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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Cecilia on June 4, 2007, at 8:59:33
Anyone else see the 60 minutes show on Dr. Kevorkian? It annoyed me when he talked about how of course his techniques shouldn't be used for people who were depressed; they just needed treatment. People just don't get it! For many of us every treatment on the market hasn't helped. At least if you have cancer, there's an end, however painful, with or without Dr. K., but for people like me with two very painful but non terminal medical conditions plus chronic depression, there is no relief. There's such denial in society. Oprah had a show about depression recently that really ticked me off, she acted like depression was guranteed curable if you just went to the doctor, anyone who had depression was obviously just too stupid to know they were depressed or too stubborn to go to a doctor. Cecilia
Posted by Phil on June 4, 2007, at 10:41:25
In reply to Dr. Kevorkian, posted by Cecilia on June 4, 2007, at 8:59:33
I haven't watched Oprah in years and really could care less about her opinion on anything.
my .02
Posted by Phillipa on June 4, 2007, at 11:48:53
In reply to Dr. Kevorkian, posted by Cecilia on June 4, 2007, at 8:59:33
No I didn't see the show but didn't know that was his thinking. I join you with the two that I know of non terminal illnesses and the depression care to share? Love Phillipa
Posted by Sigismund on June 4, 2007, at 15:17:50
In reply to Re: Dr. Kevorkian, posted by Phil on June 4, 2007, at 10:41:25
Our Kervorkian is Phillip Nitzke(sp?), who works with Exit, producing pharmacololgically incompetant means of getting out of this joint.
Good morning Phil.
Posted by tofuemmy on June 4, 2007, at 17:52:05
In reply to Dr. Kevorkian, posted by Cecilia on June 4, 2007, at 8:59:33
I completely agree...been there. The pain of depression is overwhelming and little understood.
But the topic of assisted suicide does get more confusing with depression. Not as clear cut. I know that last fall/winter I wanted to die more than ANYTHING. That's about all I could think about.
But, now...not so much. I'm not happy, not even close. But I don't wanna die. So, what if I off'd myself in December as planned? Little did I know then that the damn fog would lift. It did. No med change. It just lifted.
It's a complicated topic.
em
Posted by Toph on June 4, 2007, at 18:31:52
In reply to Dr. Kevorkian, posted by Cecilia on June 4, 2007, at 8:59:33
Dr. Kevorkian was the wrong guy for a legitimate cause. A couple things to consider Cecelia, one requisite for most legal physician assisted suicides in the world is that the individual must have a terminal illness as defined by certain citeria. Another is that the individual must be of sound mind to consent to such an intervention. Depression, it could be argued, does not conformed with either requirement.
It is interesting to consider the Netherlands' point of view on this issue. They think we have it backwards in America. There they allow a competent adult to choose physician assisted suicide to avoid suffering, while here we do not permit someone that choice, rather we allow surrogate health care agents under Powers of Attorney documents to withold or withdraw life supports on incompetent individuals who are critically ill who have no voice in changing their minds. They have a point.
Posted by TexasChic on June 4, 2007, at 19:31:01
In reply to Re: Dr. Kevorkian » Cecilia, posted by Toph on June 4, 2007, at 18:31:52
I think maybe they are trying to stress the point that depression CAN be helped through medication as opposed to the people who say you can just snap out of it.
-T
Posted by Deneb on June 5, 2007, at 1:41:06
In reply to Dr. Kevorkian, posted by Cecilia on June 4, 2007, at 8:59:33
I don't want to die anymore. I'm happy now, but if I had killed myself I wouldn't regret it because, well, I'd be dead!
I don't think depressed people should kill themselves because I think they still have a lot of fun things to do in life. There are lots of new things to discover and experience. You never know what tomorrow will bring!
Posted by Tabitha on June 5, 2007, at 12:25:06
In reply to Dr. Kevorkian, posted by Cecilia on June 4, 2007, at 8:59:33
Dr. Kevorkian strikes me as being just a little too into his "work". I suspect he's a very disturbed individual.
But yes I also hate the simplistic advice that you just need to make one trip to the doctor, get some meds, and your depression will be cured. I think that type of misinformation encourages people to give up if the first med doesn't work.
Posted by Gabbi-2 on June 5, 2007, at 13:13:54
In reply to Re: Dr. Kevorkian, posted by tofuemmy on June 4, 2007, at 17:52:05
Ditto Em
It confuses me too. No one seems to talk about the terror, the confusion, the feeling of endless grieving, it still seems like it's seen as "down in the dumps"
I want to type more, but I think you've said everything I wanted to..
Posted by Cecilia on June 5, 2007, at 20:30:43
In reply to Dr. Kevorkian, posted by Cecilia on June 4, 2007, at 8:59:33
For some people depression comes and goes, for some people meds work. I've tried at least 30 meds and combos, had 7 years of therapy, thought of suicide pretty much every day for the past 40 years, I'm 57; there isn't going to be a miracle cure, but I'm too afraid of suicide, terrified of being left even worse off, brain damaged, helpless but still alive. (Or dead and in hell) And even if I had a terminal illness in a place that allows physician assisted suicide (Oregon the only place in the U.S., and there definitely not Kevorkian style, only by writing a prescription) I wouldn't be eligible, no matter how much physical pain I was in, because I'm depressed! Cecilia
Posted by linkadge on June 5, 2007, at 21:12:44
In reply to Dr. Kevorkian, posted by Cecilia on June 4, 2007, at 8:59:33
>Oprah had a show about depression recently that >really ticked me off, she acted like depression >was guranteed curable if you just went to the >doctor, anyone who had depression was obviously >just too stupid to know they were depressed or >too stubborn to go to a doctor. Cecilia
Oprah trys to make everything matter of fact.I don't watch the show much anymore.
Linkadge
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on June 9, 2007, at 8:43:24
In reply to Re: Dr. Kevorkian, posted by linkadge on June 5, 2007, at 21:12:44
..and I wonder what they were advertising in the commerical breaks?? I'd bet anything that there was some advert for some AD during one of the commerical breaks in there. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Big Pharma actually paid a nice sum of money to Oprah/Harpo Inc for her to have a show like that.
This is the end of the thread.
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