Are pills the right solution to Depression?

[Dejin]

My mother always was against medication to solve depression. She felt it wrong to have pills dull and hide your pains. Rather, she felt that you should try and achieve mental health through healthy acts. (Exersize, doing something fun that you enjoy, ect) I know there are certain cases where Depression is caused by a chemical embalance in the brain, but either way it presents a good argument. What do you guys think?

[moimeme]

Well, no. If you have a chemical imbalance, healthy acts won't cure it and you'll just feel worse for 'failing' to cure it with them. The pills straighten out the chemical imbalance. Very often, people can go off the pills after a while and not need them again.

 

To refuse medicine when you have a biochemical illness is foolish, IMHO.

[tattoomytoe]

Pills as a SOLUTION is a frequent misconception. the medication is a catalist, like taking meds along with therapy, can prove very useful.

 

but it all depends on the person too. speaking from experience, i take prozac, i have for about 6 years, it certainly hasn't cured my distorted thinking or my issues....but it helps me not totally shut down, sleep all the time and want to die. i mean there are days when i definatly want and feel that way, but when i take it there are more good days than bad. as for healthy activities, well if i am in a depression, i am soo unhealthy physically and mentally that i cannot and do not want to do anything that requires living, feeling.

 

i do not go to therapy, i have in the past, i think it is stupid

[bellatina]

as tatoomytoe said pills are useful for those whose depression is severe. together with therapy they can be very usefull. tatoomytoe had abad experience with therapy, but the must important thing is to conect wiith the therapist and feel confortable with his or her methods. Therapy is a very intimate relationship and both the thrapist and client have to feel confortable with eachother.

 

I am a counselor (not a doctor yet). In my counseling relationships I have had clients who don't want to work with me because of my race, or my accent (I am latina) or because I remind them of someone ... and other million reasons. I have had experiences where my clients can remind me of someone I don't like or get sometime anoying. Sometimes this can be worked out in counseling ...other times is better to move on to someone else....I always keep handy a good list of referrals.

[faux]

Pills can help when you are first starting out to try to tackle your problems. However I prefer that one taper off of the medications over time. I was on medication for a while ago for a few years and it didn't help me all too much. I really had to do almost everything on my own.

 

I really believe that it is all in your head. Even chemical imbalances... I have one and I'm doing just fine. If you work hard enough you don't need any more medication, any more therapy (have to work very hard at that), and you can live a full and mostly happy life.

 

I do think it's good to use them at times, but nobody should ever be reliant on them. I see too many people who were in the situation I was, and are still on meds. I know too many people who are on five different types of medication and don't stick with their therapy as they ought to be doing. I suppose that they feel being on medication and having those resources is enough. They don't want to try to get better almost.

[SoleMate]

Pills ARE a viable solution. Anti-depressants today don't "dull your pain", as old time tranquilizers did. They supply the brain with essential chemicals that are missing. Just like a diabetic takes insulin.

 

Try the pills. Knock them only after you've tried them. They were lifegiving for me.