Large study shows SSRIs work for only 15% of patients, huge placebo effect

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would rather be suicidal than deal with the sexual side effects.

Yep. And it's amazing how doctors just dismiss that issue.

Wow. This is almost offensive to suicidal people everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tom Cruise has been mocked ruthlessly for his tense and cringey Today Show interview with Matt Lauer, and yet everything he said was 100 percent undeniably true.

No, it wasn’t “true.” It was a baseless unhinged rant from someone who has NO business whatsoever opining on anyone’s mental health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety for over 20 years and who had a long and terrible experience on multiple SSRIs, this study is validating.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-08-08/what-causes-depression-it-s-more-complicated-than-low-serotonin

I am happy for the people helped by these drugs, but there is a pervasive attitude that if you just take an SSRI, your depression will be fixed. If you take one and it isn’t, adjust the dose. If that doesn’t work, try a different one. If that still doesn’t work, adds second drug that is supposed to help the first. The fact that all these drugs have side effects, including making your depression and anxiety worse and potentially causing it worsening suicidal ideation, is treated like a minor issue.

Meanwhile, therapy is often minimally covered by insurance and it can be hard to find therapists.

We need to start addressing mental health fir real and not just believing pharma companies when they say they’ve solved it. They haven’t.

Exactly. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guess I’m one of the lucky ones. Zoloft is a miracle drug for me and I don’t have any bad side effects. My libido is great!

+1 I am the ocd sufferer above, and yeah, it also doesn’t kill my libido and I had no weight gain on it. But I do wonder if side effects are lesser for those who need the medication OR if life is just so much more improved when you’ve been so mentally sick that even your physical body just works better.

We are complex systems. I have (tolerable) side effects and am greatly helped by Zoloft. I think it’s too complicated to generalize—I def don’t think you can say no side effects = you actually need it. I used to think it was perhaps the opposite. No side effects = you don’t respond to this particular medication. Sounds like it can be both.

[Anonymous]

The success rate for AA is around 20%. These types of issues are so complicated.

[Anonymous]

I feel like this is obvious. Yes, depression has a chemical basis but that's not everything. A pill won't fix your bad marriage, difficult job or your bad memories. There is so much more to depression than just brain chemistry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If a woman takes these medications to relieve depression, and because of the reduced libido the husband has an affair/visits prostitutes/divorces her & marries a younger woman, is that a desired effect of the medication? I am not writing this hypothetically.

Good question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SSRIs were lifesavers for me when I was in the depths of postpartum depression and PTSD from a traumatic childbirth. But after awhile, I don't think they helped much and had a lot of bad side effects. Once I was able to make lifestyle changes (like getting more sleep and more help with my kid) plus talk therapy, things got a lot better and I don't attribute that to the pills. I do think they can be crucial in a crisis, but in many situations they don't really solve anything. And the withdrawal coming off of them was really awful. I considered going on them during the depths of the pandemic lockdown, but realized that they weren't going to make covid go away. I had also read a study that exercise everyday is as effective as an SSRI at reducing depression and anxiety, so I resolved to get out and walk--six days a week for an hour. That was a real lifesaver, has no downsides, (and no profits for Big Pharma!).

+1 As annoying as it is when you are feeling depressed/anxious to have someone tell you to go for a walk, regular exercise, sufficient sleep and limiting caffeine/alcohol allows me to manage my mild depression/anxiety without drugs. Obviously not true for everyone but I think there is a strong bias towards SSRIs because it's a clear and easy step that a Dr can handle themselves

It's also very very hard to convince a depressed person to take proactive steps like daily exercise. For mild or moderate depression I think meds are often seen as a way to try to even things out until other lifestyle changes can take effect. Doctors know they have side effects. But those side effects can often be tolerated for a short while until things improve and the person is able to take other steps such as exercise or therapy.

Or it’s hard to do all the required steps to exercise when you’re depressed. Much easier to take a pill. And I think there is no shame in that. I have severe anxiety and I exercise to deal with it but if I didn’t have time to do it anymore I’d just take an SSRI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SSRIs were lifesavers for me when I was in the depths of postpartum depression and PTSD from a traumatic childbirth. But after awhile, I don't think they helped much and had a lot of bad side effects. Once I was able to make lifestyle changes (like getting more sleep and more help with my kid) plus talk therapy, things got a lot better and I don't attribute that to the pills. I do think they can be crucial in a crisis, but in many situations they don't really solve anything. And the withdrawal coming off of them was really awful. I considered going on them during the depths of the pandemic lockdown, but realized that they weren't going to make covid go away. I had also read a study that exercise everyday is as effective as an SSRI at reducing depression and anxiety, so I resolved to get out and walk--six days a week for an hour. That was a real lifesaver, has no downsides, (and no profits for Big Pharma!).

+1 As annoying as it is when you are feeling depressed/anxious to have someone tell you to go for a walk, regular exercise, sufficient sleep and limiting caffeine/alcohol allows me to manage my mild depression/anxiety without drugs. Obviously not true for everyone but I think there is a strong bias towards SSRIs because it's a clear and easy step that a Dr can handle themselves

It's also very very hard to convince a depressed person to take proactive steps like daily exercise. For mild or moderate depression I think meds are often seen as a way to try to even things out until other lifestyle changes can take effect. Doctors know they have side effects. But those side effects can often be tolerated for a short while until things improve and the person is able to take other steps such as exercise or therapy.

Or it’s hard to do all the required steps to exercise when you’re depressed. Much easier to take a pill. And I think there is no shame in that. I have severe anxiety and I exercise to deal with it but if I didn’t have time to do it anymore I’d just take an SSRI.

What’s your weekly exercise routine?

[Anonymous]

I found medication worked much better than talk therapy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I found medication worked much better than talk therapy.

You know you’re just “treating” symptoms, not the root cause of your illness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I found medication worked much better than talk therapy.

You know you’re just “treating” symptoms, not the root cause of your illness.

Put a sock in it, Scientology troll. Making comments like that is no more appropriate than making recommendations on asthma management.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I found medication worked much better than talk therapy.

You know you’re just “treating” symptoms, not the root cause of your illness.

Put a sock in it, Scientology troll. Making comments like that is no more appropriate than making recommendations on asthma management.

What’s with the childish name calling? If you care to challenge the statement, you may.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I found medication worked much better than talk therapy.

You know you’re just “treating” symptoms, not the root cause of your illness.

Put a sock in it, Scientology troll. Making comments like that is no more appropriate than making recommendations on asthma management.

What’s with the childish name calling? If you care to challenge the statement, you may.

I think I was pretty clear-non-professionals making bold claims about a treatment protocol a poster has been put on by a professional (and which is working!) is clown behavior. It’s the type of thing Scientologists do. Maybe that doesn’t apply to you, though, and you are a non-secular clown. Either way, your behavior is unethical and you should stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I found medication worked much better than talk therapy.

You know you’re just “treating” symptoms, not the root cause of your illness.

The root cause is often biological.