philosophical question

Hortensia

I keep thinking about this when I'm driving but forget to ask when I'm online. When Prozac came out, I read an article by some "authority" who was debating the wisdom of changing someone's feelings artificially with antidepressants. The argument was that it is better to be authentic and depressed than artifically happy and medicated. I thought it was elitist bullshit by someone who had never been depressed. I could understand if the argument was that maybe taking the Prozac or other antidepressant would make you avoid solving your problems. However, my own experience is that it helped me face my problems. I've thought about it off and on ever since then. Is it somehow wrong to chemically restore your brain balance? And if you think so, what's your reason? Or is this a non-issue?

Junction-Guy

I say it is definitely useful for extreme cases where people are suicidal or homocidal, but for the most part I think alot of people just use it as a crutch, instead of trying to dig deep and look for the real cause of their depression and subsequently trying to fix it.

Being authentic is the way to go.

lonelysheep

Do you remember if the article was referring to lifelong prozac use or for a period of time?

digderidoo

However, my own experience is that it helped me face my problems. I've thought about it off and on ever since then. Is it somehow wrong to chemically restore your brain balance? And if you think so, what's your reason? Or is this a non-issue?

This is definately not a non-issue.

For many years i have wondered about whether i suffer from depression. I definately had a nervous breakdown a few years ago. I what you may call self-medicated with a mixture of drink and drugs, which i have posted about on here at length.

I have recently seen a counseller as i am now sober and clean, he put to me that maybe i have suffered from depression. Something for which i have thought, but have never been diagnosed, mainly because i have never seen a doctor prior to me getting sober. At present i go through periods of days where i just don't want to do anything, but i hold back on asking for medication for this reason, amongst others. I would rather restore my sanity through therapy and sheer grit.

Paul

Octarine Prince

Good thought.

I have been putting info here: Truth in Recover

It is primarily for recovery from substances and behaviors that we have allowed to become out of control.

Hortensia

I don't remember if the article was talking about lifelong use or short-term use. I used it for a couple of years while I was recovering from a spinal fracture-it helped me not be so depressed but also it helped with pain. I'm not sure why. I haven't had antidepressants since then (15 years) until last year when a whole bunch of crappy stuff happened. If I didn't take the meds, I don't think I'd be here. And I don't want to suffer like that! However, I won't need it for the long term. I just wonder why it would be wrong for someone who has a lifelong problem with depression to take the med for the rest of his/her life?

choosing life

If you had high blood pressure, you could perhaps get it back to normal through proper diet, weight loss and exercise. That would take some time though. Would it be wrong to use medication to keep it normal and avoid serious complications, in the meantime? Later, if lifestyle changes helped, the medication could be tapered and discontinued. It is possible that the lifestyle changes would not work and the medication would have to be continued for life to avoid stroke, kidney damage, etc.

When it comes to disorders involving the brain and nervous system, there seems to be a double standard in some people's minds. It somehow becomes a moral issue or one of laziness. Anti-depressants are not a cure-all for mental depression. They can be a tool to help while a person is working on issues in their life. There is still a need to put forth effort and make changes in life that will help us to cope. Some diseases are chronic though and depression certainly can be. If meds. help prevent the complications of depression such as the lack of ability to feel joy, withdrawing from life and suicidal thoughts, then they are a useful tool and certainly not a cop-out.

Narkissos

A philosophical answer might start by wondering what "authentic" and "artificial" mean for the social and cultural constructs we are, and whether "shoulds" and "should-nots" make any sense in general.

Depending on who you construe yourself to be, it may seem more genuine either to use any available means to become your functional self again as soon as possible, or to explore the bottomless depths of your "depressed" self.

One truth for all is probably not enough.

Hortensia

yeah...

jgnat

I figure the brain is like a sophisticated engine. If it is revving too fast, or misfiring, wouldn't you give it a tune-up? I think if the mind and heart are engaged as well, the drugs can be a powerful assist while the person learns to refocus their thoughts more productively.

Keeping with the engine analogy, it does no good to re-bore the cylinders if the reckless driver just goes out and burns out the engine again.

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