It is concerning to me that so many people struggle with anxiety and depression
There are many methods that claim to cure anxiety and depression, yet so many people out there continue to be afflicted with this terrible condition. I have read about a hundred different medications for anxiety/depression with people claiming results all over the map. My family has suggested that I go to a psychiatrist, but I have my doubts. Does anyone else see something wrong with how a psychiatrist can prescribe medications without performing any special tests on your brain? If you have a problem in any other part of your body, there is most likely some kind of test that is performed before medicine is prescribed. So why is the most important organ in your body neglected? Has anyone else noticed when you go to a health store/vitamin store there are a jillion things for your heart, skin, bones etc., but it is very hard to find natural remedies with good results for brain problems. Depression and anxiety are serious conditions and while I don't mean to imply that the medical community doesn't grasp that fact, there definitely needs to be a more aggressive search for a cure that works for everybody. Mankind has done some pretty amazing things throughout history and there has to be a way to really cure this condition.
Tigerman,
Yeah, I hear you on the psychiatrist stuff.
I agree that drugs are the "cure all" of many, and oftentimes I believe that some doctors would more readily prescribe drugs to someone than work with that person to find an alternative route to healing.
I think that it is more a systemic problem however; as I believe that Big Pharmaceutical has gotten much too big, so as to taint the very foundation of the Hippocratic Oath, which is to first, do no harm. Now, side effects, to me, are harm.
But, there are alot of things that can cause depression and/or anxiety. I suffer from hypothyroidism, and depression can occur with some. once your thyroid levels are properly brought back to norm with the help of medication, this usually goes away for most.
but like you said, there are simple blood tests that can be done to determine if someone is hypo- or hyper- thyroid.
one thing that i find really interesting, is how simple exercise, in medical studies, proves to be just as effective or more effective for treating anxiety and depression than prozac.
i took the exercise route and no drugs and am now (finally) reaching the end of anxiety after 7 months of gradual improvement.
i believe that one of the possible reasons why the medical community as a whole does not have better treatments for anxiety and depression than "take two of these and call me in the morning", is because the whole topic of study of each is relatively new. they have only in the past 10-20 years actually accepted them as legit issues.
when i was seeing my doctor at the start of my panic disorder this past march, i got the impression from everyone that i came in contact with (doctors, nurses, counselors, etc) that anxiety is something of a light issue, as if they were somehow smirking under their breath. and the almost pushing of drugs gave me the impression (when i was thinking negatively) that they were simply trying to silence me from voicing my concerns.
Another thing is that the brain is a highly complex, intrincately designed piece of our bodies. We use what, 10% of our capabilities? I think that our understanding of the functioning of the brain probably falls in that same percentage.
Most of all, I think that it is folly to count on man and science to solve all of our problems. Not knowing your background, having faith in God and his purpose for your life is much more important than any pill.
Yeah, I hear you on the psychiatrist stuff.
I agree that drugs are the "cure all" of many, and oftentimes I believe that some doctors would more readily prescribe drugs to someone than work with that person to find an alternative route to healing.
I think that it is more a systemic problem however; as I believe that Big Pharmaceutical has gotten much too big, so as to taint the very foundation of the Hippocratic Oath, which is to first, do no harm. Now, side effects, to me, are harm.
But, there are alot of things that can cause depression and/or anxiety. I suffer from hypothyroidism, and depression can occur with some. once your thyroid levels are properly brought back to norm with the help of medication, this usually goes away for most.
but like you said, there are simple blood tests that can be done to determine if someone is hypo- or hyper- thyroid.
one thing that i find really interesting, is how simple exercise, in medical studies, proves to be just as effective or more effective for treating anxiety and depression than prozac.
i took the exercise route and no drugs and am now (finally) reaching the end of anxiety after 7 months of gradual improvement.
i believe that one of the possible reasons why the medical community as a whole does not have better treatments for anxiety and depression than "take two of these and call me in the morning", is because the whole topic of study of each is relatively new. they have only in the past 10-20 years actually accepted them as legit issues.
when i was seeing my doctor at the start of my panic disorder this past march, i got the impression from everyone that i came in contact with (doctors, nurses, counselors, etc) that anxiety is something of a light issue, as if they were somehow smirking under their breath. and the almost pushing of drugs gave me the impression (when i was thinking negatively) that they were simply trying to silence me from voicing my concerns.
