Roger&Me
Bluelighter
I just wanted to point out that I am most certainly not anti-psychiatry, in fact I'm a supporter (Clinical psychology I'm a bit more iffy about than psychiatry, although I admit I'm definitely no expert). But I think that many (most? I dunno) psychiatrists have flawed methods, and rely too heavily on prescribing instead of incorporating a more balanced approach. I also think that many disorders, such as ADHD, are applied excessively-- especially in children. As a child who was medicated with amphetamine due to ADHD, I think it had long-term negative effects on my personal development. And like you mentioned, SSRIs are probably the prime example of flawed prescribing methods in the industry-- although some people do find them helpful, they shouldn't be dished out like candy because some of them cause pretty tough dependency issues.
I really don't have that strong of a viewpoint on the issue, and I respect all the opinions about it that I've heard. In fact, I've revised my opinion a couple of times since the discussion began.
If anything, I think that mental functioning is something that we need to learn to better manage as a society. I think that the current state of the mental health industry could be upgraded to be more effective (although this is probably a pipe-dream, I admit). I'm speaking just as a private citizen who has had a few run-ins with the mental health industry, and found the care to be rather generic and ineffective. Like anything involving people, though, I'm sure it comes down to the individual patient-caregiver relationship and the specific dynamics involved.
Again, I want to point out that I'm not anti-psychiatry. If anything, I would like to see psychiatry become a more effective medical discipline. Unfortunately, pharmaceuticals seem to be such blunt tools-- I wonder if we'll ever devise more effective methods of treatment? Or indeed, if more effective methods of treatment are even possible?
Lately I've come to realize the extreme limitations of the "better living through chemistry" mindset. Many times it doesn't end well, because it essentially boils down to selectively disturbing the homeostasis of the body. In some instances, this selective disturbance can have positive effects (or even neutral effects that are simply different enough from normal consciousness to help the person change ingrained habits)-- however, the long-term effects of continually ingesting exogenous chemicals can be quite problematic. I mean, nowadays I'm pretty hesitant to really recommend ANY kind of drug to anyone, even piracetam and the like I think can have bad effects. I'm not saying I don't use drugs myself, because I still do-- although much less than at other times in my life-- but I don't see it as a beneficial activity anymore. So in that sense, I don't think I necessarily subscribe to the "better living through chemistry" mindset-- perhaps in a limited way, with specific caveats.
I still suffer from benzo cessation symptoms months after stopping them (took them as prescribed), and I know people who have been similarly harmed by SSRIs and antipsychotics. I just think that the seriousness of medication needs to be thoroughly considered, when in so many cases it simply is not-- some doctors act like they are handing out vitamins, with very little actual information being doled out. In many cases, the only information the doctors even have regarding these medications was given to them by the companies that manufacture them-- which is absurd..
The reality is that long-term use of many psychiatric medications can cause terrible withdrawal effects and cessation syndromes, that are improperly managed by doctors in so many cases (you would be appalled to learn what a large percentage of psychiatrists are ignorant or dismissive of the existence of benzo & SSRI withdrawal syndromes). Due to these conditions, many people are forced to continue using these medications indefinitely even if they stop helping them. That's an example of the type of behavior that needs to be banished from psychiatry, IMO-- ideally, I would like to see more informed and compassionate care as the industry standard. With the state of the industry today, trusting your psychiatrist's advise could potentially be a disastrous decision.
It's a complicated issue, no doubt. The human mind is extremely complex and amorphous, hard to define or pin down. Again, I'm not even really arguing a side here-- I'm more interested in discussing the matter in general.
This is essentially all I'm saying as well.
I think we're both coming to the issue from different perspectives, though, which should be noted. I know you see a lot of the people who REALLY NEED psychiatric treatment through your work-- I've never had that experience. My experience has been more on the "cosmetic psychiatry" end of the industry, which I have found to have many problems. These are basically two completely different animals, IMO, and in many ways incomparable.
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