Do mental health drugs work?!
Question: I have known for a while that I am not mentally stable. People have asked if I am bipolar before and I have just heard so much bad stuff about prozac and other drugs that I never really looked into it. But I recently had some surgery on my arm and was given hydrocodone for pain and it really helped balance out my moods. I always thought I would just get through my mood swings or whatever, but on this drug I had no moodiness. I know hydrocodone is a pain killer and not for moods and such but does anyone know if there is a drug for moods that is like that in which I could talk to my doctor about.
and would I have to see a specialist or just my regular family doctor. Please, anyone who has some experience with these types of drugs, I could really use the advice. I'm a little embarrassed to just go talk to my doc about it. Thanks
Answers: I have known for a while that I am not mentally stable. People have asked if I am bipolar before and I have just heard so much bad stuff about prozac and other drugs that I never really looked into it. But I recently had some surgery on my arm and was given hydrocodone for pain and it really helped balance out my moods. I always thought I would just get through my mood swings or whatever, but on this drug I had no moodiness. I know hydrocodone is a pain killer and not for moods and such but does anyone know if there is a drug for moods that is like that in which I could talk to my doctor about.
and would I have to see a specialist or just my regular family doctor. Please, anyone who has some experience with these types of drugs, I could really use the advice. I'm a little embarrassed to just go talk to my doc about it. Thanks
Mental health drugs, more properly psychotropic drugs, can at best mask the symptoms of the problem. They do not cure the mental illness, they do not prevent disorders. They alter the mind in dangerous and unproven ways, which can make the person THINK they feel better. They are not actually better--it is like alcohol making a person think they can drive better than while sober. It is simply not true.
I want to make a comment on a statement that was made by an answer above me--Serena said, "Of course medication works, if it didn't nobody would be making money off of it." This is false and a very irresponsible statement:
Psychiatrists for years (decades, actually) have been making money off of techniques that were later proven to be ineffectual, actually harming the patients they were supposed to cure. Bloodletting, near drowning, lobotomies, electroshock--all originated with psychiatry, all were hailed as miracle "cures", all were founded on nothing more than hokey theory without even any observational data to back it up.
Psychiatric drugs and the chemical imbalance hoax are no change from psychiatric tradition. This should be quite apparent to any educated observer; where, for instance, are the chemical tests showing that patient X has a chemical imbalance in need of "balancing"? If the true causes of psychiatric disorders were known, there would be cures. Psychiatrists freely admit that they do NOT know the causes for any mental illness, and that their diagnoses cannot be verified by any scientific means.
The reason I address Serena's statement is because, in fact, the opposite is true--the only reason those drugs are still on the market is because Big Pharma and the psychiatrists are making a hefty profit off of them; it has nothing to do with whether they work, which they don't.
Unfortunately, the psychiatric drugs that are prescribed to little kids as if they were candy are not only ineffective, they are damaging. ALL of the school shootings (and mall shootings) that have captured so much media recently are the direct result of so-called "mental health" drugs. ALL of the shooters have been on psychiatric drugs.
So no, the answer to your question is unfortunately, the psychiatrists have just as little idea of the true causes of mood swings as the man on the street--possibly less.
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These are not empty words, they are very true, and proven out with the smallest amount of research. If this is the first time you've heard such a thing about psychiatry, remember this. You will see more of it as time goes on, and as psychiatry is uncovered the outrage will grow. I'm sorry for my political incorrectness, but it just happens to be true, so I'll say it.
For your sake, I hope you read ALL of the side effects before you prematurely take a drug. The effects can ruin your life.
yes,but try not to get dependant on them
lets hope so
Sometimes, every drug affects people differently, and is iffy.
don't be embarrassed. you wouldn't be embarrassed if you got diabetes and had to take medication, would you?
you should see a psychologist, who will refer to to a psychiatrist. the psychiatrist will prescribe you medication.
and yes, it is very effective and helps lots of people live happier lives. myself included.
They do work.
Drugs commonly classed as mood stabilizers include:
Lithium carbonate