Where does the WBTS stand on Anti Depressants?

by LizardSnot 20 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Englishman

  Depresion, and many other mental illnesses, is often a CHEMICAL disorder

  Ah, well yes, BUT: Isn't it possible for the brain to make its own chemicals? Think about it, brisk excercise stimulates the endorphins in our brains which promotes a feeling of well being. Sitting still and just listening without partaking stops the brain from producing any happy mood chemicals. Too much of that sort of thing - meetings, TV and simply not communicating animatedly will not stimulate brain chemicals at all, resulting in depression.

  Crippling depression is often just the result of too much negativity, the "Happy batteries" get drained. What you need is a long "trickle charge" of positivism!

  Englishman

  Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....
• 

  AMAZINGEX

  Careful! Your ignorance is showing! Before you go desparaging antidepressants and those who take them, I think you need to LEARN what you are talking about. Clinical depression is a serious illness. Yes, it can be a chemical imbalance. And yes, the brain does make chemicals. But if the patient's brain were capable of doing it's job correctly, there would be no imbalance, now, would there? And yes, the side effects can be serious too. But remember that every med has side effects. If a particular side effect happens to one user of, say, Drug A, it will be listed as a possible side effect in the PDR (Physicians Desk Reference).

  Obviously, none of you have ever suffered from this illness. It is devasting. The isolation, lonliness, sadness, hopelessness, despair, etc. can go on and on and on with no end in sight.

  Before you spout of so self righteous about this subject, walk a mile in my shoes.
• 

  Englishman

  Amazingex,

  OK, but these posts fired you right up, and guess what? You wrote that post with passion and just for a little while that depression faded, right?

  Englishman.

  Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....
• 

  ballistic

  Please everyone read this :* http://www.premier1.net/~raines/mental.html*
  I have a lot of experience of mental illness within the org and this document sums up how I feel about it.
• 

  NameWithheld

  I just have to pop in and say that from my personal experiance there were MANY JW's I know/knew who suffered depression and many who were permanent users of anti-depressants. I won't generalize to say most/all JWs were, but I knew of so many, and there are those who are taking them who don't make that known publicly (out of shame?).

  Not that I have a problem with anti-depressants, but from watching my wife fight thru those drugs it's very clear to me doctors are basically playing a guessing game with those drugs, as in "Try this for 3 months and see how you react". And talking to others they go thru the same med shuffle, trying to find a drug that helps more than it hurts.

  Funny thing is, once we left the JW org, my wife's health problems disappeared .... hmmmm. Wonder if you can get disability benefits for being a JW?
• 

  AMAZINGEX

  No, Englishman, the depression doesn't go away even if I get "fired up" about something. If you had diabetes, or cancer, would that illness go away because you felt perfectly healthy for a few moments? Depression is a physical disease that manifests itself with physical, mental and emotional symptoms.

  Your ignorance is still showing.
• 

  Englishman

  No Amazingex, My ignorance is not showing.

  You should know that depression is often characterised as reactive and integral.

  Perons who's depression is integral will benefit most from anti-depressants, those who's depression is as a result of a reaction to a circumstance and conditioning will only get a partial relief by the use of anti-d's.

  And before you get too smart, yes, I know what it feels like and I know too that people who have suffered from depression can not possibly imagine how awful it is.

  Englishman.

  Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....
• 

  Billygoat

  When I left the WTS, I struggled with severe clinical depression and suicidal tendencies for years. Mental illness and depression does run in my father's side of the family, so I believe it is part genetic in my situation. I was off and on anti-depressants for years. It wasn't until a year or so ago, when I made a DECISION to change my patterns of thinking and behavior, that the depression really started to taper off. I still have my low moments, but I'm happy to say that it's been almost 2 years since my last suicidal episode! And some of that period without medications. Medications work to a certain extent, but it cannot be FULLY relied on to solve the problems in one's life.

  It's kind of like a diabetic taking insulin. The diabetic's body physically needs insulin shots, but the diabetic must also make mental/emotional/dietary changes for the insulin to work properly. Thus with some of those that suffer depression. Take the anti-depressant that will help you physically - but you MUST make some mental/emotional/(and sometimes dietary) changes for the anti-depressants to work to it's potential.

  It's my personal feeling that medication only works when tandemed with a change in heart/mind/soul!

  Love,
  Andi
• 

  Englishman

  It's my personal feeling that medication only works when tandemed with a change in heart/mind/soul!

  Brilliant.

  Englishman.

  Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....
• 

  AMAZINGEX

  And you, Englishman, should know that a reactive depression still involves a chemical imbalance. It is not known for sure if the imbalance is brought on by the illness or the illness is brought on by the imbalance. In my case, it is thought to be biological. Apparently, I have had it all my life. And antidepressants only give me some help. Just as people respond differently to different meds, some respond to therapy alone, some to therapy and meds, some to ECT, and some to meds alone.

  It is a complicated, serous illnss. To say as some have (I'm not saying you have said this), that you can "pull yourself out of it if you really want to" may be intended to help but actually is very disheartening and painful for the depressed one to hear. I certainly would not have put my family through this if I could have done something about it.

  One more thing about the meds. Some have expressed concern about how easily doctors say, "Take this and if it doesn't work we'll try something else." I know it sounds like the dr. is ready to prescribe tons of medicine without a second thought. It's just difficult to find the right med at the right dose. And some of us are considered to be "treatment resistant". Not that we deliberately resist help, it's just that our bodies resist the meds, making it harder to find the right one. I was told that 10% of people are treatment resistant.