You are ALSO ON DRUGS!!

[Jo1991]

I am not trying to offend anyone that's taking medication because my mom wants me to get on that stuff but I refused......My question is so what happens when you stop taking the medications?

What about the people that have gotten worst and as a result of taking pharma drugs become MORE SUICIDAL ?

Are you planning to take this pills for the rest of your lives?

So you take some pills now and what if you need more dosages and more and more?

Don't take this personal, I am just very curious to know all of this.

 

[Jo1991]

That's like saying there's no difference between a bird and a fish because they both have eyes, they both lay eggs, and people keep them as pets.

But they are both drugs that were made in a lab. Some of this pharma drugs have killed people..not necessarily anti depressants but other medications. "Illegal drugs" have also killed people as well.

A bird and a fish are very different....one swims in water and one flies in the air.

 

[lurknomore]

In my opinion, the ideal situation is for people to use a minimal amount/minimal dosage of an effective medication. To me, medication should not be a "quick fix" but just maybe a temporary pick-me-up to provide some immediate relief, and maybe help the person be more open to therapy, counseling, or other ways to more permanently fix the problem. Like, some severely depressed people or with severe SP won't even leave their house. Medication may lift their mood or remove enough anxiety that they are able to function in the immediate term and able to get out to get the help they need. Some people are so depressed they don't feel worthy of getting help, and the medication can help them feel better about themselves enough to seek help. Again, this is ideal situation. And if you have a good doctor, they are not just pushing pills on you, but recommending other things like therapy, and hopefully will get you to a point of needing no medication at all. Or some disorders may require medication in the long term depending on the severity and the symptoms- like many diabetics will always need insulin, or people with heart problems needing meds to help prevent heart attacks.

 

[TheNewZero]

But they are both drugs that were made in a lab. Some of this pharma drugs have killed people..not necessarily anti depressants but other medications. "Illegal drugs" have also killed people as well.

A bird and a fish are very different....one swims in water and one flies in the air.

Similarly to illegal drugs and legal drugs. You can't say two things are exactly the same based on only a few similarities. There are also huge differences between the two, which you seem to be avoiding. I understand that there is a problem with drug misuse of prescription drugs, and that drugs are dangerous regardless of whether or not they are legal, but that certainly doesn't make the two equal. Trust me, I work with special needs kids and without medication most of them wouldn't be able to do half of the stuff they can do now. Legal drugs do a lot of good.

 

[StonedBob]

The scientology comment I made was for the video because this is typically the kind of evidences they use. They hate psychologists and psychiatrists, and they deny the fact that disorders like depression, bipolar disorders or social anxiety exist.

In some case, medications will be necessary for whole life... I'm thinking of bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, etc...
For the rest, depression or other possible disorders, pills can be used as a support, but they won't cure you.

But they are both drugs that were made in a lab.

Well... this is not completely true... Labs that make illegal drugs doesn't fulfil all the quality and security criteria you would expect from a real lab... For example, cocaine is made with fuel mixed with the coca leafs, cement and other stuff in a concrete mixer. If a lab was making its antidepressants (or whatever you want) like this, for sure they would be in big troubles ...

What about the people that have gotten worst and as a result of taking pharma drugs become MORE SUICIDAL ?

Some of this pharma drugs have killed people

Yes, what you say is true, and no one can say pharma drugs aren't dangerous, but 1) less people taking pharma drugs die than those taking illegal ones.
2) some die because they didn't respect their prescription (again pharma drugs are dangerous), because they were allergic to these or because the pill wasn't adapted to them.

To avoid accidents with pharma pills, it is necessary to stay in contact with the doctor that prescribe it to you, to tell him about your side effects, how you feel, etc...

I guess my point is that taking pills because you are sad, nervous or have a headache or whatever because you want to feel better is unnecessary. There are better ways of dealing with these problems than being doped up on all kinds of funky chemicals with various side effects.

