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At 05:40 PM 7/28/2004, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">There's no shame in taking ADs,
and they can help you function more calmly, improve your memory, and
level your judgment -- it's far better than serious depression. I don't
knwo of any ADs that have the imputed effects.SSRIs can reduce your
libido, other can cause nausea. Be that as it may, I would not want to
see members of this list join in the stigmatization of <i>treatment</i>
for mood disorders that is all too common in our
society.</blockquote><br>
absolutely not, andy. stigma association with mental health
issues is most dangerous for those who need help. as are the
terrible cuts in public mental health services, and the reduced
consciousness of mental health problems brought on by the reaganesque
attitude that all problems -- politically and otherwise -- will take care
of themselves.<br><br>
interestingly, those most terrified and brain washed by the
"stigma" are often those who need the help the most, such as
hyper-religious, "conservative," people like shrub who hang
onto more socially acceptable forms of self treatment when they could use
a little boost from the outside. alcohol -- which is a depressant
and neurotoxic -- and illicit drugs are often used by people with
depression to treat themselves. ... as well as being recreational,
of course. it's hard to imagine a worse attempt for a depressed
person to self medicate than drinking booze when its side effects are
depression, and over long term use can damage a person emotionally and
physically.<br><br>
there have been instances, of which i'm sure you're aware, andy, that
taking psychotropic drugs was used as at least a partial defense in
criminal trials. prozac, an SSRI, received a lot of attention in
this regard.<br><br>
things to bear in mind regarding ADs and all psychotropic
drugs.<br><br>
1. there are a range of ADs, from the more traditional kind (the
older tricyclic ADs, for example) to the SSRIs.<br><br>
2. all psychotropic drugs (which include ADs) are mood
altering drugs<br><br>
3. all psychotropic drugs affect the patient's body
chemistry.<br><br>
4. all psychotropic drugs have side effects<br><br>
5. despite having a pretty good idea, mental health
professionals are not exactly sure what these drugs actually do to
patients. as i mentioned, drugs treat symptoms, not
causes. <br><br>
6. most drug testing by drug companies is not done on a
representative population. it's come to light recently that women
and ethnic "minorities" are often left out of tests, leaving
the white male population as the primary beneficiaries of "new
drugs." a prime example is the testing of medications
for heart disease. until recently, when "liberated" women
who've acquired high stress, generally unhealthy jobs traditionally
associate with men, have begun developing heart disease, for example, in
much greater numbers. drug testing consequently is
changing.<br><br>
7. most importantly, every patient is different and will
potentially have a different response to any psychotropic drug from that
of the average.<br><br>
in most cases, ADs do help a person function more calmly because their
symptoms are relieved and they can think better; in this context, they
can level judgement within certain parameters. they do not
always improve memory, but can alleviate the areas where depression
interferes with memory. and they can cause anxiety -- and over
time, a reduction in memory -- as a side effect, among others.<br><br>
if one takes ADs, the changes that person will experience in mood and the
changes in body chemistry must be monitored carefully until the MH
professional and the patient determine the patient, drug and dosage are a
"good fit." the med must be titrated for dosage. if
a patient experiences severe depression -- one that requires
hospitalization -- this process can be done in the hospital.
otherwise, the therapist, usually a psychiatrist, prescribing the drugs
must keep a careful watch on the patient, and the patient must stay in
close contact with the therapist giving feedback as changes occur.
this is vitally important.<br><br>
it takes a few weeks for ADs to begin helping a patient because they must
accumulate in the body -- the liver to be precise. so, it takes
time for symptom relieve and side effects to emerge.<br><br>
when AD's begin changing a person's body chemistry and mood, relief of
symptoms is the usual result. yet, as you can imagine as a
result of anything that changes your body chemistry (including coffee or
alcohol) will bring changes to the way a person sees life, particularly
when it's in the form of a psychiatric medication one takes daily in
order for it to work. sometimes these are uniformly
beneficial. sometimes they are a mixed bag. <br><br>
sometimes they are potentially destructive as the symptom of depression
may have masked other, deeper conflicts within the person's personality
which now emerge as the depression lifts. it's the latter that can
be traumatic for the person and requires careful monitoring by the
therapist. ADs have beneficial effects for most people. the
exceptions are, thankfully, a rarity. but, nonetheless, exceptions
must be dealt with immediately and profoundly. <br><br>
the experience john thornton kindly shared with the list is an example of
a situation when psychotropic drugs can kick back on a person, causing
more harm than good. this can be purely biochemical. as john's experience
shows, these meds are nothing for people to trifle with. they
produce profound changes in body chemistry, as i've noted; such changes
are not the same in all of us.<br><br>
let me add that it's rarely a good idea to get any kind of psychotropic
drugs, "tranquilizers", etc, solely from our internist, Unless
you are experiencing a very mild, temporary problem. these meds are
powerful and are best prescribed and monitored by those who use them
regularly and specialize in their use. many internists
understand this; some don't.<br><br>
<br>
when a chronically depressed person experiences relief from depression,
it's a good idea to continue with therapy for assistance in dealing with
the changes brought by a new way of looking at life and one's self
created by the ADs.<br><br>
R<br><br>
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