antidepressants really?

So really WTF is up with anti-depressants? Taking a pill so you're no longer depressed, so you're in a good mood, happy and ready to get through the day? Left and right I hear people taking them and it kind of sickens me. Depression is just a bad mood, unhappiness, that is all in the mind and can be controlled like anything else. Your mood is based on how you live your life. It's not a disease or brain abnormality. I get in a bad mood sometimes sure but there are natural ways around it and humanity has dealt with it for millions of years without medication.

In my opinion, we don't need this $#%^. It's more of a placebo than anything. Not to mention the possible side effects and how unnatural it is. Sure it helps some people, lazy people who would rather just pop pills than deal with their problems.

I don't mean to offend anyone here, but does anyone have a counter-argument?

potentiate wrote:I don't mean to offend anyone here, but does anyone have a counter-argument?

The counter argument would be that: (1) there are different types of depression then the sadness you are describing. Clinical depression is characterized by a much more profound sadness that has both somatic and psychological components that is very resistant to psychosocial treatment or changes in behaviour. Antidepressants are one of many tools to help someone recover. (2) In contrast to what you believe that depression is not a "brain abnormality", there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that depression has a neurological, biochemical and hereditary basis. This has been documented for more than 35 years. (3) The statement that "it's more of a placebo" should be replaced with "it works better than a placebo" because the latter is supported by empirical evidence. (4) Arguing that "sure it helps some people" in the context of an argument against the use of antidepressants is not logically valid because it undermines the conclusion.

Certainly there are valid arguments against the over reliance on SSRI's to treat depression when psychosocial treatments are nearly as effective in many cases however, blanket statements against there use as are usually supported by poor arguments or misunderstandings of empirical research (See the OP). Persons who suffer from depression should use all the tools at their disposal including psychosocial treatment, social support, changes in behaviour and psycho pharmacological treatments.

Take care and try to be more empathetic. Life is alot harder for some people than you may think.

Which studies were you reading that supported antidepressants being more effective than a placebo, Infinite Jester?

ladyswan wrote:Which studies were you reading that supported antidepressants being more effective than a placebo, Infinite Jester?

To pass FDA regulation you the drug in question has to be demonstrated to be more effective then an inert chemical substance (placebo). With that said, it's been in the literature for the past 35 years. All you need to do is search in a peer reviewed article database with the name of a the drug in question.

I'm asking you to cite specific studies because the ones I've read showed little to no more effectiveness than a placebo.

Being anti-psych myself, I also don't hold the empirical evidence you speak of to high regard because the system itself is flawed and prone to manipulation of data.

ladyswan wrote:I'm asking you to cite specific studies because the ones I've read showed little to no more effectiveness than a placebo.

Being anti-psych myself, I also don't hold the empirical evidence you speak of to high regard because the system itself is flawed and prone to manipulation of data.

If you don't hold empirical evidence to high regard then any citation I provide will not satisfy you because you can always claim there was manipulation of the data.

It's interesting though that your willing to accept that there is a global conspiracy of psychopharmocolgists fabricating data without any sceptism but when some studies say that antidepressants are not much more effective than a placebo your on board.

If your willing to suspend your doubt of the empirical sciences then name a generic brand of an antidepressant that you think is no more effictive than a placebo and I'll find you a meta-analysis that supports it's efficacy.

Take care.

Yeah, I can see where you're coming from.

The issue I have with accepting such evidence is that the raw data is made unavailable because the FDA treats it as proprietary. Numbers can be skewed so easily.

Regarding empirical data, the European commission for health recently declared that bottled water could not contain a claim that it helps keep your body hydrated because there was not enough empirical data to support the claim. Can you see why it's easy to become disenchanted when surrounded by a system enshrining such idiocy?

-- Sat Jan 21, 2012 1:07 am --

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ation.html

I think "side effects" are more common than the wanted effect ? and the side effects can be depressing cancelling out the wanted effect in many cases.
"Pills for your ills" on youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UnJ4H8JLm