Posted by lucielu2 on November 1, 2010, at 21:48:58
In reply to Overly 'positive' PBS special on depression..., posted by Enigma on November 1, 2010, at 18:15:50
I know what you mean, it is irritating to see complex things presented in a superficial and biased manner. One wouls hope they'd raise the subject of treatment refractory depression, maybe even talk about alternatives like trans-cranial magnetic stimulation, but it would seem good journalism to at least introduce the possibility that treatments may not work.
My other beef with the field is that most of the psych meds can put weight on you, in many cases, LOTS of weight. This is rarely considered, despite the fact of the epidemic of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Clinicians rarely talk about it, except within the usual disclaimer of symptoms that you might experience. Why is there no outcry about meds that can cause 20-30+ pound weight gains? Why do we have to chose between depression and diabetes?
> On a different front...
> In a PBS special I just watched - I wish I had the name, it's on their web site, watchable over the web.. they did a very good job explaining what it's like to have severe depression, but I was very upset as they ended each person's story on a happy note. Even the one story about the person that committed suicide. I understand that they might be doing that intentionally as to give hope to depressed people and families of depressed people, but it's not realistic at all. Many people don't have the kind of family support, or friend support structures presented in the program. I sure don't. The section on DBS they did only described ONE success story, no others, and none of the failures, and explained how it gave the patient their "life back". Goodie for them, but again, what about the failures? If you're going to present INFORMATION, present both sides of the story. There were much sadder cases out there (like mine) than the people they picked for the show.
>
> They went on to say that this one person had to try a whopping 6 meds before they found one that worked for them. SIX?? I've got a list of about 30+ med cocktails I've tried and they didn't mention side effects AT ALL, also, all of these patients doctors seemed to really know their meds. I've been to a dozen doctors and I can't BEGIN to tell you how inept they were at treating me. For about 2-3 of the docs I went to, I quite literally told THEM what to prescribe me, from research I DID, and then I PAID THEM.
>
> One patient mentioned (I believe) 2 drugs he was taking to prevent weight gain from the Remeron and other meds he was taking (the only side-effect ever mentioned, and it was just from a patient, not mentioned in the special, as information of the drug-approach to treating depression. From being on this site for YEARS and taking meds for 17+ years, I've NEVER heard of those meds, ever. How is that possible? How can there be such a disparity been psychiatrists out there. Don't they share information? Ever hear of the internet? I literally wanted to throw a brick at my monitor I got so angry watching ALL of the success stories and 0 failures. It was like an ABS family movie instead a documentary or accurate depiction about depression. Present ALL the facts - don't water it down. That doesn't help anyone.
>
> I wrote them an angry letter, professional, but angry, asking them where in the world they find the patients they use for their television specials and why wasn't there one case where the person couldn't be helped (minus the suicide). They still ended that with his parents starting up some organization to help college students with depression and such, so even that story had a happy ending.
>
> What are patients like me supposed to do? How are we supposed to find doctors that are THAT knowledgeable? I was blown away with the med mix one patient was on. It was about 6 different meds. No doctor ever had me on that many meds, but I'd sure as hell try it if it worked!!! - no one in my area, and I even tried the Boston area, but was denied and had doors slammed in my face at every turn. Not accepting new patients, was what I heard, *everywhere*, and quit after they stopped giving me referrals and I was back to "regular" shrinks again, those that knew nothing about treatment resistant depression or even a inkling of how to treat it.
>
> I'm still going to show "parts" of the special to my two older kids, because it explains, like I said, what it's like to have depression, in a unique way, but I think it provides false hopes for the treatment resistant types, plus, all the people that cannot find properly trainer psychiatrists.
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> I don't live in a backwater village/state either, so it's extremely sad how poor the quality of doctors (psychiatrists) in my area are (and I've been all over the state).. In general too, not just for treatment resistant types. I have tons of Dr. horror stories. Just one. One doc, knowing I was bipolar, and he SHOULD have know that SRRI's barely help bi-polar patients, would just let his Rx sales rep "teach" him about meds (and we all know what a great source that is for information - I actually knew guys who did this for a living, and hung out with them), and all he would do every two weeks is hand me sample packs after sample packs, as each one failed (as he should have known they would), he just kept giving me more sample packs, still warm from the hands of his Rx salesman. That was his treatment plan for me. If one didn't work, give me the next sample pack. No research, no looking up my disorder anywhere, no consulting with colleagues, nothing, and I have many more doctors who were not that different from this clown.
>
> And people wonder why I have such disdain for doctors in general. My experience with Gastro-docs, and other specialists who had no cure and no idea for other maladies I suffered from, after a lot of money flowed out of my wallet, and time, and pain, especially the pain, 2nd opinions, still nothing.
> Then after all that my latest PCP gave me attitude (because I was depressed - no lie!!) - never in my life had I witnessed such unprofessional behavior from a doctor, even after I told him how many visits I've made over the years and had not received even close to a remedy, he still berated me (about my depressed attitude). And how exactly would yelling at a severely depressed person actually help (who was also suffering from chronic-unexplained-headaches, and chronic-unexplained-stomach aches, for over one month, 24/7 ?. I was one inch away from knocking him out. Literally. Last time I ever saw him, or will.
>
> Even I have a hard time believing in my own experiences half the time. Really.
poster:lucielu2
thread:967961
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20101023/msgs/967996.html