About side effects, see what I wrote before... In certain situations, pills are needed : for example people suffering from bipolar disorder, therapies will have no effects one them because it's a chemical imbalance in their brain... In my case, I had a very deep depression just a few month ago, because of my SA. I had very deep suicidal thoughts... I began a therapy to fight my SA, but it didn't really helped me until I began a treatment of antidepressants. It helped me because I felt less depressed and more combative. I'm still taking these pills, but no, I don't want to spend my life taking them.

So you take some pills now and what if you need more dosages and more and more?

If pills don't work for you, they will increase your dosage. But it's impossible to increase the dosage indefinitely, so generally, doctors will give you another pill. If none works... then another solution is needed, but generally, it's not the easiest one...

Ok, sorry if my reply is a bit chaotic and not very clear... but, I'm french so it's not very easy for me to explain completely my point of view .

 

[Ajuna24]

Well you said drugs. Obviously prozac and xanax aren't the only drugs



So where do you draw the line? Drugs should only be taken in life or death situations? What if someone's in severe pain but they're in no danger of dying? My point is that drugs are useful in some circumstances. But as I said, I do think drugs are being prescribed far too often, especially for social anxiety and depression.

Well of course people with something like schizophrenia are dependent on drugs. If people can't function without their medication, then they should be able to benefit of medical advancement.

I'm not saying people should never use medication. I used prozac and xanax as examples because I didn't want to write a long list, and because those kind of drugs are what I'm talking about. One example is Fluoxetine hydrochloride.. Another is Paracetamol.

I'm not going to write any essay on it. I think you get my point by now.

 

[Ajuna24]

The scientology comment I made was for the video because this is typically the kind of evidences they use. They hate psychologists and psychiatrists, and they deny the fact that disorders like depression, bipolar disorders or social anxiety exist.



About side effects, see what I wrote before... In certain situations, pills are needed : for example people suffering from bipolar disorder, therapies will have no effects one them because it's a chemical imbalance in their brain... In my case, I had a very deep depression just a few month ago, because of my SA. I had very deep suicidal thoughts... I began a therapy to fight my SA, but it didn't really helped me until I began a treatment of antidepressants. It helped me because I felt less depressed and more combative. I'm still taking these pills, but no, I don't want to spend my life taking them.

Correct me if I'm wrong but has 'chemical imbalance'
ever been proven to be the basis of any mental illness?

 

[Rise Against]

Correct me if I'm wrong but has 'chemical imbalance'
ever been proven to be the basis of any mental illness?

Yes, that's what bipolar is...

 

[Ajuna24]

Ajuna24
could you please tell me why are you here(SPW)?
if for SP how severe is it?

Sent you a private message.

 

[Ajuna24]

Yes, that's what bipolar is...

From wikipedia:

Scientists believe that bipolar disorder may be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain.

As far as I know, chemical imbalances in the brain has never been proved to be the basis of any mental illness.

If you can document otherwise I would appreciate it.

 

[Rise Against]

In my opinion, I think that prescriptions are being overused and aren't always necessary. But if a person is really really depressed, to the point that they are suicidal, wouldn't it be safer to prescribe them an anti-depressant than to risk self-medication through alcohol and other "street" drugs. I know that many prescriptions are just as or even more dangerous than street drugs, but at least they can be controlled, so the risk of abuse isn't as high.

 

[TheNewZero]

From wikipedia:


As far as I know, chemical imbalances in the brain has never been proved to be the basis of any mental illness.

If you can document otherwise I would appreciate it.

No offense but wikipedia isn't the most credible source...

 

[Ajuna24]

No offense but wikipedia isn't the most credible source...

Why don't you show me proof instead of telling me I'm wrong?

 

[Rise Against]

Ajuna24, you might be right, but you can't deny the fact that anti-depressants have prevented thousands, if not millions, of suicides.

 

[Noca]

I <3 my drugs, this thread makes me wanna take some

 

[kayelle]

Why don't you show me proof instead of telling me I'm wrong?

