Posted by mattdds on March 10, 2003, at 14:51:41
In reply to SSRI's » mattdds, posted by Jack Smith on March 10, 2003, at 12:34:22
Hi Jack,
Thanks for your comments! I appreciate a good challenge to my thinking. Not everything I say is well thought out, I'm certainly very human (obviously). And I don't think I have any special knowledge above anyone else.
Perhaps I should restate what I said, because I probably gave the wrong impression. You are quite right that we should avoid globalizations and the last thing I wanted to do was spoil someone's medication experience. I really do think the right meds can play a huge part in recovery.
First off, if you reread what I said, it was that I **wonder** if SSRI's are much more effective than placebo. I still do have these doubts....*doubts*. Is this okay? I am not being dogmatic here and I am not married to any ideas that I have. I have no hidden agendas, and no motive to convince you. But my opinion right now is that there are some major problems with antidepressant efficacy studies, particularly the SSRI's. I'd be happy to provide some references that seem to support that opinion.
I am not of the "Breggin" mentality that SSRI's are demonic or harmful. I just **wonder** if they work as well as most people think. But I'm not pushing that idea on anyone else. I'm for what ever works, as long as it works!
You seemed to be saying I "should" think a certain way because I have a medical background. I politely disagree with you. Medical training should not be indoctrination, and sometimes people in the medical field do things that are not even evidence based.
Let's just assume for a moment that SSRI's and antidepressants really aren't any more effective than placebos. Would you want to know this? I sure would. You say it would prevent the drug companies from making more effective drugs. My opionion is the opposite; it would put the pressure on them to make drugs that are MORE effective.
You're right, I am a little bitter about SSRI's not working, and perhaps my bias is too strong. If Celexa works for you, GREAT! Keep taking it as long as it works. I don't think that is a blanket statement, do you?
Best of luck,
Matt
poster:mattdds
thread:207316
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030310/msgs/207781.html