Kevin, I came across the post of yours later. I wasn't talking about your "cavalier" attitude. We both work clinically with people and see the direct benefits of the SSRI's. Although what people are discussing here is good, sometimes the fact that SSRI's have lfe-transforming benefits gets lost in the discussion.
--- shanti2218411 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > ---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 > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > === message truncated === ____________________________________________________ Sell on Yahoo! Auctions no fees. Bid on great items. http://auctions.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/
