WHEN WILL PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR SOME TO BE MEDICATED FOR DEPRESSION?

Several decades have gone by since treatment for depression was no longer believed to be treatable by psychotherapy alone.  Research made it clear that a combination of medication and either psychotherapy or behavioral therapy was the most effective treatment.  Clinical depression is on a spectrum of intensity.  Given the number of neurotransmitters humans have, as well as hormones, endocrines, and other balances effecting our moods, treatment is still not a simple matter.

Any licensed physician can prescribe psychotropic drugs but, unless they have been well trained and are current, they can do more damage than good.  The patient is always the one at risk.  Many areas have no one sufficiently trained to treat properly.  When medication doesn't work, some have prescribed raising the dosage.  A medication has a 'window ' of effectiveness. More is not at all necessarily better.  More, in fact can be toxic and make a patient worse.

Each year medications are being improved and their targets more refined.  Yet, the treatment of Affective Disorders (uncontrollable mood changes), particularly the Bipolars, requires great medical skill.  Our society nis still in the dark ages holding onto the belief that people should be strong and solve their own 'problems'.  Patients still express fears that admitting to psychotropic prescriptions will damage their trustworthiness, employability, and will be seen as 'mental'. 

The current state of mental health is described in a Harvard Medical School article in its Family Guide. When the entire population can understand both the disorders as well as the treatment, people will be more comfortable talking about their diagnosis, symptoms and treatment so that it will help others.  The course of bipolar disorder is not a straight line, usually.  There are peaks and valleys which we call 'episodes'.  No one can predict how long anyone's episode may last.  We only know that a depressive episode is stressful and the stress hormone, cortisol, is toxic to the brain over the years sometimes shortening one's life

Research now correlates chronically elevated levels of cortisol with blood sugar problems, fat accumulation, compromised immune function, exhaustion, bone loss, and even heart disease. Memory loss has also been associated with high cortisol levels. Continual stress can indeed have a negative impact on your health.  To learn more about the impact of high stress levels of cortisol for prolonged periods, click here. .

Hard work harms people far less than worry and continued stress.  All those lovely little messages about stopping and smelling the coffee, taking time out to smell the roses and many more suggestions to lower stress may not work as a panacea for all but the thought is in the right direction.  Calm down!