Posted by Lorraine on March 25, 2001, at 16:39:28
In reply to I would bet I have worked harder than you, posted by Bradley on March 25, 2001, at 16:19:58
I happen to agree with you about where we are now in diagnosing mental illness. The DSM categories are not rooted in physiology. We are in the "black box" era of treatment, where we try one pill and assess whether it works. We don't usually understand the mechanism by which the drugs work. (Sure we have some knowledge, but it is pretty limited.) If I find the right combination for you and I believe that it impacts dopamine receptors, perhaps I'll say that you have a dopamine deficiency. Nobody really knows. And the combination of drugs you can use is pretty staggering even if you approach their selection "intelligently". How long is a valid trial of a med? Some books want 6 weeks even for non-SSRIs. If I went at that pace, we would finally lock onto the right combo for me in about 20 years. I don't have that amount of time to waste. So I understand your frustration. I'm frustrating too. But moving forward one step at a time the best way I know how. Doing research, challanging my pdoc, changing pdocs when it's clear that I've exhausted this one's expertise, but never giving up.
poster:Lorraine
thread:57231
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010319/msgs/57495.html