[curun1r]

> Which basically says that when we deplete the body of certain neurotransmitters, people get depressed

Your statement represents a logical fallacy. I can also prove that depleting a car of gasoline causes it not to run, but fixing the fuel situation won't make all non-running cars functional. Just look at the more recent research that shows a connection between our microbiome and mood disorders to see that depression is often far more complex than the simple neurotransmitter model favored by big pharma.

The causes of depression are varied and what works for some won't work for others. As someone else that lost a decade of my life to the numbness of anti-depressants, I've seen first-hand the psychiatric industry's strong preference for directing patients towards medication-based approaches. Taking medication was the worst mistake I've ever made in my life and I believe that more people need to hear messages like the one in this article. In particular, I very much wish that I, like the woman in the article, had started meditation much earlier as it has become, by far, the most effective thing I've done to deal with my depression.

[iliketosleep]

It does seems as though SSRIs shouldn't be used as first-line therapy. They are powerful drugs that alter brain chemistry in ways that aren't properly understood. There are a number of low-hanging fruit which can be tried first, such as increased exposure to sunlight, exercise, change in diet, meditation, CBT and so on. But if all of these fail, an SSRI is definitely worth trying - they do work for some people.

[curun1r]

This is exactly my view. I see medication as the nuclear option. It's important to have it in reserve, since it can work, but you should try everything else first because of how badly the medication route can go. The "first do no harm" doctrine is violated by taking a medication-first approach.

[DanBC]

Depression is a sometimes fatal illness, and advice like this causes real harm.

[tomnipotent]

> I see medication as the nuclear option. It's important to have it in reserve, since it can work, but you should try everything else first

For many people this isn't an option - medication is required to even get them to a stable enough baseline for other treatment options to be effective.

Views like this are very unhelpful and help to perpetuate shame, which can prevent people that need help from seeking it because the treatment doesn't line up with the views, morals, and general opinions of the people around them.

[curun1r]

> Views like this are very unhelpful and help to perpetuate shame

No, my view is a hard-earned perspective that I've gained through personally having the system fail me. I lost a decade of my life to the medication-first mentality and I resent your implication that trying to help others avoid the same outcome is in any way dangerous.

I do concede that drugs work for some people, but views like yours that lead to over-medication are what is truly dangerous. What we need is well-rounded advice that allows patients to make informed decisions about their road to recovery. Medication is one possible path, but it's not the only path and it's not without it's downsides. It can ruin lives just as much as it can save lives, and people need to know that. It permanently alters brain chemistry, so it's an irrevocable choice, unlike almost all other approaches.

[tomnipotent]

> I resent your implication that trying to help others avoid the same outcome is in any way dangerous.

I resent bad medical advice offered on a public forum. An absolute position in anything is always bad advice when the facts are not known. Parents let their children down, I'm not suddenly going to eschew all parenting because of it.

> What we need is well-rounded advice that allows patients to make informed decisions about their road to recovery. Medication is one possible path, but it's not the only path and it's not without it's downsides.

I think we're actually on the same page, then. Recovery is complicated and we all need to do our best supporting everyone in whatever unique journey leads to their recovery. Medication and therapy (along with family, meditation etc.) are all critical to the process and you don't always get the choice of one without the other. I'm sorry that medication and mental health professionals let you down.

I grew up a little differently than most. Drug-dealing parents, foster care, hoarding, crime & violence, and much worse. I escaped it during the late 90s because I learned to do things other people couldn't (build websites), but I brought my trauma with me as an adult until - as the VP of a start-up that raised over $300MM - lost my shit and then disappeared for 2 years on a "spiritual journey" that included seeing over three dozen mental health professionals.

If it hadn't been for a chance recreational encounter with MDMA the day before my dad died of a sudden heart attack (which precipitated me losing my shit), I would have withdrew into drugs & alcohol instead of seeking the help I needed. I'm especially glad I didn't listen to all the people around me that offered bad advice ("you're fine, look how successful you are") because they couldn't possibly have known the extent of my problems.

[Arbitrary4657]

Sorry about your martyrdom, but you're taking an absolute position yourself right now.

[subcosmos]

They saved my life after a decade of trying everything else.

[loceng]

Do you mind sharing what "everything else" you tried included?

[shoulderfake]

The entire medical profession is medication-first... my brother was diagnosed with MS and none of the many doctors he talked to mentioned ANYTHING regarding diet. Meanwhile as soon as you do your own research you find out that diet is your primary means of battling it. I was also diagnosed with depression few years ago, these fucking monkeys instantly gave me some ssris...I wasn't depressed. I had a sleep problem that wouldn't go away and had anxiety but they gave me those pills first and foremost. I didnt take that shit, but you get my point.

[jschwartzi]

What was insane was me being prescribed Paxil as a teenager by a family practice doc with no psychiatric experience or consult, without any therapy, and with only a 20-question questionnaire. What was even crazier was what happened when I quit it cold turkey several months later. The whole experience makes me very skeptical of anyone telling me medication can help me because of how awful my life became.

[danmaz74]

You really trust your data point of 1.

[dang]

Please don't be a jerk on HN.