Posted by kid_A on January 7, 2002, at 11:37:19
In reply to Steam, posted by Mr. Scott on January 6, 2002, at 23:29:02
> What has become of me? What has become of so many of us?
The pharma industry is not unlike any other fascist/capitalistic enterprise in that its primary concern is in producing revenue... Im no defender of the pharma inudstry but I do think we unfairly (if that is not too overly kind a word) place some blame on them where none should be.
First I want to qualify that that it is a fascist enterprise in that as in all capitalist enterprieses the decisions come from the top and go downwards, in that scope it could be said to be fascist.
Now, rather than the pharma industry itself, who is simply selling a product, amoungst many competetitors that is in experimental study shown to have some positive effect, it is us, the consumer who perhaps too willingly are lulled into a notion that the industry itself promises a cure all.
Pharma PR is a great mechanism that works in a bilateral direction, in one aspect it attempts to lure doctors into a preconcieved notiont that drug A is preferable to drug B, in fact, when polled many psychiatrists said that they got a primary amount of information concerning new drugs from ad copy in medical journals, rather than statistics or studies. In another aspect it attempts to lure the consumer to a preconfigured oppinion that drug A may be right for them, rather than drug B.
Whats the problem with all of this? The plain facts are that there is no perfect solution in psychopharmacology... Everyone is different and a drug that works great for one person works horribly for another. One person may experience painfull side effects while another person does not. The general consensus however, especially if you polled the members of this board, is that in some aspect the medication that is being taken has -some- positive side effect which is preferable to the lack of that medication.
Speaking personally, I can say that this is the case. I can also say that I never could have been prepared for the side effect that I have suffered -despite- reading all of the literature beforehand and listening to other's first hand accounts. I can also say that my life on medication has finally after 30 years taken me further than I have been able to personally; this is allong with talk therapy, a cruicial and oft over looked part of psychotherapy.
We are target markets and consumers, when we stop acting like consumers we'll be able to see the big picture, and make positive personal decisions about our own future.
Wishing you luck.
kid(a).
poster:kid_A
thread:16362
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020102/msgs/16385.html