the therapist because everything would be obvious.
Some people prefer to keep problems in the family or only confide in friends, but sometimes, their friends or family are too close to the problem or the problem is too overwhelming for them.
For starters, I understand your atitude, It is impossible to understand depression unless you have lived there. You are right about one thing, medication alone is not the answer. The best treatment for most depression is a combination of medication and "talk" therapy. Let me explain by telling you my story.
I have a type of depression called disthymia, which is best described as a constant, low-level depression. I have been dealing with this at least since I was 15 (I am now 33), possibly since the onset of puberty. I have dealt with a lot of issues in my life and never understood why I always seemed to feel so apathetic and ambivalent about my life.
I was in an abusive marriage, and I took my son and left this situation in June of 2000. I started therapy in July of that year, where I was finally diagnosed with disthymia. I go to a social worker therapist (which I would reccommend over a shrink anyday!), and with my income I don't have to pay anything, which helps. I was stone against taking medication because, like you, I believed that I could "fix" my depression on my own, simply by taking control of my life. It wasn't until I moved and got a new therapist three years ago, that it was finally explained to me that my depression is a medical issue, as is the case for most of us with this disease.
What happens to me is, my brain cannot process seratonin correctly. Seratonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain that helps regulate moods. When the seratonin tries to cross the synapses in my brain, it "gets lost" and instead of going to the next nerve, tries to go back where it came from. I take Paxil, which is an SSRI (Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitor) and what it does is creates a barrier so tat the seratonin can't go back across the synapse and more of it actually gets to where it's supposed to go.
I know the Paxil works, because I did what most people do. When I started feeling better, I felt I was okay, so I stopped taking my medication. Within a few days, I was back to being cranky, irritable, snapping at my son, and in a serious down mood. I have evn been suicidal at my absolute worst. Back on the medication to stay, now, I feel SO much better. It isn't a "false high" like you would expect someone to get from tranquilizers. It helps me think more clearly and it's easier to see and solve my problems.
Which brings me to therapy. First of all, therapists are better than friends for serious problems. Friends and family are great for ragging on a bum of a boyfriend, or complaining about a crappy job. My mother and I even have deep philosophical discussions. The thing you need to remember about therapists is that they are PROFESSIONALS. They go to school to learn all about the workings of the brain and the mind, plus they get paid to sit and listen to you.
As I mentioned before, I much prefer social worker therapists to psychiatrists. I'll let you in on a little-known secret. There are only two things an SWT can't do that a Psychiatrist can: prescribe medication and do official psychiatric evaluations. Other than that, both positions have the same amount and type of schooling. Social Worker therapists ALL have Masters Degrees, some even have PhD's. They aren't nearly as expensive, many work for organizations that offer sliding-fee scales for lower income families, and tey have access to many of the government programs available to help people in the worst of situations. They are more deeply connected to their communities and have a wider range of resources than psychiatrists.
I always hated the idea of taking medication and seeing a therapist, I felt it was an admission of failure that I had to have help. After six years of therapy and three years on medication, however, I can tell you, it has literally saved my life.
Six years ago, I was a mousy little doormat, stretched to my limits and on the verge of suicide. I am now a strong, independent, free-thinker. I am working full-time, going to school full-time (to be a social worker therapist, by the way), and I am single-handedly raising a healthy, happy, wonderful little boy. Even if I have to take the medication for the rest of my life, I am content knowing that one tiny white pill each day can help me keep my life on track. It's such a simple thing to do and it is worth it.
Don't misunderstand people who take medication and see therapists and try not to judge us too harshly.
Above all, be thankful that you have never had to live through anything like this. Cherish your health!
I think you should realise that for some of us, we need our meds. If I didn't take my one little pill everyday I wouldn't be able to leave the house. i suffer from a disorder known as OCD (obessive Compulsive disorder) and have done for most of my life. I totally agree with Mynx326. I take Zoloft another SSRI similar to what Mynx326. I don't "enjoy" therapy and I would give anything to be able to not have this disease, but this is how I am. Yes some people take too many meds and that isn't the solution but I need mine or I can't function. I spent 10 years thinking that I was a freak until my psych got me onto my medication and now I can function as a "normal" person. Stop being so judgemental. It makes suffers feel worse. I hope you never suffer from mental illness.Be kind to people.it helps Medication can and often does allow those who are prescribed things like "Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft or Lithium" to be able to better cope.
It is sometimes over-prescribed, I'll give you that. But for the most part some people are much more able to contend with things like over-whelming sadness, anxiety, panic attacks and phobias.
And NO, it isn't better to talk to people who actually know you because sometimes THEY are some of the reasons for depression and sadness. And they are not professionals that can diagnose the real problem.
DEPRESSION isn't just having the blues..for which you may be able to get some relief from talking to freinds and family.
A friend or family member may minimise your level of depression out of fear or lack of knowledge of your true emotions behind the depression. They may say to get a grip, that you'll get through it, that you don't need professional help, that time will heal all wounds or some clever thing like just don't let it bother you.
And as far as Psychiatrist go? Those that may require a Psychiatrist are not able to see "the obvious". A Psychiatrist helps discover the reasons for the depression. They listen without judgement. They offer proven mythods of therapy. They find the root of the pain and suffering you may be experiencing and give you ways to cope with it.
Medications DO NOT solve lifes problems at all. It aids those using them to be able to distinguish fact from fiction and delusions from reality.
Medications are not meant to make the problems go away..
just to keep them at bay so they are not so over-whelming.
But that is the difference between someone with true depression and someone that may be just having some small problem with a situation at the time.
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