Posted by med_empowered on January 14, 2007, at 16:48:54
In reply to Re: Depressives' sensitivity to stimulants!, posted by laima on January 14, 2007, at 16:05:36
I think, like a lot of things in psychiatry, the stims for add, but not for depression practice isn't based on good science. Stims can be good antidepressants. Since the 40s, they have been used widely, and often safely, for depression. I think psychiatry has taught that antidepressants are meds "specifically" for depression (but not very good ones) and stimulants are "specifically" for ADHD. The problem is, psychiatry isn't like real medicine, where you have discrete disorders that respond to specific medications. You're dealing with a whole person here--feelings, thoughts, past, present, a whole brain--so there's going to be a lot of variability in terms of what works and what doesn't.
Also, I think part of the problem is that in the 60s speed was so abused and over-rx'd that psychiatry wanted to get away from its "Valley of The Dolls" image into what I guess it is now--docs are slow to prescribe "addictive" substances, and patients continue to suffer while paying out $$$ for ineffective treatment.I think it boils down to this: psychiatric patients get screwed. If you're a heart patient and your medication s/e suck, your doc works with you. Depression? Bipolar? Schizophrenia? Stick with it. If you're in chronic physical pain, a reasonable doc will work with you, possibly with very strong, potentially addictive meds. Psychic Pain? Can't leave the house? Too apathetic to function? Too damn bad. Take your Paxil and shut up.
That, I think, is the problem: shrinks really don't respect or value their patients.
poster:med_empowered
thread:721931
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070113/msgs/722276.html