Raven

Most psychotropic drugs...at least for the garden variety neurotic....were only supposed to be used as 'bandaids'. When the insurance companies cut down funding for 'talk therapy', every single general practitioner and psychiatrist started medicating for the long term.

There are diminishing returns from these drugs...but who can fight television 'magic bullet' commercials.....everyone wants the easy 'swallow a pill - feel fine' solution.....and now they've got it...except whatever is the causative factors for sustained depression is still there, leaking....

Attitude accounts for much and knowing oneself accounts for much more....checking one's emotional barometer on a daily basis is essential...and then creating solutions to combat the 'down'.

PR TOM --- I also detest and loathe the words 'he/she/it MADE me feel this way....', which is such bullshit..but we've become a society of blaming others and holding others accountable for our moods.

CD -- weather can create an 'affective behaviour'.....and I live in a state that is without sun many months of the year....highest suicide rate in the country....BUT...even with all the studies that support seasonal depression, one CAN paint a wall yellow, get some bright furniture, hang happy pictures of springtime....there ARE solutions..it's not the end of the world.

I also agree about the news. Turn off the television. Get off your computer. Take a walk. Take a ride. Listen to music. Go to the gym and tire yourself out. There are so many things we can do so as not to fall into the self perpetuating wallowing and whining lifestyle.....

There is no one who hasn't been thrown a curve ball, been blindsided..had tragedy....learning to deal with the unexpected or the worst possible scenario might take a lifetime, but, surely the answer is not in a bottle, not in long term drug therapy.....it's got to come from within. We are the only answers we have.

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