I’ve certainly seen cases where they have been prescribed somewhat inappropriately, or without really addressing the cause. I can think of many examples but one in particular stands out, I was treating a 13 year old girl a few years back for knee pain, one of her medications was an anti-depressant, this bothered me due to her being so young so I delved a bit deeper by talking to the mother; ‘she doesn’t like school’ was the reason I was given, ‘Is she being bullied? Is she struggling with her studies? Is your relationship with her ok?’ is my follow up enquiry, ‘no she just doesn’t like it so her Dr prescribed them’.
It’s fair to say I didn’t have all the facts in this particular case, but I hoped that her GP was not just dishing them out as a stopgap or that there was a valid reason that wasn’t being disclosed to me. But if not liking school is really a good enough reason then about 80% of me and my friends should have been on them at some point, and on the other hand do anti depressants help you like stuff you normally don’t? Would I like Saints losing if I was on some good quality citolopram?
So yes in my experience I think they are over-prescribed, and in some cases the actual causes of depression/low mood are not properly addressed.
Tbf I don’t disagree that people can get depressed - ffs, take bereavement - that has a major effect on you. A divorce or loss of a job, likewise.
Good Mental health in the workplace is part and parcel of what I do for clients (not hippy dippy shit) - the medicalisation and drug pushing I mentioned in earlier post is a scandal and incredibly unhelpful…
Not in the purest sense of happiness, but these scales allow mental health professionals some kind of quantifiable data and if used correctly can be used to spot trends/patterns in people’s behaviour and trigger warnings if someone is on the decline, even if the person themself doesn’t realise it. That’s my understanding of it anyway.
Don’t know your situation, so won’t comment on it unless you’d like to elaborate further.
I’m not joking. It’s not just people that have been diagnosed as depressed that are depressed. I think everyone is on that scale at some point.
I’ve got close friends and family that have been “clinically depressed” at some point in their lives. Having witnessed what was going on in their lives at the time, I know that there were other factors at play.
No-one really argues with the proposition that there would be less thieves if there were less poverty, so I don’t really see why it would be a “joke” to suggest that having less problems might make you less sad. I am not trivialisng your experience; I know nowt about it.
That said, I don’t think that any one anecdotal account has the power to shut down broad discussion.
I’ve known people to hide depression for all of their lives and one day they simply have enough, they’ve had enough of the battle, some of these people and its really true you’d never know, money? Depression doesn’t care, houses? Depression doesn’t care, beautiful wife children, ditto.
Some people are born differently and thats is all there is too it, its a crippling thing and something that you can not explain, there are so many different types so the discussion its infinite.
I don’t think Pap is disrespecting anyone struggling with mental ill health, probably more big pharma and those looking to make a profit. Look at ADHD - was never a problem until it got discovered and chemical coshes were found to control it. Too many vested interests looking to protect their livelihoods and shareholder value to really and honestly care about those genuinely affected.
Mate, I’ve got people close in my life that have suffered, including one diagnosed with bipolar disorder, others that have been through post-natal depression, and a mate who was prescribed amitriptylene from his late teens and fucked it off in his mid-twenties, a period which coincided with him getting most areas of his life sorted out.
I’m not saying clinical depression is not a thing.
I’m not saying depression is not a thing.
But I do think that the vast amount of people suffering depression, diagnosed or not, are suffering for situational reasons which won’t be fixed by addressing a chemical imbalance they do not have.
Surroundings may well play a part for some but for all? No way, not a chance.
If you’re saying drug companies profit from depression and selling said drugs and doctors simply giving them out then of course you’re correct, look at the US? Advertising pain killers during the Super Bowl half time but some people are way beyond drugs reaches, its just a matter of time.
"Depression is measured on the Hamilton scale. There are 51 points on the scale. At the happiest point, you’re in ecstasy. At your lowest, you’re acutely suicidal. According to Johann Hari, just getting a good nights sleep moves you six points toward ecstasy. Getting a shit night’s sleep takes you six points down the scale.
Anti-depressants, on average, make people 1.8 points happier. While that’s going to be incredibly useful for people at the acutely suicidal end of the scale, it does beg the question as to whether these things are being massively over prescribed.
The story about the introduction of chemical anti-depressants in Cambodia is excellent"
Then links to a video by Joe Rogan who is an expert
Joseph James Rogan is an American stand-up comedian, martial arts color commentator and podcast host. A fan of comedy since his youth, Rogan began a career in stand-up in August 1988 in the Boston area, developing a blue comedy act.
Would is “depression medication a con?” be a better title?
I think there is probably over use of medication in some areas. There is some evidence that some GP surgeries have a bit of a relationship with pharmacy companies.
In work and outside work I meet or know people with depression. They have difficulties for numerous reasons. These are then exacerbated by what else is happening in their lives. Dante-esque systems that make life harder. For some a little bit of medication helps, for others a lot of medication helps stablise them when in serious crisis, sometimes it doesn’t work as they may need something else.
No disrespect, @saintbristol . but what commentary are you providing there that I did not already provide?
Is the intended audience supposed to sneer at the idea of a comedian having an opinion or a platform? My understanding is that they’ve often had both, and that often intersects with political issues.
I’m just not seeing the controversy or the context, dude.