Thanks. Thats useful.
--- In [email protected], "shanti2218411" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > -The effects of medical treatments are the result of multiple factors > which include psychological and biological factors.I have no doubt > that SRRI's have effects on brain function.The question is exactly how > and in what ways the SSRI's are effecting the brain.Making this even > more complicated is the fact that different brains can have very > different reactions to the same drug EG is common for pt's to have to > try several SSRI's or other anti-depressants before finding one that > works.There is no good theory to expain why this so.Infact SSRI's are > not used becasue there exists a coherent comprehensive theory about > how brain chemistry affects mood.The SSRI's are used because there is > empirical evidence that they work ie as compared to a placebo.Why this > is so at this point is mostly educated guesswork.However this is true > of a lot of medical treatments and we use these treatments not because > we understand why they work becuse we have scientifically shown that > they do work.A good book on the subject of the current limits of > medical knowledge is "The Rise and Fall of Modern Medicine"by J Fanu. > One thesis of this book that unless we begin to develop a much better > understanding of how the brain and body work their will be fewer > medical advances as time passes.Fanu suggests this is why there has > been very modest progress in the treatment in many chronic diseases > and pharmaceutical(sp?) companies have been emphasizing using "old" > meds for different purposes eg the anti-depressant wellbutrin has > become the anti-smoking drug Zyban.In any case believing that medical > science is going to end all disease anytime soon is pretty much > delusional.Kevin > > > > -- In [email protected], anonymousff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "shanti2218411" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > However,there are many treatments which > > > are only modestly more powerful than the placebo and I think this is > > > the case with SSRI's. > > > > However, this I assume is only your conjecture, perhaps well founded > > by your experience as a practicioner, but still conjecture. > > > > It would seem to me that whether a treatment has useful effects is a > > disccussion relevant primarily to the subject and their doctor. With > > possible input from family and health carrier if the treatment is > > being funded under insurance. And NOT relevant to any bystanders aor > > back seat drivers. > > > > And hypothetically, if there is placebo effect, if thats what > > actually is occuring and the SSRI has no physiologic effect (a premise > > I find quite shakey), still as you point out, there is a structure of > > support -- with a myriad of factors, that is generating the real > > effect, via placebo. Thus the questions is certainly not, as some > > posters have implied now and in the past (BB), that the SSRI support > > structure is a waste, that the results are imaginary, aka placebo, > > that doing nothing would produce the same results. > > > > For example, its silly to tell someone "here are your sugar pills, > > take one daily", and expect them to have a REAL placebo effect. They > > have to BELIEVE that there is "Big MOJO" enlivened in the > > thereapy/pill for a placebo to have a REAL effect. > > > > The major research question would appear to be is there a more > > cost-effective support structure that can yield the same effect. That > > is, if its a real placebo effect, can a "Big MOJO" expectation be > > created by other, lower costs, less side effect means. Or if the > > effect is part direct physiologic and part placebo, is there a way of > > ramping up the "BIG MOJO" expectation and reduce the more costly and > > side-effect ridden drug. 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/
