[NoZebra120vClip]

No statistics are actually cited for the "mounting evidence" but the 15% is cited to a "single study" -- so is 85% overprescribed by definition, if they're not helping?

FYI, psychiatrists don't (can't) really check to see whether the drugs are "helping". As long as you're staying out of the hospital, not going fucking nuts in their face, and you're not screaming about ten side effects, they'll keep you on all the ineffective drugs you can afford. (n.b. be careful about mentioning side effects; that's a good way to get bonus drugs.)

Your aspirin analogy is perspicacious. I often struggle with use of pain relievers, because how can I know that they've relieved any pain, or my pain just subsided somewhat coincidentally? I was in ER for kidney stones, for example, and the pain was excruciating and I vomited and writhed around, so they gave me an IV dose of "NSAIDs on CRACK!" as the nurse so aptly and professionally described it. Within 10 minutes my pain was receding rapidly. I had no lingering complaints, long after it would've worn off. So, correlation or causation?

Conversely, I've never perceived even the slightest relief from OTC pain meds, and I've run the gamut. Experimenting with Bali Red Kratom this year.

[hoagsobject]

> No statistics are actually cited for the "mounting evidence" but the 15% is cited to a "single study" -- so is 85% overprescribed by definition, if they're not helping?

I don't know, but could be. Anecdotally all my friends were taking anti-depressants at some points for their life, including me. But not because they struggled with sever depression, but because of "stress" in life. I used to fallback to antidepressants when I had struggles at work, relationships, etc. Just go to a doctor and say you feel sad and not motivated, and you have a prescription.

I don't do it anymore. I think depression exists, but what I have had wasn't depression, and I could have resolved it without drugs with tons of side effects.

[NoZebra120vClip]

Right, fully understandable. My own situation? I recently decided to compare it to a stubbed toe that's been bothering me these 30 years.

30 years ago I discovered that I had stubbed my toe long ago. It really smarted and bugged me! I could barely walk so I started seeking care for it! Of course I was an extremely sick boy, with lots of latent ailments undiagnosed, but all anyone ever wanted to look at was that darned toe. How many times am I taking off my sock for some woman stranger?

I've incurred charges amounting to ~1/3 of a million dollars (that's a conservative and honest estimate, including 4 hospitalizations) on that "stubbed toe" issue. Not to minimize bipolar disorder, but it's defined as a "mood problem" so if you have mood swings or are moody then you have a mood problem. Mood is a mere symptom; an affect. On the scale and scope of issues bothering me, it is truly trivial and minor. Since 2008, I literally don't have mood swings. I sometimes get agitated and testy; I take strange irrational actions, but it is a normal sort of mood that would be considered natural in any undiagnosed person. Furthermore, I was formally diagnosed "IN REMISSION", via second opinion, about 3 years ago.

So the doctor denies my remission now, and insists that I still have a stubbed toe and insists that I must take drugs to avoid the hospital and dire consequences. Why, how, is stubbed-toe medication going to do that? Don't I need something stronger? You consistently detect serum levels as sub-therapeutic but you don't even bother to ramp up my dosages. Like, surgery or intensive PT or something??! Scheduled drugs, at least? It was literally only 5 years ago when I discovered how profoundly ill and messed-up I was. The doc says I literally have brain damage, and it's true. That stubbed toe really snowballed over 45+ years.

Of course I've sought manifold treatments and I've had mixed success, and I really believe that there is healing and recovery for these people who "stubbed their toe" and ran into so, so many problems afterwards. But today, 30 years on, I have bigger fish to fry; sorry doc but I'm off all of my meds.