Quote Originally Posted by Crankin View Post
I am not anti-medication, but I think we need to be very informed. There are other ways to treat depression, or at least use in conjunction with meds, until you can wean off of them, and I am not talking about quackery here. It's just that the development of these medications has changed the field of psychotherapy so much, that meds are the only thing many think of, in terms of treatment. It scares me when one of my close friends has been prescribed Lexapro by her gyn. She has a mess of issues and has not had any counseling. The medication does not seem to be effective (there was some good response in the beginning), but after 5-6 years, she just takes her dose and wonders why no one can stand to be around her. How is her case being monitored?
I know that Aggie is not in that position, but many people are.
I agree with this. Yes, the meds have their place, but too often people look for the "quick fix" of a pill instead of trying other things (like counseling and lifestyle changes) as the first line of treatment. This really applies to a lot of things (weight loss, cholesterol, blood pressure) and not just depression. Sometimes the meds are still necessary, but in many cases I think things can be solved without them and that eliminates the possibility of side effects.