all 7 comments

[–]cyber_burn 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

that's very troubling. i think it's important for people to become more comfortable talking about this sort of thing, but it's so disheartening, though not surprising, that it's being capitalized by these corporations. while i'm sure some people benefit from these medications, that would be a small subset compared to how many people are pushed to them. i was finally able to stop taking my anti-depressants about six months ago after taking them for ten years. i wish i had spent that time learning and practicing coping skills - and i'm not sure how much they ever helped anyway. fuck these companies.

[–]Intuit 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

There is no physical test for so-called mental illness. Don't get me wrong, there are mental pathologies, but they are problems of the mind, not with the hardware (except in rare cases). Or more correctly, problems of the mind induced by dysfunctional social situations.

[–]wizzwizz4 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

There are mental pathologies not induced by dysfunctional social situations, and there are common-ish problems with the hardware. Anti-depressants are, imo, proscribed too frequently, though.

[–]Intuit 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

There are mental pathologies not induced by dysfunctional social situations, and there are common-ish problems with the hardware.

Good to keep in mind. One danger is to normalize a persistent "agitator" in the social environment, such that individual failures is seen as a weakness of the individual rather than them as canaries in a coal mine. I respect people like the late R.D. Laing who explored both e.g. the parents and the "problem" child, rather than focus on one member.

[–]wizzwizz4 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

That's true too. Really, instead of arguing about the causes, we should acknowledge that at any given time, one or more different known factors – or even unknown factors – could be at play.

Human brains are too irritatingly complex for there to be One Cause of Mental Health Problems™.

[–]Intuit 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Really, instead of arguing about the causes, we should acknowledge that at any given time, one or more different known factors – or even unknown factors – could be at play.

Agreed. Consider various explanations or try to come up with new ones, experiment with solutions, leaving the ones with long-term effects (drugs) for last, not first.

[–]wizzwizz4 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

This is the ideal approach in theory. In practice, though, mental health issues decline over time, and it's pretty difficult to treat successful suicide.