Sharon Begley had the cover story on Newsweek on 02/08/10 entitled "The Depressing News About Antidepressants". Of course she is right and I have known this for years.
My client's ask me, "Should I take an antidepressant?"
Complicated question.
Are antidepressants a silver bullet, a magic key?
No.
In general, psychotherapy works better.
I am a psychotherapist. I don't have a billion dollar budget to advertise my services. The Managed Care companies want their Primary Care Doctors to treat depression in 12 minutes, the average length of an office visit.
We live in the day of the quick fix which is cheap.
My favorite bumper sticker is "Good, cheap, fast. Pick one."
I have shocked my colleagues by suggesting pot. Much better for you than most of the crap that pharmaceutical companies are peddling. Why isn't it legalized? It's too cheap. It can be grown in you own back yard and in your basement under grow lights. Legalizing cannibis would put most of the psychotropic pharmaceutical companies out of business.
Is this irresponsible coming from a psychotherapist?
Many, who have a vested interest in the status quo, will say that it is, but it is also the truth.
The fact that antidepressants don't work is major news warranting the cover of a national news magazine, exemplifies the point of how far off the rails our society has run with its screwed up corporate culture which has pervaded health care. Pharmaceutical companies push antidepressants to a naive culture and rope the HMOs into pressuring their PCPs to prescribe this garbage to limit the time spent with patients. It costs too much to talk with patients so shut them up with pills, and don't refer them to qualified mental health providers because you will become an outlier with specialty referrals.
It is all a game, rigged, for money. Does this sound cynical, like sour grapes, or is it true.
It is a hoot that it takes a journalist like Sharon Begley to spill the beans, to tear back the curtain at Oz and to see that there is no magic, no wizard, just a bunch of old white guys manipulating people to make a buck.
I never wag my finger at people who smoke pot, although I always remind the teens that it's illegal and charges now could potentially screw their future do to the culture in which we live.
ReplyDeleteAnd honestly, I would rather deal with a room full of stoners than a room full of drunks any day of the week.