Seems to me that taking anti-depressants is like playing Russian Roulette with your brain.
While i can't say that i have suffered any sort of severe depression i have had periods or hopelessness and despair which i have fortunately come out of.
From stories i have heard, including the above, and people i've known who have taken these drugs (one driven to suicide, another an emotionless zombie), if i did ever become afflicted with lasting depression i'd want to run the full gamut of alternatives, exercise, diet, meditation, natural vitamin therapy, anything that i at least knew could not make the condition worse than it already was.
I may not be in a position to relate to the reality of depression, but is it really worth pulling that trigger when you don't know if the chamber holds a bullet?

I'm just speaking generally and not to Rebekah, for whom I feel much sympathy, but it seems to me that anti-depressants are given to many people by GPs, who should never be given them in the first place. I believe that most GPs are not given adequate training or enough time to be able to sit down and really go through peoples symptoms very thoroughly over a period of time. It must be difficult to sort out what is depression from life circumstances, and what is a long term depression requiring more intervention. GPs must feel that if they don't prescribe what people expect (probably from reading, TV etc) than they could be accused of not offering help, and especially if people go on to commit suicide.

I went through all the self help Workshops, Hypnotherapy, taken St John's Wort, Fish Oils, minerals, vitamins, 12 Step Programs, you name it. Nothing helped, and I began to believe that my own body chemistry was the problem, especially with my family history.

I also suffer from severe migraine headaches, which run in my family and are brought on my some sort of adrenalin-like chemical (I believe). I know I will get a migraine 24 hours after I have been very excited or happy or very upset, more than usual. I also tried many other treatments to no effect. I eliminated various types of foods, took up Yoga, used herbal treatments, and tried meditating. Meditation helped somewhat, but my anxiety or excitement usually won out.

I'm not trying to persuade people to take medication, just saying, I needed it, and wasn't given it.

Hope all goes well with Rebekah.

This is a very important issue showing up the inadequacy of mental health care in Australia. GP's generally are no more qualified to prescribe mood altering drugs than your plumber is. Read Dr Lucire's articles on SSRI's, they are most illuminating: http://www.lucire.com.au/SSRIs_main.aspx
Many, including myself have been tortured by inapropriate prescibing and inadequate follow-up and the failure of medical staff to listen. The belief that new drugs have the answer to everything is so entrenched in the medical professions they fail to believe their own observations, trusting instead to inadequate and often faulty drug literature. Finding a genuine mental health professional that understands the need to listen and respect that each individual has the the right to determine what they pills swallow has virtually disapeared. Instead an arrogant disregard of a patient's rights is manifest in the teaching and belief systems in this country. The menatlly ill are regarded as obects to be medicated, if necessary by force of law, and their concerns to be disregarded in the paternalistic attitude that the 'professionals' know best. Few psychiatric professionals will take the time or even consider a patients need to negotiate what they take and when they take it, and the need to change mood altering chemicals to find the right balance for a patient. A radical shift in attitude and practice is long over due.

Congratulations Rebekah on your courage. It is a wonderful story of survival. I hope your book gives many courage to seek information, not only mentally ill patients.

There can be lots of discussion on the ethics of drug companies influencing the medical profession, but at the end of the day patients themselves need to take much more interest in and responsibility for their own treatment. Rebekah is an example of how persistence in wanting to understand pays off.

I've been in the Health profession for nearly 30years and I still marvel at how perfectly capable people who take responsibility for the maintenance for their car completely abrogate any responsibility when it comes to their own bodies.

Doctors are genuine in wanting to help their patients. Many of them are quite passionate about wanting to improve the quality of life for their patients, but it must come from their point of view and their understanding of your needs. This could never be the whole picture, unless the doctor is your identical twin.

How many of us want a quick fix and don't really want to know too much about the drugs we are prescribed, or God forbid, what they are actually for? Or even why we could have a symptom. Have a hot flush, there must be a pill. A headache, take a couple of Panadol.

Ask, question and seek information. Do not let yourself be fobbed off by technobabble or brushed off with a leaflet printed by the drug manufacturer. Ask about alternatives, and there ALWAYS are alternatives. Even if it is not proceeding with the treatment.You are the one who has to put very potent chemicals into your system. We are not talking food additives here or vitamins. It must make sense to you.

benroeb

What other OLO threads did you post this on?

And why this particular thread?

What relevance does it have to the discussion?

Why confront readers who for all you know could be suffering deep depression with your so-called "near-death experiences"?

What were you aiming to achieve?

I probably don't really want your answers, but I couldn't help feeling that some questions needed to be asked nonetheless.

I was the first post on this article, and I've followed the reaction closely. Many of the posts have criticised the medical profession, and the drugs its members prescribe.
In my original post I questioned whether one should go to a doctor at all with this kind of problem. Most contributors to this discussion assume that one should go to a doctor, and at the same time criticise the medical profession. Well - don't go to a doctor.
There are other well-trained and state registered professionals who do not prescribe drugs, which seem to be the problem. These professionals can be found by checking the local branch of the Australian Psychological Society or state Psychologists Registration Boards.