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Re: Are Psych meds given a bad rap?

Posted by SLS on January 18, 2009, at 14:21:59

In reply to Re: Are Psych meds given a bad rap?, posted by bulldog2 on January 18, 2009, at 8:22:08

> Part of what I am saying is that too many blame meds for the progression of their disease when in fact it may just be genetics taking it's course.

Yes.

> Had they never taken meds they probably would still be in the same state of deterioration.

I feel pretty sure that I would have been, too.

> Are we laying the seeds of our own destruction Scott?

I'm not sure. This is something I have thought much about.

> People with genetic defects are being kept alive and are now reproducing.

Yes.

> Had nature taken it's course these genes would be taken out of the gene pool.

It depends upon whether or not the age of onset of illness is late enough to allow for breeding success. For instance, I imagine the prime ages of breeding through evolutionary history was 16-22 years (I don't know). If some proportion of depression or bipolar disorders develops later than this, then these genetic mutations would remain in the gene pool. They obviously made it in and remained in it from our earliest times until today. This is a situation analogous to Huntington's Chorea, a single gene trait disorder that persists generation after generation because it doesn't emerge until one reaches their mid 40s and has already had children.

> Now the gene pool has the some very destructive genes. Our altruism may eventually come back to haunt us.

Excellent thinking. It reflects my own. :-) It always seemed like a possible scenario to me as I was going through school and began to study medicine. I have always thought evolutionarily. HOWEVER, we are drawing close to the day in which we will be able to more easily manipulate gene activity and even manipulate the genes themselves so that they can be corrected. I believe this is already being done using viral vectors or the older process of transfection. Gene therapy is the way of the future. However, this does not speak to prevention. Genetic counselling, unfortunately, is not a widespread. Is this even a viable alternative in the Third World?

> We may begin to see more genetically based mental and physical illness manifest itself in the population.

> I know this is a topic that is loaded with many emotional feelings.I didn't say the weak and sick should be allowed to die. But do we eventually have to look at laws to limit the ability of those with proven genetic diseases to reproduce? Is it fair to their children who than have to deal with these horrible illnesses?

Those are questions well worth asking, and represent an ethical and moral dilemma. I don't find them negativistic or cynical at all.


- Scott

 

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Psycho-Babble Medication | Framed

poster:SLS thread:874535
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090104/msgs/874776.html