Posted by Tomatheus on February 19, 2016, at 18:29:09
In reply to Lou's rebuttle-Lithium is not a drug » Tomatheus, posted by Lou Pilder on February 19, 2016, at 17:19:56
Lou,
As I already said, I brought up lithium carbonate because it's the psychiatric medication that the member who started this thread recently started taking under her doctor's care. I never used the word "drug" to describe lithium carbonate. As you're saying, lithium carbonate is not technically a drug, but being a substance that's prescribed by doctors for the treatment of psychiatric conditions, it is a psychiatric medication. Now, let's look at my original statement that you wanted me to show some support for: "I think that there's clear evidence from both scientific sources and anecdotal sources that psychiatric medications can be beneficial for many of those who utilize such medications" In my statement, I said that there is clear evidence from scientific and other (anecdotal) sources that psychiatric medications can be beneficial for many of those who utilize them. Now, the wording I used was important, as I stated that *psychiatric medications* can be beneficial, and I did not use the word drug, which you apparently prefer to use. As I explained above, lithium carbonate is a psychiatric medication. The source that I included in my last post described the benefits of this medication as being a reduction in suicide and suicidality, a reduction in the symptoms of acute mania, a reduction in the manic relapses, and a statistically non-significant reduction in depressive relapses. So, the source that I included described the benefits of one psychiatric medication, which backs up my statement that psychiatric medications can be beneficial for many of those who utilize them.
With respect to other psychiatric medications, I'll begin by making the point that the medications that I'm referring to have all been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and/or other governmental regulatory agencies for the treatment of at least one psychiatric condition and that such approvals can only be made if there is sound scientific evidence to show that the medications can effectively reduce the symptoms of the condition that the medication is intended to treat. This should be enough evidence to support my original statement pertaining to the benefits of psychiatric medications, but if you want me to provide a source that describes and documents the beneficial effects of a psychiatric medication that's an actual drug and not just a substance that can occur naturally, I'll do that as well. In their review of the effectiveness of monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressants, Quitkin et al. (1979) stated that Nardil (phenelzine) is "clearly effective" in the treatment of depressive conditions that are "atypical" or "neurotic" in nature, despite not being conclusively effective for depressive conditions that are considered to be "endogenous." As there are many individuals with depressive conditions that would be considered to be "atypical" or "neurotic," the statement by Quitkin et al. (1979) that Nardil is "clearly effective" in the treatment of these conditions backs up my statement that a second psychiatric medication -- and this one clearly is a drug -- can be beneficial for many of those who use it.
Regarding the question that you asked about the "price" of taking psychiatric medications, I already stated in this thread that psychiatric medications and other medications are not without risk, and I recommended to the member who started this thread to gather as much reputable information about these risks as she possibly can. So, that question of yours has already been answered.
And now that I've answered your question, I would like to remind you that I asked you some questions in my last post that I've yet to see answers to. If you missed my questions, here they are again:
"Well, Lou, what effect do you think that erroneously accusing someone of deceiving members on this site can have?"
"Do you think that it could decrease the respect, regard, and confidence in which I'm held and induce hostile and disagreeable feelings and opinions about me?"
"If you don't like it when others here write things that lead you to feel hurt and accused, then why do you write things that could lead me to feel the same way?"
"Do my feelings not matter?"
Considering that it's taken me some time now to respond to your false charge of deceiving Psycho-Babble members and to otherwise respond to what you've written here, I would appreciate it if you would be courteous enough to respond to at least some of the questions I've asked of you.
Tomatheus
==
REFERENCE
Quitkin, F., Rifkin, A., & Klein, D.F. (1979). Monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Archives of General Psychiatry, 36, 749-760. Abstract: http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=492138
"Maybe someday
We'll figure all this out
We'll put an end to all our doubt
Try to find a way to just feel better now"- Rob Thomas
poster:Tomatheus
thread:1086267
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20160131/msgs/1086301.html