do you take psych pills?

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

Chem imbalance or not, if you are depressed or anxious it is about something... that needs to be discussed and dealt with.

Nope. I say nay.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

Chem imbalance or not, if you are depressed or anxious it is about something...

No, a chemical imbalance can cause depression or anxiety irrespective of any life issues.

If you have something to be depressed or anxious about, and you are depressed or anxious, that's not a chemical imbalance, that's life.

Of course, if you have something to be depressed or anxious about, and you take drugs to eliminate the depression or anxiety, you could be causing a chemical imbalance in the other direction. If the root cause is psychological, drugs may be dangerous, but if the root cause is a malfunctioning gland, talk therapy may be useless.

[Shawnee123]

To play devil's advocate: another side of speculation is that depression causes your brain to reuptake the seratonin, slowing your neurons, worsening the situation. It's a chicken/egg thing.

[Shawnee123]

Some people's brains just naturally "reuptake" seratonin leaving slowly firing neurons. Does that always have to be based on bad life experiences?

I think the jury is still out on this one but I would be inclined to think some people just have a problem with seratonin reuptake.

Sure guys... your emotions are just misfires and chemicals alone... and pills are magic that will make it all better... there is no need for personal reflection... ok.

Funny how that sounds like a lot of religion$ line.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

Sure guys... your emotions are just misfires and chemicals alone... and pills are magic that will make it all better... there is no need for personal reflection... ok.

Funny how that sounds like a lot of religion$ line.

Conversely, we are all fucked up by our mother or our priest or the guy on the corner and if we could just get to the center of what is gnawing at us we would magically feel better.

Funny how that sounds like a lot of Freud$ line.

[Undertoad]

You are wrong.

it happens get over it

Hey... I'm agreeing with you...

[Undertoad]

You are not.

Why not, anxiety and depression just being chemical sounds so practical?

I never stated anything about dwelling on the past. I think that can be destructive and am not fond of Freudian.
However, learning coping tools is primary. Meds may be an important part of that.

[Shawnee123]

I see what you're saying. I'm just thinking it's possible some people will just always have that imbalance...pointing out that possibility. I mean, it IS possible, seeing how it is a physiological thing.

[Undertoad]

Up until a few decades ago, when we didn't know much, psychoanalysis was considered to be the only route to treat mental illness, and the very idea that medication could be used to treat something like Schizophrenia was considered strangely bizarre speculation.

Now the tables are turned, and the main reason is the amazing success stories that have come so far, and the more amazing ones due as researchers turn to the brain to figure out what really, actually makes us tick.

Not believing in psychiatric medication is a bias of believing the science of the past and not following how science has moved on. Talk therapy will be of great assistance to many people. Others -- such as myself -- have chronic conditions that no amount of other coping mechanism solves as well as about $40/month in medication. (And please tell me what kind of professional therapist you get at $40/month.)

You are wrong.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

about $40/month in medication. (And please tell me what kind of professional therapist you get at $40/month.)

One that will stretch your "needed" therapy to 15 years rather than 10 years to make up for the lost income?

[DanaC]

I suspect for a lot of people its a combination of physiological and psychological factors. There are many different ways that depression can manifest itself and there are many different potential causes.

It's worth remembering though, that talk therapy also carries risks. A poor practitioner can traumatise their patient through injudicious use of their tools, just as easily as a pill can adversely affect someone physically.