Posted by noa on December 16, 2003, at 17:45:51
In reply to When are meds justified? Is it quantifiable?, posted by sip on December 13, 2003, at 23:18:54
As some others have said, if you don't have a level of illness where it is clear cut that medication is indicated, be thankful that you have the choice. From there it is an individual judgment call you make in concert with your doctors, weighing the positive effects of medication on your mental health and well being vs. any negative effects.
The only other thought is that for some people, there may be a "kindling" effect where if left untreated, the course of the depressive illness can become worse over time, which is an argument, of course, in favor of medicating.
But in terms of quantifiability--I think the criteria are the ways that the depression affect one's functioning in the various roles and areas of one's life, and the extent of the impact, but actually measuring the scope and severity of the impact is subjective, kind of like how we each quantify sensations of pain.
poster:noa
thread:289528
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031213/msgs/290691.html