Posted by finelinebob on May 9, 2004, at 17:02:28
In reply to Alternative Therapies, posted by maxziggy2002 on May 9, 2004, at 15:34:25
Other than waxing ineloquent about the Virtues of the Potato above, I can't say that I've followed this thread, but...
Maxziggy, if people have shot down your point of view out-of-hand, good on you for calling them on it. Lifestyle changes that improve diet and exercise will improve just about anybody's state of mind. Furthermore, giving mind-altering substances to people who don't need them is also bad medicine. If some life event knocks one "down in the dumps" and one responds with adopting poor lifestyle habits, then restoring good lifestyle habits and taking some well-considered actions to reverse the event that put one there in the first place may be all that is needed for one to restore oneself to "normal".
However, your mileage may vary.
Mine certainly does. I have training in gathering empirical data and drawing reasonable conclusions from them. The data I've collected on my own life says, for me, you are correct in part. And while I'll grant you that Western medical science does not fully understand either the biochemical neurophysiology of brain disorders or the full effects of that psychopharmaceuticals have on our brains, I'm also not ready to reject out-of-hand the work of thousands of scientists over several decades. Nortriptyline works for me.
I do not know DeMaisons' work (and it would help if she posted her qualifications more visibly on her web site -- what is her PhD in?), but I'm willing to wager that she uses methods of inquiry highly similar to many (if not most) of those scientists and doctors you label as "irresponsible". If she comes to a different conclusion to the same data, does that give her an exclusive license to responsiblity?
Her mileage may vary, too.
Dissenting views are always valuable to a group forum like this. Please keep it up ... we need it! But please don't ask or expect us all to conform to your dissent -- that kinda misses the point.
flb
poster:finelinebob
thread:1016
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040505/msgs/345141.html