Posted by Trans-Human on January 21, 2009, at 9:21:21
In reply to Re: Risk of sudden death? » Trans-Human, posted by seldomseen on January 21, 2009, at 8:35:53
> In reality, you may be exactly right. A chemical imbalance may NOT be the *cause* of ANY mental illness.
>
> However, IMO that unknown does not preclude a chemical-based *treatment* of it.
I disagree
> I'm not trying to convince you in any way, but would ask that you consider, as an example, angina and its treatment with nitroglycerine.
>
> Nitroglycerine is converted to nitric oxide in the blood. This nitric oxide is an extremely potent vaso-dilator, so it dilates the blood vessels in the heart (and elsewhere), helps to restore blood flow and relieves the symptoms of angina.
>
> Now, IMO there is very little convincing direct evidence that nitric oxide levels are lower in the blood vessels of patients with angina. Nitric Oxide is a very transiently formed gas that is metabolized almost immediately upon its formation. At present there is no standardized measure of nitric oxide levels directly in patients. In fact, most of the nitric oxide literature is based on inference, yet, clearly this gas has therapeutic benefit.
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> Nitric Oxide may or may not target the *cause* of angina, but it certainly treats the symptoms and has saved many many lives.
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> It may be that mental illness follows a similar paradigm and that all these drugs are treating the symptoms and not the cause of mental illness.
>
> So I guess the questions we should be asking are (1) "do these psychiatric medications have therapeutic benefit?" In some patients they clearly do and (2) Do they target the underlying cause of mental illenss? Don't know.
>
> Seldom.Fair enough. I acknowledge that; but the question is; does the fact that "some" having a benefit from medications; then justify the sole use of medications as the primary & often sole treatment of "mental illness". NO it does not!
In fact I would consider that only a small minority are genuinely assisted by meds.
When we have the evidence for other more holistic & "Jungian" based paradigms as being far more effective in the majority of cases for genuinely helping people - then such evidence is particularly damming of this over simplification & dominance of biological psychiatry.
I also do not think that it is accurate or good analogy to compare "mental illness" with purely biological conditions. I don't see the logic; & this is the point I have been trying to get across & which you acknowledge - "A chemical imbalance may NOT be the *cause* of ANY mental illness". If what may well be the case & Schizophrenia & other mental illnesses are not predominantly biological in cause; then orthodox medicine is barking up entirely the wrong tree.
You wouldn't say to someone with diabetes or angina that their condition is like Schizophrenia - so why say it the other way around? It doesn't make sense.
If taking Schizophrenia as having a primary psychogenic cause; which I believe to be the case - based on the evidence - then a purely biological understanding & treatment of it is plainly wrong & flawed.
You would not treat angina with counselling. So why when the evidence points to a non biological cause in schizophrenia is the primary treatment a chemical one.
I think this observation so obvious to my mind & understanding - that I cannot fathom why it isn't the generally accepted case of understanding.
I fully agree that medication is treating symptoms; that is why they are not & never will be a cure. & why for most; medication is no more than a sticking plaster on an open wound. What we should be focusing on is cause.
poster:Trans-Human
thread:874659
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090104/msgs/875266.html