Posted by SLS on January 12, 2007, at 21:02:08
In reply to Do people feel medications help or mask symptoms?, posted by leo33 on January 12, 2007, at 20:06:57
> I seem to have this question? Since with drug addiction they say its just masking the symptoms. Don't the psych drugs do the same?
Drugs of abuse are not antidepressants and don't work the same. Drugs of abuse can sometimes mitigate symptoms of depression or "mask" them to some degree, but the underlying depressive illness persists.
> It seems like there is no cure just temporary relief until it poops out and then more drugs. Just wondering what people think?
For me, antidepressants do not mask symptoms. They make the the whole disorder disappear. What's the difference? I'm sure there will be people to challenge me on this, but it is more than just a question of semantics. Simply masking symptoms does not account for things like the reversal in the abnormal brain structure seen in depression when remission is achieved with antidepressant treatment.
When mood illness is stabilized with therapeutic medication, addicts find it much easier to abstain from substance abuse.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:721825
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070107/msgs/721846.html