Posted by baseball55 on February 5, 2015, at 19:06:58
In reply to Re: Starting Parnate after 15 yrs treatment-resistance, posted by ed_uk2010 on February 5, 2015, at 7:12:32
I frequently see things in various media saying that "depression is highly treatable." Also that depression is very common - one in three people will suffer at some point in their life. The story seems to be that it's okay to be depressed and not something you need to hide because lots of people get depressed. And if you feel blue, you shouldn't suffer in silence but should pack yourself right off to the doctor who can prescribe meds that will make you better.
I wonder how much of this is propaganda (especially from the drug companies) and how much is because, as depression loses its stigma, more people decide they have it and seek treatment. At least half the people I know take AD's. And most of them have never seemed to me to be the least bit depressed. At least not depressed like I've been depressed. Is that because their meds work, so I've only seen them well? Or because they weren't really clinically depressed but just feeling kind of blah and stressed out by things going on in their lives?
I should also mention that (while I know that psychiatrists have their own problems) virtually everyone I know on ADs - and I'm talking at least 20 people - get them from PCPs and have never seen a psychiatrist. They go in for a check-up, say I've been feeling kind of depressed lately, get a scrip for prozac or wellbutrin, get better over time, then continue taking the med for years.
I know that studies find response rates fairly low for true MDD. But if you look at all the people who are taking ADs and ask them how they feel, I imagine a good proportion of them will say, much better thank you.
poster:baseball55
thread:1075968
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20150129/msgs/1076036.html