Posted by yxibow on March 24, 2006, at 1:19:31
In reply to psychotherapy can alter brain chemistry, posted by linkadge on March 23, 2006, at 19:24:37
> http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/15363105
>
> An interesting addition to the chicken/egg debate.
>
>
> Linkadge
>Its not really necessarily a chicken/egg thing - its a chicken and egg thing you could say -- psychodynamic, "inside therapy" is a good adjunct to pharmacologic approaches. It all depends on the receptivity of the patient -- if they're catatatonic, discussion is obviously not going to go anywhere, but probing into the root of things can alter, both back and forth, neurochemistry. I currently have both forms of therapy from the same psychopharmacologist/psychologist.
Everything we see, hear, touch, all the senses around us, affects our neurochemistry -- after all, neurons have sent messengers to create those senses. And in reverse, medication alters brain chemistry to the same degree. This is a very perfunctory and simplified version of psychopharmacology but similar changes have been known for years in OCD and also in depression in PET scans and CBT studies and the like.
I believe a combination of both are valuable. Some may believe that one or the other works for them, that is their choice and right.
poster:yxibow
thread:623859
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060322/msgs/624062.html