Posted by Cecilia on February 8, 2002, at 2:39:36
In reply to Re: Nobel Prize » Bekka H., posted by Mr. Scott on February 7, 2002, at 0:01:44
> I doubt there will ever be a cure... It is like saying cancer can be cured...Too many different kinds to cure..
>
> ScottI tend to agree with you, Scott, there are probably many many types of depression, caused by combinations of genetic factors, environmental factors, childhood influences, head injuries, viruses, and who knows what else. True for other types of mental illness too, years ago I read an interesting book called Welcome Silence by Carol North, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was not helped by any of the meds then available. Eventually she entered an experimental treatment using kidney dialysis. The research showed no benefit for dialysis in schizophrenia and the experiments were stopped, but for her it worked and at the time she wrote the book she had gone on to become a psychiatrist, with no recurrence of symptoms. She probably had some rare subtype of schizophrenia that was responsive to this treatment, and there are probably many rare types of depression that might respond to some rare medication, but of course the drug companies aren`t going to do research that might help only a small number of people. I think most of the AD`s on the market say flat out "mechanism of action is unknown" and most doctors think there are just two types of depression-if meds help it`s biological, otherwise it`s probably a personality disorder and your own fault! Cecilia the Cynic
poster:Cecilia
thread:93121
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020131/msgs/93291.html