Rearrange that and I would’ve gotten 2 bingos if we’re counting all the meds I’ve been prescribed in my life
I’ve never been prescribed more than one new (long-term) medication at the same time. I’m currently waiting impatiently to get on methylphenidate again as soon as my doctor is convinced the venlafaxine isn’t giving me side effects. Where do you find these doctors that just throw drugs at you?
It’s no wonder you’ve never heard of them, they’re not very popular doctors - just imagine how prickly it must be to get a physical from someone that’s completely made of straw.
Unfortunately that’s just how psychiatry is. You can get a metabolic test done that tells what meds your liver metabolizes better, but ultimately it’s throwing darts and hoping something sticks.
Hot tip, if any of your family members have similar mental heath conditions ask them what mods they’re on. Worked out very well for my partner after trying several drugs she asked what her dad was on and tried that. It worked great
Makes sense genetically
That’s the best case scenario.
The worst case scenario is that it’s mostly placebo, and when it does work, it’s just natural recovery; and, further, that the psychiatrists’ prescription pattern is entirely based on “what’s worked” in their personal history as prescriber which will, of course, be random.
Anyway, long term studies on the effects of most psychotropic drugs indicate that they are much more likely to induce dependence than to actually “cure” you.
The worst case scenario is that it’s mostly placebo, and when it does work, it’s just natural recovery
I believed that for 30 years until I tried zoloft and experienced a sensation somewhat similar to that of psilocybin, which has also been linked to treating depression, and then I went “ohhh…” and stayed on it until the side effects wore off and yeah. It’s not just placebo. I was wrong. I’m sorry to everyone on the internet I misled.
One of many studies concluding, “meh.”
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(19)30366-9/fulltext
Sertraline is unlikely to reduce depressive symptoms within 6 weeks in primary care but we observed improvements in anxiety, quality of life, and self-rated mental health, which are likely to be clinically important. Our findings support the prescription of SSRI antidepressants in a wider group of participants than previously thought, including those with mild to moderate symptoms who do not meet diagnostic criteria for depression or generalised anxiety disorder.
This… doesn’t seem very meh?
That’s actually pretty much spot on how it worked for me. My depression was cause of things in my life, and it didn’t do much for that, but it did wonders for my anxiety, which made it easier for me to ask for help and fix my life. I used to be afraid of going into stores. I used to be afraid of pain, due to pain disorders I have. I couldn’t have caffeine, or even chocolate, because even a little bit of stimulant made me too jittery and feel awful. I don’t have so much fear anymore. I can eat chocolate again!
Most of those meds aren’t intended to cure you. You’re supposed to take them in conjunction with therapy to develop healthy ways of managing the disorder.
That reminds me of that joke about the pill that cures thirst. You just take it along with a cup of water, and voilà, the thirst is gone
Medical treatment for bipolar and schizophrenia is considered lifelong.
For depression, yes, there is one strand of thought it that pairs it with talk therapy, but often people are on the drugs for years.
Yes, much like diabetes someone with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia is going to be taking the medication their whole life. And much like diabetes, working with a medical professional will help them to identify lifestyle changes and coping strategies that allow them to eventually self-regulate their medical concerns, and they will only need occasional professional involvement.
Maybe in some shitty countries, but over here we ain’t prescribing shit without a decent evidence base because the medical regulator is actually competent.
The studies for efficacy in the US are mostly short-term. Psychiatric outcomes in “shitty countries” uninfected with pro-medicine psychiatry are actually better.
You’re claiming the US doesn’t count as a shitty country when it comes to healthcare?
Not arguing much of anything vis-a-vis the US, but most of what gets approved here gets approved everywhere else.
I don’t know of any credible evidence that my country’s medical regulator has been captured by the pharmaceutical industry.
It’s an entire industry based on anecdotal evidence and we just go along with it.
You don’t know what anecdotal evidence is
Having taken them in the past and watched others taking them; yeah they’re basically chalk capsules. Nothing wrong with chalk, they’re actually a really great way to get someone to start effective treatments and improve their lives.
There’s a reason why you always have to make other lifestyle changes and do therapy alongside the medication in order for it to “work”. And then, after all the lifestyle changes - oh would you look at that - you don’t even need the medication anymore because your depression is cured! Best part is, there isn’t even any withdrawals for some reason! Don’t think about it! But the downside I’ve also seen people take a handful of medications, change nothing, and then get even more depressed because the magic pill isn’t working.
People make fun of organised religion, then pay tithe and pray to the antidepressant and antianxiety God every morning. Go figure.
Wdym no withdrawal symptoms? Suddenly stopping SSRIs has pretty severe symptoms
It didn’t for me or anybody I know. Maybe the doctor literally just gave us fake pills and everyone else got real pills lol who knows
Active brain scanning with FMRI is still too rarely used in diagnosis and testing for brain related illness.
There’s really good reasons for that, chief among them that BOLD FMRI is basically useless in a clinical setting. “Dowsing for brain activity” was how one PI described it to me.
I didn’t say neurochemistry wasn’t a thing I said that proof of efficacy is based on anecdotal evidence. That is factually correct. I assume you’re one of the roughly 50% that takes an antidepressant and feels better which means you’ll defend the industry even though the other 50% sees no relief.
You know your argument is good when you’re stooping to trying to discredit someone by accusing them of… er… “having medication work for them”
proof of efficacy is based on anecdotal evidence
This is a bad take on so many different levels. Besides the classic “the plural of anecdote is data”, it belies a complete lack of even passing familiarity with how psychopharmacology, psychology and neurochemistry research works.
Oh so you’re not medicated and just have an interest in the psychopharmaceutical industry as a hobby… My bad.
Look, I’m not going to argue with you. I’m very familiar with the process, but you strike me as the type that conveniently omits issues that don’t support your point.
And now you’re trying to discredit my argument because you suppose I’m… not medicated? Man, just not many options left are there.
I’m very familiar with the process
If this were true, it wouldn’t be a very flattering thing to admit; it would mean you have willfully chosen to misrepresent fundamental aspects of multiple extremely important fields, instead of doing it out of simple ignorance. But please rest assured I don’t think that’s the case.
Aaaanyways not that I don’t enjoy taking my rhetorical scattergun on a recreational delve through the deepity depths of a fish-reeking barrel, but this is sorta straying from the topic into petty squabbling. Ta!
I know this is a joke but don’t combine any of these meds. You might add Wellbutrin to lexapro or Zoloft, but you would never take them together, and your body metabolizes Effexor into the medication in pristiq so they wouldn’t combine those either.
Medications are only there to enrich your doctor! The medical industry only exists to extract profit! You don’t need drugs - it’s natural to be depressed, just look at how bad the world is! ADHD is a superpower! Autism is caused by vaccines!
- Things said by idiots.
(edit: Or just the misguided. Disillusion with the medical industry and all its myriad problems is understandable, but that doesn’t make it a conspiracy nor does it mean the people who dedicate their lives to it are all profit-driven goblins that don’t care about you. Overprescription is a hugely complex and heavily propagandized topic, but tarring all mental health professionals with this brush and discouraging people from getting what little professional help is available is indefensible)
So the plot of
Tap for spoiler
Spiderhead
