[kchendrix]

If you have some time on your hands, I found an interesting article on the internet... I found it quite interesting, It is kind of tedious reading but what do you think of it?

I am not saying this article is right or wrong , just thought it might be neat to read and get your opinions.
http://www.etfrc.com/ChemicalImbalances.htm

 

[Guest]

I agree with the vast majority of that article, but the Website itself scares me a bit. It has some other agenda, not sure who/what the webmasters are - Scientology or some American Right Wing libertarian group....it's SOMEthing - much more than meets the eye.

And I DO think meds are fine. I also know that psychiatry has no real idea WHY or HOW the meds work (and any intelligent and honest psychiatrist would tell you that). The concept "chemical imbalance" is not a medical term as it relates to mental illness - it was invented by the ad agencies that sell the meds on TV and in print. Note the way it's always worded "x sympom MIGHT be due to a chemical imbalance (and we really don't know if any such thing exists). X Pill can correct that imbalance... (although of course we don't know if such a thing actually exists) NOwhere in those ads are they allowed to "x symptom IS caused by this imbalance" nor can they even say "MANY forms of x symptom are caused by a chemical imbalance..." There is absolutely no scientific evidence for that, so they cannot say it in an ad. ALL they are allowed to say is "it MIGHT be caused by a chemical imbalance - and brain chemical imbalances may or may not exist, we really don't know."

The KEY to how much is scientifically proven always rests in the ads. IF an advertiser can make a SURE claim, trust me, they make it.

But....meds help. They reduce the experience of anxiety and depression in many people, and those mood alterations can really help somebody cope. Do I think there was some ORGANICALLY CAUSED chemical imbalance to begin with? No. But psychological stress and poorly constructed defenses do cause chemical changes in our brains, so after awhile yes, there are chemicals doing bad things up there, and meds might help us restore our more normal neurotransmissions.

Peace,
Janine

 

[person3]

uh Janine...when you say American Right Wing libertarians, are you talking about the Libertarian Party? Because this does not sound like something that they would support, at least not to me and what I know about them. Scientologists...oh yeah. Libertarians...no. Libertarians don't have an agenda against psychology or psychiatry that I know of. Although too impractical and idealistic, I still like them and I was one of them and I believe their stance on brain-altering SSRIs would be the same as their stance on pot: "It's your own god damned choice!"

 

[Guest]

You may be totally right, and I'll add that I really have NO business making any sociopolitical comments because I don't have much of a clue what I'm talking about, lol....it's not my field, and I'm not very well-educated.

So I will defer 100 per cent to what sounds like a MUCH more learned opinion of person3's on this.

I don't even know where I pulled the word "Libertarian" out of, lol....I was looking for something that might accentuate the RIGHT wing-ness of militia groups who are ready to take up their (many) arms and "take back" the country, etc...

Apologies to any potential Libertarians out there I may have offended.

Peace,
J

 

[Homeskooled]

Dear Kchendrix,
I agree with Janine, in that most of the article raises good questions and gives some wise advice. I think we are far too cavalier in how we diagnose depression, and we have no idea what the long-term ramifications of these meds are. I posted an article not long ago citing increased cancer risks, especially breast cancer, amongst users of antidepressants. They have definite effects on hormones. Specifically, men have a difficult time becoming aroused on SSRIs becuase they increase prolactin levels in men, which is a hormone women need for lactation. But for the article to raise questions about whether organic brain disorders even exist, makes me think they've got their eyes shut too. Schizophrenics suffer brain atrophy over time. Should we stop giving epileptics their epilepsy medicine, just becuase we dont know its mechanism of action in the brain? Of course not. Seizures kill. Should doctors hand out epilepsy medicines whenever their patients feel twitchy? Heck no. And they should be committed to being the best doctors they can be when a patient feels drained and lethargic. They should try to elucidiate the causes and factors affecting their patient's mood. Stress? Toxins? Food allergies? Lack of exercise? Hypothyroidism? Hypoandrogenism? The root of poor health care is, in my mind, a sign of moral apathy in society in general. Doctors arent always doctors because they care - sometimes they're doctors becaue of the money. So quick fixes become more, and more, and more common. But the pendulum only swings so far in one direction. Things are bound to change.

Peace
Homeskooled

 

[kchendrix]

Yep , think for them to say no organic disease goes a little far also, but I do for the most part agree about the "CHEMICAL IMBALANCE" ..

I always thought that if you were to have Low levels of Seritonin for example, why cant they develop a test to demonstrate it?

Because if it is truly a chemical imbalance, why can't you demonstrate that to the patient. THen the treatment with chemicals might not be met with opposition as much.

For instance to stop cancer chemo is used and sometimes they have to change chemicals to get the treatment to work, Makes sense because I am willing to throw up and loose hair if I can live longer and feel better down the road.

THe same would be true for Depression or Anxiety. If an employer knows that ok my guy is going to sick for about 4 weeks and then start feeling better, He may miss work, but once they straighten the prooven imbalance then He will be back on track. But there is no blood test to show your employer... You have nothing, and if they believe it is a matter of picking yourself up by your bootstraps then you the patient are in trouble with your job.

Maybe they need to design some firm diagnostic tests to determine exactly if the chemical imbalance truly exists.

Food for thought anyway

 

[Homeskooled]

Kchendrix,
Because of the blood brain barrier, you cant measure anything inside of the brain through a prick in the arm. Nothing from it gets out (for the most part), and very selective things get in. You could check your amino acid levels, which turn into neurotransmitters in the brain, but you cant check the levels of the neurotransmitters themselves, except by feeding you neurotransmitters and then taking spinal fluid out of your nervous system and checking it to see how much is being utilized. That is dangerous and painful, and only used for very rare diseases or for research. Next best thing is getting a PET or SPECT scan. Thats it. Our bodies are very, very protective of our brains.

Peace
Homeskooled

 

[Guest]

just because we can't measure a chemical directly, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. We can't measure serotonin butr we can look at it indirectly. Just as we can't put jupitor or saturn on a scale but we can approximate it by measuring indirectly (orbit speed/moons/etc). I think i'll keep my trust in the medicines.

The brain is an organ too. Just as the heart cannot function well due to an electrolite imbalance because you didn't eat enough potassium, the brain can fail to function well due to other deficits. Even malnutrition can affect learning skills.

 

[rainboteers]

My doctor handed me anti-depressants and told me, "take these and BELIEVE they will work." Coming from a dr. that says something doesn't it? She only thinks they will work if I believe in them! :?

 

[Guest]

rainboteers,
test them out and decide if they provide a preferable state of consciousness.

 

[rainboteers]

I am trying it out. I am taking 40mg of celexa, and I do feel a little less anxiety I think. Xanax does help though, I can see why it is addictive. I think drugs can help a little, maybe a lot for some, but so far I haven't noticed any remarkable improvement (I have been on it for 3 weeks.)