---Peter as I said in previous posts there are people who IMO undoubtedly benefit from anti-depressant nedication.I have worked with numerous(on an IP psych ward)patients who were seriously depressed/ suicidal who showed a clear positive response over a period of time to medication.OTOH there are alot of people who are being prescribed medications that don't need them.Kevin
In [email protected], Peter Sutphen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > --- Jeff Fischer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > --- In [email protected], > > "shanti2218411" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > wrote: > > > One of the most powerful elements of any effective > > > > > treatment whether psychiatric or medical is > > HOPE.The > > instillation > > > of hope will frequently evoke the placebo > > response.The latter is a > > > real psycho-physiological phenomenon(a good > > non-technical book on > > the > > > subject is "Remembered Wellness" by Herbet > > Benson).There is no doubt > > > that much of the reason why medications work(as > > well as > > psychotherapy) > > > is due to the placebo effect.So it is likely that > > both scientology, > > > which frankly is in many respects a form of > > psychotherapy,and > > > medication help a significant # of people because > > it gives them > > hope > > > which then leads to changes in behavior and > > mood.These changes might > > > also result in changes in brain chemistry. The > > placebo effect has > > > been shown repeatedly to potentially exert > > profound effects on > > > physiology.As to whether there is any therapeutic > > (vs placebo)effect > > > for medications my clinical expereince is that > > there is for a subset > > > of depressed patients especially individuals who > > have major > > depressive > > > disorder.Kevin > > > > Kirsch requested the complete files on the six most > > widely prescribed > > antidepressants approved between 1987 and 1999: > > Prozac, Zoloft, > > Paxil, Effexor, Serzone, and Celexa drugs that > > together had $8.3 > > billion in worldwide sales in 2002. Within a month, > > he had an even > > less drug-friendly story than the one told in the > > journals. In "The > > Emperor's New Drugs," published in the July 2002 > > issue of the > > American Psychological Association's Prevention & > > Treatment, Kirsch's > > team presented their findings: Of the 47 trials > > conducted for the > > six drugs, only 20 of them showed any measurable > > advantage of drugs > > over placebos, a much lower number than turns up in > > published > > research. This was not entirely unexpected > > "publication bias" has > > long been known to be a problem in assessing the > > effectiveness of > > drugs and Kirsch is quick to point out that even > > these meager > > numbers "leave no doubt that there is a difference > > between drug and > > placebo. But I was surprised at how small the > > difference was in > > clinical terms. The studies all used the same > > measure" the > > Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the nearly > > universal way clinicians > > assess a patient's level of depression "so it was > > easy to see how > > much clinical improvement there really was." And > > there really wasn't > > much at all: The average patient on drugs improved > > by about 10 > > points on the 52-point Hamilton, while a placebo > > patient improved by > > a little more than eight. "A two-point difference > > on the Hamilton > > it's just clinically meaningless. Trivial," Kirsch > > says. "You can > > get that from having an improvement in sleep > > patterns, and if one of > > the side effects of the drugs is to induce > > drowsiness, the whole > > difference could be right there." (Indeed, critics > > say the Hamilton > > is skewed toward physical symptoms of depression, > > those most likely > > to be affected by medication.) > > > > Full article: > > > > > http://astrocyte-design.com/pseudoscience/mother_jones.html > > Yes, this is all true, but then when you work with > suicidal patients and ones that can barely move > themselves out of bed becasue of the depth of their > depression and you see what the SSRI's can do for > these people, you won't be so cavalier in your > dismissal of these drugs. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > To subscribe, send a message to: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Or go to: > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ > > and click 'Join This Group!' > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
