Posted by pseudoname on November 30, 2005, at 11:00:34
In reply to Re: There is no such thing as a magic pill, posted by linkadge on November 30, 2005, at 9:13:47
> Some people ditch the drug that was most likely their best shot based on their search for something unrealistic.
Linkadge, I think this is a great observation, although I would say it applies even more often to PLAUSIBLE improvements than to "unrealistic" ones.
I think "the perfect becomes the enemy of the good" so easily in psychopharmacy because...
(a) we can usually only work on one regimen at a time, requiring that we ditch a good one if trying another
(b) even when we get partial benefit, unfavorable comparisons are still VERY easy for depressed people to make: •to our own off-the-chart experiences (religious ecstasy, rec drug highs, hypomania, etc); •to times in our lives when meds gave more benefit (80% compared to 40%, e.g.); •to other people who seem happier or better-adjusted than we are; •to theory-based standards (like how an oedipally-resolved man "should" feel about his lover, or how good an NRI-responder's attention "should" be); •to others' descriptions of their improvement
(c) we sometimes feel justified putting parts of our lives on hold while we wait for a better drug response.Of these, I think (c) is the most dangerous.
Unfortunately, I haven't had this dilemma because until this month, meds have never given me enough benefit to trade away. But yesterday (in the thread UgottaHaveHope refused to read) I was considering 40% improvement to be a comparative failure. Then I realized, "two weeks ago I would've killed for 40%!"
poster:pseudoname
thread:583267
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051126/msgs/583672.html