Posted by Shawn. T. on July 28, 2002, at 6:02:51
In reply to Re: Bipolar/Fish OilsShawn T., posted by colin wallace on July 26, 2002, at 5:13:49
My position is that a person should try the solution with the least number of side effects first and only resort to other options if that solution is not working. My real concern is that everyone understands that such options exist. I am painfully aware of the side effects that certain antidepressants can have on a person, and I do not believe that someone should be forced to stack on medications to treat side effects. The real goal of medicine should be to reduce the number of medications consumed by patients, excluding vitamins, minerals, and other natural substances that the body has evolved a need for.
Side effects are a roadblock in the path to complete recovery; when possible, one should attempt to avoid them when an equally efficacious alternative is available. I believe that someone taking medications that affect emotions should be aware and educated of the options available to them. To simply accept the "default" option on blind faith should not be a viable choice for someone taking a strong active interest in their mental health. I do not believe that the most popular solution to a problem is always the best. Every option deserves consideration when a sea of choices exists. If I were to simply not say anything, I would be bowing to the authority of the majority; I believe in the ultimate authority of the individual in matters as personal as mental health.
I am convinced that most people likely to read posts on this message board are not satisfied with the default choice available to them. I am not afraid to attempt to explain to them in an intelligent manner what the pro's and con's of their options are. In a world where antidepressants are said to work via "unknown mechanisms," one cannot help but feel a certain degree of discomfort in that notion. I am not comfortable with taking medicines that drug companies guess might work for me. I want to perceive that they are using their vast resources of scientific intelligence to understand why their products work and to improve upon them. I'd like to have a notion that they chose a specific solution not because it was the popular or economical way to go, but because they applied rational scientific methods to creating a better product.
We live in a world where a vast selection of potently selective drugs is available for the treatment of mental health disorders. To accept what has worked in the past when the future is the present would be a terrible mistake. Change happens, and those who are best able to understand the nature of that change are those who will be best able to make an informed decision on how that change will affect them. To allow the marketing machines of corporate monoliths to dictate change in the intensely personal world of mental health is a terrible mistake in my opinion.
Perhaps it appears that I advocate certain options because they work for me. I do not consider my subjective experience to constitute an acceptable argument in favor of one option over another. With one exception, I have made every effort to gain a personally acceptable (i.e. extensive) degree of knowledge about the medications that I use to treat my mental health problems. I have thrown away scripts for drugs that I did not consider to be both effective and relatively side effect free for me to take on a long term basis. I will not hesitate to mention that I have experience with certain drugs when mentioning them; a combination of subjective and objective reasoning is often more powerful than either type employed alone. I am interested in getting people involved in the process of understanding their mental processes. I am not inclined to dumb any material down; I feel that such tactics are somewhat simplistic. Although I base my assumptions on vast numbers of scientifically and clinically performed experiments and trials, it is not always possible for me to reference every single one. I attempt to provide references when discussing new material that best display the reasoning behind my assumptions. When I say something that does not appear to be based on any sort of evidence, I will always be glad to provide that evidence. I value the courage of people who take the responsability for helping themselves into their own hands. When they ask for information or validation, I feel the need to give it to them if my knowledge of the subject is personally acceptable. If I were to take individual accounts of inefficacy into account when suggesting valid alternatives, silence would be my only choice. I attempt to use my critical intellect in aiding those who wish to have access to materials that they would likely not be able to as easily acquire on their own. If the reasoning behind any of my advice is ever unclear, I am always happy to provide additional resources which might aid in clarification.
I am not a doctor, but I have an ever increasing understanding of the mechanisms through which antidepressants work. I have seen several web sites, books, magazine articles, and the like which have disseminated information much less accurate than the information that I pass on here. Neither I nor any other person on this earth could give an exacting explanation of mental health and the medications used to treat it. However, I am ever pressed to further my knowledge of neuroscience, biochemistry, and empathetic concerns to provide what I hope will not be seen as personally gratifying suggestions concerning psychoactive drugs. I rarely feel a sense of enjoyment when answering questions; I only do it because I often feel that I have a unique perspective to throw at the problem. All that I ask is that anyone who wishes to tell me that my arguments are unsubstantiated provide something more evidence against them than a subjective argument. I apologize if I might seem defensive; I simply wish to make me intentions clear. If the results of my intentions are doing more harm than good here, I will persue them elsewhere.
http://www4.infotrieve.com/search/databases/detailsNew.asp?artID=15575193what I have been recently statinghttp://www.biopsychiatry.com/omega3.htm
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http://www4.infotrieve.com/search/databases/detailsNew.asp?artID=27129572
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Shawn
poster:Shawn. T.
thread:113737
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020725/msgs/114001.html