Posted by desolationrower on May 9, 2010, at 20:38:42
In reply to Interesting article? What do you think?, posted by Laney on May 9, 2010, at 11:38:40
of course life situation, diet/exercise, etc are very important for mental health. but this doesn't make depression 'not a disease'. Do people say rickets or tennis elbow are 'not a disease'? Most things people die of are highly affected by those same factors. The reason they are 'diseases' is that doctors have modalities like drugs or brain stimulations or surguries that can help. which is to say i thing medical should proceed from practical goals, not first principles.
and a medical problem can cause people to be crippled, but they are helped if society puts in wheelchair accessible entrances. That doesn't make finding cures less useful.
I do think its good not to think of 'is it a disease' as a question of the doctor just remedying a deficiency/eleminated an excess. most doctoring is doing something unnatural to make you feel better. aspirin fixes headaches, even without aspirin deficiency.
-d/r
poster:desolationrower
thread:946874
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100504/msgs/946929.html