Posted by nickm on October 24, 2003, at 9:42:55
In reply to Treating Depression without Medication, posted by josh on September 13, 2000, at 4:56:31
Hi, Josh. I find your post very thought provoking. I believe in Dr. Glennmullen's assertions in his book, that psychotherapies, changes in life style, exercise, yoga, meditation, etc., are just as likely to improve a depressive condition as medications. I also agree that no one really knows if upping serotonin (or other receptors) levels in the brain is healthy, and that indeed doing it may be dangerous. No one has proven the biochemical theory connecting to depression, and what was measured in the brain was not the real serotonin but a cousin of it, and there's no direct correlation between that cousin and depression. No one has come up with a blood or urine test to demonstrate biochemical imbalances. As I read through the Psycho Babble main board, I see most posters chasing the "ideal" medication, dropping off meds, and searching for others when the side effects become uncontrollable. Eventually, all try cocktails of drugs with many side-effects. I'm trying to convince my wife that alternative treatments, and psychotherapy would do better for her chronic and major depression (I really think she started with general anxiety syndrome and as she was given meds through the years, these have had paradoxical side effects on her thus making her depression worse).
Anyway, thank you for your post. Just wanted to share with you that I agree with what you say, but that the road to conquering depression - in spite of all kinds of treatments - is a long, painful one and that meds only quiet down symptoms for a few weeks or months...and then, one starts all over again. Catch 22.
Better to learn what it is that is causing the anxiety, and what it is it is trying to tell us.
Nickm
poster:nickm
thread:522
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20031020/msgs/272674.html