Posted by linkadge on May 20, 2010, at 15:09:20
In reply to Re: Interesting article? What do you think?, posted by StillHopefull on May 20, 2010, at 10:47:52
>Time, understanding, and compassion will NOT >help someone who has a disease of mental >illness.
I'm not so sure.
Science shows that the placebo effect is real. Yes, depression is a real disease characterized by real, measurable alterations in neurochemical function. That being said, the placebo effect can also produce real measurable changes in neurochemical function.
I would say that a large percentage of people who are suffering from depression these days (or at least a large percentage of those taking SSRIs), would (and do) benefit clinically from time, understanding and compassion.
Infact, the "time" factor has been shown (statistically and clinically) to be a big variable in depression recovery. Most depressive epsidoes will clear up (meds or no meds) within 6 months to 2 years. Stressful life events play a big role in the development and recovery from depression. Understanding and compassion are the basis for the documented antidepressant effects of CBT. Understanding and compassion can help reduce stress and thus promote recovery.
Many studies show that when patients are shown true compassion within a hospital setting, they will recover faster from their illness. Somtimes the differece between an effective doctor and an innefective one, is not so much the choice of drugs, but the communication of compassion to the depressed patient.
Of course, every depressed patient claims that their depression is immune to such flaky factors, but we are all human.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:946874
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100514/msgs/948053.html