Quote:
Originally posted by Sleepyjack
i've stayed away from as many chemicals as possible, and find that music is a great as an anti-depresant. And i am glad that i have this medium which i can get so much out of.
its important to not become reliant on chemicals and take them moderatly. I've also heard from people that some yoga or other stress relief technique is very good for clearing the mind and becoming at peace with yourself, and generally happy. Also excercising is good way to release some natural chemicals in your system (i think they're endorphins, tho i dunno) and they do make you feel "good"
Never fill the void in your life with a product!
my adviece is to try to use more natural outlets on relieving the metaphorical pain that is life
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This is the kind of judgment I would pass on people on meds before I discovered that I "needed" them myself. For some people, these methods you describe work. However, for many others there is an actual chemical imbalance in the brain that is too severe to be dealt with with yoga and music. Much of depression and anxiety are cognitive and so can be dealt with through therapy or spiritual methods; however, for some people the therapy or yoga or whatever are simply not effective if you've passed some critical point, and you need the drugs to "reset" your brain chemistry to the point where you can function and get back on track. Exercise plus therapy has been shown to be as effective as SSRIs alone for people with MILD depression; however, for people with severe depression, chemicals are often the only option. I know you didn't intend it this way, but your statement simply makes people who have chosen medications to treat depression feel worse - there's already this horrible feeling of being out of control of your own thoughts and emotions, and to have someone say "if only you tried harder to control things through yoga and music you wouldn't need the drugs"....well, you might as well tack on "you losers" to the end of the sentence. Do you think we don't TRY those things first? Do you think we say "oh goodie, I'm clinical now, I can have drugs!!!" Drugs are often the course of last resort for people who have tried everything else. This is not simply a case of the "blah's" that we are treating, turning to drugs because we can't deal with life. This is an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and worthlessness and panic that persists despite the fact that we know better! So don't be so quick to judge us.