Evidence for a biochemical lesion in depression
by
Leonard BE
Department of Pharmacology,
National University of Ireland, Galway.
J Clin Psychiatry 2000; 61 Suppl 6:12-7

ABSTRACT

The monoamine hypothesis of depression predicts an impairment in central monoaminergic function. The lesion may comprise deficiencies in the absolute concentrations of norepinephrine and/or serotonin (5-HT). Depletion studies have shown a correlation between such deficiencies and depressive symptoms. Measurement of the concentrations of the neurotransmitters and their metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and plasma of patients with depression has yielded equivocal results regarding the possibility of altered metabolism of these neurotransmitters. Other studies have investigated the possibility of altered numbers and/or affinities of the serotonin and norepinephrine receptors and uptake sites. For example, there is evidence for a reduction in the activity of the serotonin reuptake transporter in patients with depression and an increase in the density of 5-HT2 receptors in the brains of suicide victims. Similarly, in the noradrenergic system, up-regulation of beta-adrenoceptors is consistently observed. Most recently, attention has focused on the possibility that a lesion may occur in the postreceptor, subcellular components of the monoamine systems, such as the second messenger processes. Also, experimental evidence has shown "cross-talk" between the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems. There is therefore substantial clinical and experimental evidence that lesions in the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems are responsible for depression and that antidepressant treatment can reverse these alterations.

Lots more on biopsychiatry.com. And any other website. Put in "monamine theory of depression".

Look. There is plenty of abuse of these drugs aswell. People take too much of them, people take them for too long, people take them when they haven't been prescribed for them, and people take them when they might not necessarily need them as an easy way out. People abuse legal and illegal drugs. I'm talking about the people who don't abuse them.
But for a lot of people, they do need to take medication. People misunderstood my meaning of needing medication. When I say need, I don't mean they are going to die if they don't take them. They take them so they can function 'normally' in society. If they didn't take them, they'd live perfectly healthy lives, just with crippling SA, depression, etc.
And people have not lived without drugs for centuries. There has been medicinal drugs around since the beginning of society and history.

 

[Jo1991]

Can anyone answer my questions that I left on page 5, I am just really curious. My mom is telling me to see a psychiatrist and that they can give me a pill for 30 days. I am like NO, how can i get better in 30 days!!

 

[lurknomore]

Can anyone answer my questions that I left on page 5, I am just really curious. My mom is telling me to see a psychiatrist and that they can give me a pill for 30 days. I am like NO, how can i get better in 30 days!!

That sounds kind of bogus- I think most medications take at least a week or two to take full effect, and even then you have to make sure of how it's affecting you (like side effects, or if it's even working for you), or if the dosage needs to be increased, etc. But maybe the 30 day thing is just a free trial offer? I don't know, I would make sure the doctor is legit, because the particular medicine being pushed may not even be what would work for your situation. I would do some research before trying any medication.

 

[Jay Cataldo]

Can anyone answer my questions that I left on page 5, I am just really curious. My mom is telling me to see a psychiatrist and that they can give me a pill for 30 days. I am like NO, how can i get better in 30 days!!

What specific issues are you dealing with? If you suffer from depression or anxiety, I recommend that you try 5-htp before anything else. 5-htp is serotonin's precursor and has proven to be more effective than most SSRI's in some instances (and is much, much safer). But since I never went to med school, you shouldn't listen to anything I have to say.

You can get 5-htp at any health food store (gnc, vitamin shoppe, whole foods, etc.). Google it to learn more.

 

[Thelema]

People have lived without drugs for centuries. I don't really understand how some people MUST HAVE drugs?

The only thing I take is vitamin supplements every now and then.. though I should really be drinking alkalized water because of all the unhealthy crap we eat today.

My dear, we didn't have tetanus shots for centuries, but that doesn't mean you want lockjaw. Do you want a medicine man blowing smoke in your face to cure your ailments? Our post industrial societies have forgotten what the world was like a few hundred years ago and is still like in many places. Medical science has advanced our lives more than you can possibly realize. We have the smartest people in the world doing all they can to help us. The brain doesn't work on gears and switches, if it did, it would be much simpler. It works with chemicals and therefore that is what we have to work with.

The brain is the most complex thing we know of. Medical science is always getting better. It took us thousands of years to discover germs and to use sterile operating tools, for God's sake.

The people saying drugs are bad are on the same intellectual footing as Frankenstein saying fire is bad