Posted by violette on June 4, 2011, at 13:57:49
In reply to Do we expect too much of antidepressants today?, posted by jono_in_adelaide on June 2, 2011, at 0:22:15
When Tofranil first came onto the market, it was generaly accepted that it was very effective in endrogenous depression, modestly effective in reactive or neurotic depression, and useless in depression due to inadequate personality.
Now, we seem to expect antidepressants to cure not only endrgenous depression, but every unhappiness life can bring, dissatisfaction, disafection, misery and sadness.
Are we expecting too much?
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Yes, chronic depression can be a side effect of an underlying personality issue that results from lack of getting what we needed as a child (think attachment psychology).
But psychology isn't as relevant to psychiatry anymore, which is expected. Even so, part of the problem is that psychiatrists just don't have the knowledge today as they did when they were actually taught about childhood development and how the mind works. They just put you on pills, regardless of your underlying issues. They either are not trained to do it, or are just ignorant. I am not anti-pill, but i do think many people should be treated for the psychological issues at the same time.
Despite all the biolgical research, emotions are significant. In fact, one of the major causes of chronic depression can be related to how the idealized view of yourself, due to narcissistic deficiency, doesn't match the more realistic view. The greater the gap, the more likely you will have distortions and as a result, a rough time getting better. For those with larger gaps, the distortions prevent them from seeing this.
For people who were able to function well as young adults, depression tends to set in after a relationship, career, or other attachment fails them, and the realize they do not have the self esteem they once thought and develop a neurotic view of themself.
When you suffer loss such as this, the idealized view that you once used to compensate crashes, and you get a glimmer of how you really feel about yourself, and defense mechanisms deteriorate. It's emotional, and this requires an emotional treatment-another human being who, through the relationship, builds up healthy narcissim that caused the depression in the first place. And they work with you so that you are comfortable with the realistic view of yourself, minus the distortions and childhood filters, which translates to life outside of therapy.
poster:violette
thread:986896
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110529/msgs/987129.html