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Popping Pills Popularity
No one ever said that dealing with depression was easy. For years, experts have advocated a balance between therapy and medications. Using both of these treatment options together address the nurture (social cues) and nature (biological) components of depression. But thanks to our wonderful healthcare system, medications are dominating the depression treatment scene.
According to a report in Archives of General Psychiatry, the percentage of patients who received psychotherapy fell to 28.9% in 2004-2005, which is down from 44.4% in 1996-1997. Researchers say that one reason people and doctors are turning to medications more is because insurance companies are generally more willing to offer reimbursement for medications rather than psychotherapy.
Yes, medication is a wonderful tool for depression treatment, but is often only half of the equation. It’s hard to imagine someone with severe depression not being able to use therapy as an outlet for their feelings when it's been proven effective in numerous studies, especially when combined with meds.
If you’re dealing with depression, do you use medications and therapy? Has money been a large factor for why you haven’t used therapy? Are we, as a nation, too quick to pop pills as a means of solving our problems? Share your opinions! [The Los Angeles Times]
I was shocked when my psychiatrist told me that "if" an antidepressant worked for me, I would be lucky to feel 50% better... and then to be told that if left untreated, depression gets worse...(this after 3 years of trying to find a new antidepressant to work)...and then told that I would have to acclimate to the side effects for the first couple of weeks...(which leave me unable to work, function...only to find out after the two weeks wasted time that the drug is not for me...) It can be expensive to get a month Rx and then throw it out when you find out it is not tolerated...and it would be great to get a list of "ifs" (ie: If it gets "this bad" after "X number: of days...stop using it because it won't get better...)instead of taking a couple of weeks to try something that makes you miserable only to prove to your doctor that you can follow instructions (sure is sad when your Doc fires you as a patient because he gives up on treatment options)