Posted by Nickengland on October 4, 2005, at 15:24:18
In reply to Professor at Med School Says Wean off All Meds, posted by Phillipa on October 2, 2005, at 19:06:31
I think there is truth in the fact that indeed whilst the argument put forward that medication is the answer to go forward to treat mental illness, there is also truth in the fact that medications are not *the* answer to make you well alone.
Some of what the professor said, was perhaps not worded as what you would expect from someone of his background, but at the same time I think there is some middle-ground within what he was saying.
>...to wean off the meds as they were not good for me.
Some medications can make people worse rather than better, although one would have to be in a position to know if this was the case.
>He said it is mind over matter.
When the causes of the disease(s) are unknown, but there are biological things going on and genetic's involved, then it would be easy to say that in some respects when the person does not have such an illness of unknown causes. Also the mind would have to functioning to a good standard in the first place for it to be able to fix itself and problems around it. In certain fears it can be like the chicken and the egg factor, in some ways to break the fears it can be mind over matter but its a very loose term and it doesnt correspond well to other areas of mental ilness at all.
>And if he put a scope in my mouth to my intestines it would look like a pharmacy.
I long for the day when they can put some kind of scope into my brain and say "hey...thats the problem" lets it fix and *cure* it with X. But then its mind over matter right? lol
>He basically said meds will not make you well.
But if only these people could then tell you what would...
Medication when treating any mental illness will only treat the symptoms...I do not believe they can cure anything but only help you live with the illness better than how you did without the medication before. If genetics play a part in certain peoples illness's then taking no amount of medication on todays market from what I understand, be it antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics etc are going to cure the genetic defects which caused the illness. The drugs will however at best help you to have more symptom control over the symptoms which you were currently suffering from.
What if you've tried all the medications and now you're getting no where? Medication may not be the answer to the problems...Therapy could well be.. Like Scott said sometimes a combination of both can produce the best possible outcome..
I remember once being told by a psychiatrist I should take prozac, just like a diabetic has to take insulin. At the time I could understand what he was saying, but the diabetic has a problem with *insulin* whereas I do not have a problem with levels of prozac in my brain. Funnily enough the actual problem I had was that I shouldnt have being taking the stuff in the first place as it was making me worse - but there was the psychiatrist saying how badly I needed it compared to that of a diabetic with insulin.. I was 17 at the time.
I guess in the future, I hope that the ways in which we are told to take drugs will correspond exactly with how our illness presents itself. Just like that of the diabetic and insulin. No one says to the diabetic its mind of matter and hopefully in the future when advances are made and more is known about the causes which brings newer treatments specifically targeted at them, people will not be saying such things. Just like many years ago, people said mental patients were to be locked up and left to die. It doesn't happen anymore and oneday people won't say things like this professor guy did I hope.
Support I believe is one thing that can truely make people get better no matter what illness they have. Having proper support from friends and family and the community around you, just knowing that people care gives you *hope* ~ and with that *hope* comes peace of mind that you will get better...it gives you that little extra that things will work out.
Africa, has some of the poorest deprived countires of the world, but an example of how hope can make you better is this. When someone gets sick in the village, the leader of the tribe will gather the people of the community, all the people will then go and visit the sick person. Can you imagine living in a small town where you got mentally ill and everyone came to visit you to "gee you up" so to speak. The encouragement of everyone being together and helping in itself would be truely amazing. Its just unfortunate that in the western world, sometimes the very people we turn to treat our illness give us the exact oppsite of what we really need to make us feel better..
I even read recently that whilst schizophrenia was once thought to be a degenerative disease, it is now thought that the brain can actually repair itself. This offers hope.
Also with medications and mental illness (here it shows schizophrenia) could actually depend which country you live in. If the professor was speaking to you (and you had schizophrenia) in India Colombia or Nigeria then he might have something to go on by..
"The World Health Organization conducted two long-term follow-up studies involving more than 2,000 people suffering from schizophrenia in different countries, and discovered these patients have much better long-term outcomes in poor countries (India, Colombia and Nigeria) than in rich countries (USA, UK, Ireland, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Japan, and Soviet Union)despite the fact antipsychotic medication is typically not widely available in poorer countries."
>Why does someone always make you doubt your decisions?
I wish I could answer that question, but let me just say that alot of people here have the greatest faith in your decisions Phillipa :-)
Kind regards
Nick
poster:Nickengland
thread:562069
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051003/msgs/562788.html