Kakki wrote: > I also am of both minds about drugs for depression, schizophrenia, OCD, etc. > I have known people whose lives would not be functional at all without them > and have known others whose lives were made much worse by them. I don't > know that the researchers have quite figured it all out yet why some respond > beneficially and some are made worse - almost chemically lobotimized. It > seems to me that depression, while a debilitating condition, is probably one > that can be overcome, or at least managed, without the use of drugs. Only > one person out of many I've known who have suffered from depression have > been helped by medication.
Well, I'm certainly no expert on depression or mental illness, but I know my father could not have functioned without medication (and I know he did try). He suffered from serious depression for most of his adult life, and even had electric shock treatment at one point, which certainly didn't help - although the medical profession in NZ at that time (early 70's) was not exactly at it's most informed. I certainly agree with you that in some cases, medication is not the answer. It seems to be the great "cure-all" for anything that ails us - pop a pill and you'll feel better - rather than trying to treat the real cause of the problem, which may be environmental, rather than physical. But when all other avenues have been explored, and no results are forth-coming, sometimes medication IS the only answer. > As for drugs for other illnesses, I've found it also depends on the person's > make-up sometimes. Ideally they would help or cure everyone, but some can > be very dangerous to some people. This last year I've suddenly become > allergic to almost every antibiotic out there. All these recent reports > assuring us it is so easy to treat Anthrax with Cipro, Doxycycline and > Pencillin do nothing but increase my hypochondria - it scares me into > wanting to move over to New Zealand or some place far distant right away! Not such a bad idea! Apparently New Zealand was voted the safest country to be in the world, right now! Why doesn't everyone come visit!? Hell ____________________________ "To have great poets, there must be great audiences too." - Walt Whitman [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hell's Personal Photo Page: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~hell/main/personal.htm Visit the NBLs (Natural Born Losers) at: http://www.nbls.co.nz
