Gotta say something about this
Sep. 7th, 2011 12:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rebeccmeisterA friend posted an article out of the Guardian today about things that have been happening in the mental illness industry lately. It's a topic that can get me kind of worked up, because I've thought about it a lot (as a biopsychology major who studied psychopharmacology) and I know a number of people who have struggled and coped with different mental illnesses.
My experience with conducting psychopharmacology research led me to decide to pursue research in other fields, because as this article points out, psychopharmacology research is caught up in Big Pharma; throw prescription drugs at the problem; look for widespread "diseases" to "cure" with a prescription drug that will make money and make that pharmaceutical company look good on Wall Street.
The Guardian article points out some really important things at the end that often get overlooked: in many cases, alternative treatments work just as well, if not better, than prescription drugs. Yes, running to treat depression. Cognitive therapy, too, and group therapy sessions. I'm convinced that strong communities help as well. Plus, then a person has coping tools that don't require spending money on prescription drugs in a neverending cycle, drugs that often have side-effects that lead to more prescription drugs.
Don't get me wrong, here - there are certainly many people (many of whom are homeless or in jail) who will require a lifetime of treatment to cope with a mental illness. There are many people who also need short-term help to get out of a black hole they're trapped in. These individuals should not be stigmatized on account of their physical illness (there are physical and chemical bases to mental illnesses that can be reliably measured).
Anyway. Whenever things like this come up, I feel compelled to share my perspective.
My experience with conducting psychopharmacology research led me to decide to pursue research in other fields, because as this article points out, psychopharmacology research is caught up in Big Pharma; throw prescription drugs at the problem; look for widespread "diseases" to "cure" with a prescription drug that will make money and make that pharmaceutical company look good on Wall Street.
The Guardian article points out some really important things at the end that often get overlooked: in many cases, alternative treatments work just as well, if not better, than prescription drugs. Yes, running to treat depression. Cognitive therapy, too, and group therapy sessions. I'm convinced that strong communities help as well. Plus, then a person has coping tools that don't require spending money on prescription drugs in a neverending cycle, drugs that often have side-effects that lead to more prescription drugs.
Don't get me wrong, here - there are certainly many people (many of whom are homeless or in jail) who will require a lifetime of treatment to cope with a mental illness. There are many people who also need short-term help to get out of a black hole they're trapped in. These individuals should not be stigmatized on account of their physical illness (there are physical and chemical bases to mental illnesses that can be reliably measured).
Anyway. Whenever things like this come up, I feel compelled to share my perspective.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-10 06:19 am (UTC)