Depression - Is Society Taking the Wrong Approach?
By David Braybrooke
Is society taking the wrong approach with the treatment of depression? I would answer this as most certainly. The fact is that the pharmaceutical industry makes countless millions in revenue each and every year, profiting from the misery of the masses.
Drugs from Prozac to Zoloft and a plethora of others are fed to the wider populace at an alarming rate. From personal experience, I can clearly state that anti-depressant medication has a wide range of negative side-effects that directly affect the consumer.
At present I am taking a tablet called Effexor and am not experiencing too many troubling symptoms. However, if I decided to take myself off this medication then I can expect a whole range of worrying symptoms; anything from tremors to blurred vision and poor concentration and digestion.
On first examination the above conditions may not be of much concern to some but I have to admit being alarmed at how the human body can be so severely affected by these types of medications.
My theory on why depression is so widespread in society is that we are no longer as well-connected and networked as individuals. Many people confess that they don't even know their neighbors. The modern condition of disconnection from others is rife in modern society.
Slowing down the pace of life, remembering to count one's blessings and participating in personally fulfilling activities with other like-minded people is one avenue that depression can be combated. Instead, we're heading off to the Doctor's office in ever increasing numbers to be prescribed the latest wonder drug. Does anyone besides myself wonder about how many qualified Doctors have shares in drug companies?
New prescription medications are often unknown quantities when it comes to long termed effects in the human body. Remember what they discovered about thalidomide. Enough said!
Why do I think that medications are a poor choice in attacking the depression 'plague'? Because I've taken them myself, Zoloft, Sertraline and Effexor XR and I remained depressed and suicidal throughout the course of the medications. And I'm by no means the only one to have experienced this.
The right approach in tackling depression would be the encouragement of meaningful relating between people; really listening and being supportive of sufferers. For some, prescribed medications may offer relief in the short-term but the long-term answer is the questioning of one's personal beliefs and the examination of reasons why one is experiencing depression.
One things for certain, we weren't born depressed so it is likely that it is a learned psychological condition that can be reversed.
Keep busy, appreciate your own achievements, exercise on a daily basis and have a healthy diet. Have a positive attitude to life and get involved within your community. The way out of the darkness owes much to common sense living. And I can state this from my own experience.
David Braybrooke http://makebigmoney-fatherspirit.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com
5 comments:
My name is Judith Haven and i would like to show you my personal experience with Effexor.
I am 37 years old. Have been on Effexor for at least 1 years now. As soon as I was on the beginning dose I could feel releave from my anxiety. My family life is so much better. My kids notice it. They applaud my for taking the side affects for a better live with them. No explosive episode any more.
I have experienced some of these side effects-
Nightsweats, I have twitches if I forget a dose.
I hope this information will be useful to others,
Judith Haven
There is no doubt that the effects of depression are debilitating to say the least. I know from my own experience that I was sometimes like a suicide bomber... When I 'exploded' I got everyone in the room with me!
Also, I lived with "the big D" for 32 years, misunderstood by family and friends.
The key to MY recovery began with the simple declaration, a promise to myself, "I am never going to hurt this way again" and the commitment to do whatever it took to put the bad times behind me.
No matter the therapy, pharmaceutical, or treatment, I believe that this mindset must be a central part.
I applaud your work here Anna.
Hmm.. I don't know about all of this depression discussion. I think both attempting to change thought processes and medication are very useful. I do believe that anti-depressants are being over-prescribed.. to people who are situationally depressed. but with my experience, I would not be here without it. I am 23 years old, and do not remember a time in my life where I have ever been generally happy. I've been taking medication for almost 5 years now. It's the best decision I ever made, and I wish I made it sooner. Without my medication, my thought processes are completely different and out of wack. No matter how hard I tried to change my thinking patterns, no matter how long I went to therapy, nothing at all changed the way I felt. I feel like people who are depressed and "recover," are not or never were "clinically depressed." I feel like you can be depressed emotionally for a while and are able to deal with the circumstances and change things with talk or cognitive therapy. When someone deals with depression for years and years and years... most if not all of their life.. There has to be something else going on chemically or genetically. My grandmother was depressed and didn't do anything about it, stopped taking care of herself and ended up dying from it. I feel like depression is just as real as someone who has Bipolar disorder or other more accepted "medical" conditions. After dealing with depression for so long, and have tried everything to help myself, I am offended when someone tells me it's all in my head, it's all in the way you think. It makes me feel like a pathetic person who is looking for an easy way out by using medication. I have thought like that. You know, maybe I can try even harder, maybe THIS therapist will be able to help, maybe this self-help book will give me an answer, maybe cognitive-behavioral therapy will help.. Nothing but medication has ever helped me. Ever try telling someone who is bipolar or schizophrenic to control their thoughts, think about something happy? Try not to dwell on the negative.. Everyday is a constant battle.
I joined blogger a couple of days ago to document my struggle with depression and share my story. Anyone who reads this, youre welcome to follow my blog and please leave comments! It's very comforting to know that you're not the only one out there struggling with this, there is hope..
Thank you all for your comments. I agree with much of the article but at the same time I realize that people with bipolar may NEED medication because it's a chemical imbalance in their system. So something more than just cognitive therapy may be needed.
I work at a wellness center for people with mental health diagnosis such as; depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, anxiety and so forth. I run various support groups and I teach a self-esteem class and I've learned first had because I am a mental health consumer who have managed to reprogram my mind and think more positively. I no longer need my meds (Not telling anyone to get off them, that's between you and your Dr.) As I stated, people with a chemical imbalance in their syster (such as bipolar) may not be able to do this but in many cases some have been able to successfully get their life back in order.
Believe me, I know what it's like to want to end your life. I've held the pills in my hand ready to end it all while I was in my abusive marriage. Thank God I have not had any of those distructive ways of thinking since I've had my kids.
Anyway, thanks again for all the comments. Best wishes to you all.
Ooops, sorry for the typos in my earlier post. It's late and after I reread what I posted I spotted some spelling errors, so I apologize.
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