Posted by Nickengland on May 19, 2005, at 8:41:01
In reply to Re: Not that it matters...Just my opinion » SLS, posted by Mr.Scott on May 18, 2005, at 20:19:24
Hello there,
From reading the further 2 posts you write I can now see and understand your frustrations.
I think some people maybe got slightly offended by your first post with the wording that you came across as you was judging the majority of the board by calling them *Neurotics* and *prscriptions drug addicts* etc.. Just seemed a little offensive you know? lol
Anyway after further reading of your other posts I can relate to your frustrations.
Here in england we don't have any adverts for prescription drugs and there isn't this "big bussiness push from the Pharmaceutical companies and hard seeling which obviously occurs in the states. Dont get me wrong though, I'm not putting america down or anything like that, as I much prefer your counrty to the uk lol. Also here the trend seems to be to not push a diagnosis of serious mental illness such as bipolar and ADD rather the oppisite, as in the states where there the trend maybe over-diagnose such illness. Either way the true care of the patient is not in the best interests with regards to proper treatment and best possible outcomes.
I notice when people from America talk about these big drug companies, sales reps and psychaitrists giving patients samples of drugs that have been given to them by the reps to promote their "product" that feels me with disgust. Its like the equivilent of a drug dealer giving samples of his new "stuff" to people. It doesn't seem quite right to me.
I've seen a Paxil advert which you have too. I remember it showed someone feeling very shy etc..then they take a paxil....and :D their all happy and smiling - this is the like the people happy in the coco-cola adverts?!...Theres something seriously not right about advertising psychiatric drugs, they kinda over-steped the mark. I guess most people take them with a pinch of salt but still they should not be shown in the public media like that as its drives a culture to believe that the answer for all problems is a *pill*, what next? cancer treatments having chemo - then they use the same coco-cola people dancing and being happy on a beach somewhere?!
Somewhere along the line things have got carried away with big brand name drugs and profits, forgetting about the actual illness themselves. People treat these drugs like a fashion acessory, because of the way the drugs seemed to be promoted just like the same way other products are such as proper "fashion acessorys" i.e brand clothes!
The drug companies seem to have manipulated things in such a way that people feel they can take these tablets and actually, if they take enough of a "combo" or whatever of the best brand they can find an actual "cure" - far from the truth as their is no cure.
Mental illness is the same all around the world for people of all cultures and races. The treatment is not. - Why?..because to be perfectly honest they don't understand these illness's, they don't know enough about them to really "cure" them just yet.
35 years ago, my mother was diagnosed with manic depression. The treatment = was 6 months in a mental hosptial and electirc shock treatment. When she was realsed she was given some valium for a few weeks, that was it. 1 year later she had a relapes of her original symtoms - the treatment exactly the same, 6 months hosptial and ECT, valium for afew weeks on release etc..
She then remained well for roughly a further 20 years..then a relapes of her original symtoms she had previously. The treatment = 6 weeks in hospital and was given lithuim. 16 years later she is still on the lithium and all is well.
So 6 months hospitalision and ECT, 35 years later "6 weeks hosptial" and lithium.
200 years ago she would have been locked up with chains to her hands and feet and left for dead - thats a fact.Progress is being made slowly. I inherited her illness and had the exact same symtoms at more a less the same age she did. This shows shows something genetic.
None of the medications or treatments today could have prevented me becoming ill. We are now in a time where theres alot of choice for various drug treatments. Is this a good thing?..in some ways yes, as people can find drugs which have less side-effects and perhaps more symtom control - That is the best you can achive! The least side effects and the most symtom control and more importantly using the LEAST drugs. As much as 1 drug relieves symtoms by working on your mental illness it also plays around with alot of other chemistry in your body and this is not good.
The frustration is no one can find a cure yet no matter how many "combos" or new drugs they take. In years to come this will improve, maybe not in our life time will there be a cure, in the same way the people with AIDS might not have a cure.
All I would say that some people on here get carried away into thinking they need to take lots of drugs, when really they dont need to, there just making bigger profits for the drug companies and tricking themselves into thinking they have multiple diagnosis. In time this kind of treatment and wacky thinking will seem as "out-of-touch" as people being locked up and left to die 200 years ago.
In the mean time I hope people can find the most amount of symtom relief, with the least amount of drugs ~ thats the best you can hope for in todays world.
poster:Nickengland
thread:499333
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050516/msgs/499801.html