Posted by LlurpsieNoodle on June 10, 2007, at 15:46:11
In reply to Re: And not all psychol. probs are under one's con, posted by linkadge on June 10, 2007, at 7:37:23
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> I am not saying don't take meds, I am just saying that I am just saying that (some) people (myself included) need to be open to all forms of healing.
> I just don't agree with people who sum up all their problems to bad chemistry and believe a pill is the only thing that can make any improvement.I agree with you. I like the way that you temper your statements. "some people" for example. I find that much of the confusion in this argument comes from statements like "all people"
My own theoretical perspective leans away from a reductionist view of the human mind. The way I understand physics, neuroscience, neurobiology, physiology, cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology, psychology, philosopy, religion is that they all contribute knowledge to every other discipline. They are all interrelated. To equate the mind (and its problems) to a problem at only one level (reductionism) does not do justice to the amazing complexity of our beings.
Depression is something that can be simultaneously demonstrated as abnormal thinking, abnormal physiology, abnormal hormonal states, abnormal psychology, abnormal neurobiology and abnormal neurotransmitter levels.
Any theory of the etiology or manifestation of depression (or other psychiatric illness) should at least consider whether their theory can explain and predict the abnormalities found in other systems in the body, and the other disciplines that I mentioned above.
I think that depression is an illness of a whole person, and that the entire person shoud be treated, including their thinking, their neurochemistry, etc. Western medicine and alternatives can be complementary to each other in this regard.
>> I am not saying that there isn't a difference in the brain of depressed people. I am just saying that the brain is a different organ from other body organs. For instance, you cannot will yourself to produce more insulin, but you can actually do things that will increase your serotonin levels. Hot bath, good meal, stress reduction, petting a dog, hugging somebody, having sex, eating chocolate, sitting in the sun, etc.
>Linkadge, didn't you say in an earlier post that your dad eats an unhealthy diet while taking his cholesterol-lowering medications? I think the brain is like any other organ. We can DO things to make our pancreas happy, and our kidneys, our athelete's foot, etc. The funny thing is that KNOWING what to do [eat fewer refined carbs/ drink plenty of water/ clean and wipe between our toes after bathing] and DOING it are two separate things.
To err is human. The profound apathy found in some depressed people prevents them from doing the things they need to take care of their bodies and their minds. Eating chocolate sounds simple enough, but I can attest to a chocolate hoard in my fridge that has been there for months... and I can't get excited enough about eating to eat even chocolate. yuck. I guess that's anhedonia.
> I am not saying that we have all the power to solve our problems. I am just saying that we do have some influence on our moods, the extent of which is probably unknown. To give up on searching for complementary methods of healing is a mistake.
>> People seem to have got the wrong idea from what I was trying to say.
Let me know if I've misinterpreted you
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> >Who here has not tried, prayed, done EVERYTHING >in his or her power to SNAP out of being >depressed??me. I can't eat my chocolate. I spent my time and money on other things besides acupuncture. (scared of finding an acupuncturist), and I didn't get a job that will allow me to afford regular therapeutic massages. I don't lie in the sun. I don't get enough exercise. I don't ... many things. Despite knowledge. I guess the last few months I didn't have much time. I was trying to graduate. Sometimes life takes priority over self-improvement and healing, unfortunately.
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> LinkadgeI'm enjoying this thread a lot, it's stimulating to my nerdy side. maybe I need to get out a little more and start pretending to be anti-depressed. Actually, what I REALLY need is a fantastic placebo. Can't exactly call up pdoc and ask him to prescribe me a placebo, though huh? :D
-Ll
poster:LlurpsieNoodle
thread:761153
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070604/msgs/762214.html