Posted by Viridis on September 11, 2003, at 2:21:50
In reply to Viridis, pack meds while traveling by plan, posted by McPac on September 10, 2003, at 22:50:33
Hi McPac,
Definitely -- and many of these people are otherwise reasonable, well-educated, etc. My response (if they don't know that I take psychiatric meds) is to tell them what I take, explain that I've tried other alternatives and they haven't worked, and ask if they'd have the same reaction if I were taking insulin, cholesterol-lowering meds, etc.
Some people who haven't been through this genuinely believe that positive thinking will solve the problem, but I'm quite insistent that there is a biological basis for most psychiatric illnesses, it's been demonstrated repeatedly, and it really isn't much different from any other medical condition. Interestingly, many respond favorably when I explain the biological basis (it probably doesn't hurt that I actually am a biologist).
A good analogy is standard headache vs. migraine. Even people who haven't had migraines generally know someone who does, and realize the severity of the condition. So, when someone says something like, "When I get depressed, I read a book to get my mind off it" etc., I describe what clinical depression is like relative to just feeling down, using the migraine vs. headache comparison. Then I ask, if you or someone you know had a migraine, do you really think simple relaxation or even taking an aspirin would solve it?
This often helps make the point. Of course, some people simply refuse to accept that psychiatric problems are real, but attitudes do seem to be changing. This is reflected not only by my experience, but by various recent polls I've seen.
The bottom line is that you can't please or convince everyone, so if somebody insists that "drugs aren't the answer", all you can do is politely tell them that they don't know what they're talking about (or just change the subject).
poster:Viridis
thread:258139
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030907/msgs/258997.html