Another thing is that the brain is a highly complex, intrincately designed piece of our bodies. We use what, 10% of our capabilities? I think that our understanding of the functioning of the brain probably falls in that same percentage.
Most of all, I think that it is folly to count on man and science to solve all of our problems. Not knowing your background, having faith in God and his purpose for your life is much more important than any pill.
another thing too, tigerman...
...anxiety is really the "fight or flight" mechanism that for centuries, has helped man escape and/or deal with danger.
it is only in these modern times, that we find ourselves struggling with the most primitive of survival mechanisms.
to look at it in a positive light, anxiety is a good thing. in times long past, it most likely meant the difference between surviving a bout with a sabretooth tiger or getting eaten alive!
nowadays, there are no sabretooth tigers prowling the streets; only perceived ones in the way of unemployment, economic downturns, war and rumors of way, disease, natural disasters, etc.
the problem, is that man was never designed to stay in this agitated state of stress and anxiety for prolonged periods of time from the above criteria.
so, though i think that anxiety is a completely healthy and necessary emotion in our genetic makeup (and therefore not needed to be "cured"), modern man has a lifestyle that is simply unnatural.
...anxiety is really the "fight or flight" mechanism that for centuries, has helped man escape and/or deal with danger.
it is only in these modern times, that we find ourselves struggling with the most primitive of survival mechanisms.
to look at it in a positive light, anxiety is a good thing. in times long past, it most likely meant the difference between surviving a bout with a sabretooth tiger or getting eaten alive!
nowadays, there are no sabretooth tigers prowling the streets; only perceived ones in the way of unemployment, economic downturns, war and rumors of way, disease, natural disasters, etc.
the problem, is that man was never designed to stay in this agitated state of stress and anxiety for prolonged periods of time from the above criteria.
so, though i think that anxiety is a completely healthy and necessary emotion in our genetic makeup (and therefore not needed to be "cured"), modern man has a lifestyle that is simply unnatural.
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jasminemody
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:05 pm
Hi Tigerman. Yes, psychiatrists do prescribe medication, but they also try to help you with how you can deal with your problems in a better manner than before. I have been seeing my psychiatrist for over a year and she has been helping me with how to express my emotions in an acceptable, mature manner, rather than by anger or being belligerent. I used to always have to shout and fight with others to get what I wanted. The medicine helps you learn how to get into a NEW groove of things and hopefully when the time is right, you can ween yourself off of it. But by then, you have learned a new set of skills that you can continue and that will help you. But honestly, I have tried to reduce my medication for bipolar disorder, and it hasn't worked. And I heard Lucinda say in one of the tapes that disorders like bipolar and schizophrenia are the ones that you HAVE to take medication for. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
jasminemody, my comncern with psychiatrists is that they do not perform any tests on the brain. I went to Denver, CO last summer for a SPECHT scan. It is a specialized scan that shows the blood flowing through your brain in real time. Bi-Polar is a very real disorder, but it is overdiagnosed because most people never have their brains scanned and many psychiatrists never require their patients to have their brains scanned. It is my opinion that mental disorders are way overdiagnosed across the board and a lack of proper testing is a factor.
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jasminemody
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:05 pm
Hi Tigerman, tahnk you for looking at the disorder with another point of view. But, what excatly is a SPEC scan and what does it accomplish once you have received one? You said that the blood is not flowing properly in the brain, but then what? If they find that out, then what? Where do you ultimately go from there?
Going to Brain Matters in Colorado was one of the most helpful things I have done. I have lived with brain trauma since I was 3 years old. I am now 28. I have been to neurologists, had MRI's, Catscans, hyperbaric chamber, therapy, and now Lucinda's program. The SPECT scan is very similiar to another scan called a PET scan. You can find all the info you want on the internet. Brain Matters has a website. The scan is a starting point, not the final solution. They willl go over all recommended treatments with you about two weeks after your scans are complete. It is very eye opening because you will see what is happening in your brain. People with trauma, depression, anxiety, drug use, alchoholics all have changed their brain chemistry.