Posted by ed_uk on December 13, 2004, at 10:24:30
In reply to Re: Dysphoria- it's your environment, not you » utopizen, posted by Chairman_MAO on February 18, 2004, at 20:52:56
Hi,
Have you read utopizen's insightful post near the start of this thread?
Drugs are not the only route to recovery.........................
He has an important point to make because too often people with mental health problems view their medication as the most important factor in their recovery, or perhaps even the only route to recovery.
After many years of taking ADs I am still unsure whether I have really been helped by them. Yes, I have improved... but I might have done better without them, I might have improved anyway. Getting older, exposing myself to my fears and trying to keep busy have probably helped me more than anything.
When I was depressed I viewed ADs as the only solution.... but when I look back, I improved only a little when I found an effective AD. What really helped me to get back on track was forcing myself to go back to college. When you have isolated yourself from your friends and family no quantity of ADs will make you happy.... going to work, forcing yourself to get up in the morning and finding new friends (or meeting up with old friends) may do you a lot more good than the latest 'combo'.
................................................................................................................................................
To those interested in 'cosmetic psychopharmacology'........
Remember, a never-ending state of drug-induced euphoria is not possible, nor is it healthy. The world would not work if we were happy all the time. The idea behind the 'Good Drug Guide' is a fantasy. As they say, what goes up must come down :-(
As Chairman_MAO said... 'To the one seeking euphoria: using drugs to ENHANCE your life is healthy. Using them to FILL your life will create hell.'
Ed.
poster:ed_uk
thread:314918
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041211/msgs/428860.html