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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rculater on November 22, 2011, at 13:49:19
What do you make of it ?
For me its hard to read, full of Dr names, dates and quotations. Its like a compilation of bits and pieces badly put together. Or is that me ?
Posted by mellow on November 22, 2011, at 14:53:30
In reply to Has anyone read 'anatomy of an epidemic', posted by rculater on November 22, 2011, at 13:49:19
I did read it. I found he repeats himself a lot. That book could have been about 75 pages shorter in my opinion. It was an exhausting read...although a very important side of the argument on the mental health system which is obviously broken.
As far as the content goes I do think he is on to something with the drug companies running a muck, but I don't think you can assume all involved in mental health are just doping their patients up. I do believe there are good doctors and I also believe meds can make peoples lives better. I went through a phase where I wanted to ditch my meds after I read that book so it definitely had an effect.
I've been under the care of horrible doctors and I've seen awesome doctors. If it weren't for the care I received inpatient years ago I would have killed myself. Regardless if the CEO of Jansen made millions off the drug that saved my life....it still saved my life.
The system sucks, but it's what we've got I guess.
mellow
Posted by Phillipa on November 22, 2011, at 15:33:59
In reply to Re: Has anyone read 'anatomy of an epidemic', posted by mellow on November 22, 2011, at 14:53:30
Where is the article? Phillipa
Posted by jono_in_adelaide on November 22, 2011, at 16:02:16
In reply to Has anyone read 'anatomy of an epidemic', posted by rculater on November 22, 2011, at 13:49:19
worth a thought that in 60 years, Soviet pharmacutical research didnt come up with one world changing drug, but in that same 60 years, western, profit driven pharmacutical research totaly altered the face of medicine, with everything from penicillin to Thorazine
Posted by huxley on November 23, 2011, at 1:35:23
In reply to Re: Has anyone read 'anatomy of an epidemic', posted by jono_in_adelaide on November 22, 2011, at 16:02:16
I read it. Caused me to do a backflip.
Quit all my meds (stimulant, 2 APs, anti-convulsant, SSRI) and am a million times better off without them. Took 2 years to get off them and was a very very very hard thing to do.I would go as far as to say I am now normal mentally (still some mild anxiety/depression/anger issues but it is heaven compared to the hell I was in on the drugs.
Still suffer a great deal from physical problems incurreed from the meds (side effects).Go figure.
Not saying everyone or anyone should stop their meds but my story is an interesting case study in the whole debate.
I look at it like getting sentanced to the electric chair when you are innocent.
Posted by rculater on November 23, 2011, at 6:53:03
In reply to Re: Has anyone read 'anatomy of an epidemic', posted by jono_in_adelaide on November 22, 2011, at 16:02:16
Yeah ive skipped through a lot of it but get the idea. Never thought about the soviets, but then what do they produce ? Hoxley glad your doing better.
Meds have helped me get out a deep dark hole, but then maybe I would have got out of it anyway. Now im a dizzy mess and blame years of trying out meds that's caused this.
Posted by rculater on November 23, 2011, at 6:54:14
In reply to Re: Has anyone read 'anatomy of an epidemic' » mellow, posted by Phillipa on November 22, 2011, at 15:33:59
Phillipa - search for it on amazon x
Posted by 10derheart on November 23, 2011, at 11:54:37
In reply to Re: Has anyone read 'anatomy of an epidemic' » mellow, posted by Phillipa on November 22, 2011, at 15:33:59
Posted by Phillipa on November 23, 2011, at 18:10:42
In reply to Re: Has anyone read 'anatomy of an epidemic' » Phillipa, posted by 10derheart on November 23, 2011, at 11:54:37
Thanks l0der. Have you read the book? Sounds scarey? Phillipa
Posted by herpills on November 23, 2011, at 22:21:20
In reply to Has anyone read 'anatomy of an epidemic', posted by rculater on November 22, 2011, at 13:49:19
I've read it. I was worried I might ditch some or all my meds after reading, as that is something I think about doing sometimes, but it didn't make me want to. A lot of the anti med stuff wasn't new to me, but what I found interesting was the information on the increase in people on ss disability for mental health reasons. I had no idea. He asks an important question, if we have all these treatment options today why are there so many more people on disability? The problem is he kept trying to connect it directly to the meds and saying that it could be that the meds actually harm instead of help, and that was the reason for the increase. But he didn't really convince me that there was a direct connection. herpills
Posted by raisinb on November 29, 2011, at 18:38:54
In reply to Has anyone read 'anatomy of an epidemic', posted by rculater on November 22, 2011, at 13:49:19
I find the argument pretty convincing, and if I think about this seriously, it throws the last several years of my life into a whole new light.
I am still digesting the implications, but the section on antidepressants producing bipolar confirmed something I had suspected for a long time. The historical comparisons--ie, the disability claims have doubled and tripled since the sixties, even though there are so many new treatments--are very strong, too, though there are many ways of explaining that.
In grad school I was trained in a school of thought called cultural studies, which assumes that every formation--disease, art, architecture, whatever--is produced and maintained by a culture as long as it serves certain needs. My intellectual leanings are still in that direction. Anatomy of an Epidemic makes me think about those theories again.
This is the end of the thread.
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