tipcat wrote:Whatever works. I applaud your ability to separate out your own subjective experience from that which is objectively necessary.

Thanks. At the suggestion of my therapist who I was seeing at the time, I read a book about depression that really seemed to help me to understand what the hell was going on. It's a long read, and it's not a self-help guide by any means. Well worth the time. (I might also mention that this book was a 2002 Pulitzer Prize finalist and a National Book Award winner. If you want to understand depression, this is an excellent choice.)

"The Noonday Demon - An Atlas of Depression" By Andrew Solomon

Amazon.com link

As for running, I have finished two 13.1 mile half-marathons in the last two years. This year I did it in 1 hour, 56 minutes. That's my Prozac.

Rick Reuben wrote: I would estimate that, at minimum, 20% of the people on antidepressants should not be. This is based on common sense- genuine chemically-related depression cannot possibly be accelerating in the population at the same rate that prescriptions for these drugs are.

I have suggested that, among this 20%, are people who are lazy failures, who, rather than draw from their own abilities to repair their lives, resort to peace of mind through chemistry.

Everyone who thinks that 100% of the people on these drugs should be on them is a moron.

Everyone who thinks that less than 100% of the people on these drugs should be, but is unwilling to describe who these people might be or how they got into their predicament, is a coward.

And you, lacking medical knowledge, are absolutely unqualified to make statements like these, percentages and all. They are redolent of the prejudice to which I referred. Especially the one about "lazy failures." The cant and ignorance that goes into saying this boggles the mind.

tipcat wrote:You're a joke. Tell me if AD's are overprescribed, and if they are, who are the patients taking drugs when they shouldn't.

I'm a joke? You're the fucking joke with your conspiracy bullshit (yes! bullshit!) and apparent imperviousness to reason. Your posts are laughable exercises in futility. Perhaps the same applies to the attempts of myself and others here to rebut your feeble words. Therefore, this is the very last time I will ever respond to you.

Rick Reuben wrote:

happyandbored wrote: I don't however, *know* whether these drugs are overprescribed.

I'm not asking you to tell me that you *know* they are overprescribed. I'm asking you for an opinion. You refuse to agree with the obvious inference to be drawn from the skyrocketing sales of these drugs ( that they are overprescribed ), because you know that once you do, the next step is to offer an opinion on which types of people resort to these drugs unnecessarily.

Wow, those are extraoridinary psychic powers you have there Bobrick.

I don't see why I should have an opinion on the possible over-prescription of anti-depressants anymore than I should have an opinion on the possible over-prescription of paracetemol.

If you think that prescription numbers give any indication as to whether a drug is over-prescribed then you are a fucking idiot with about as much grasp of logic as a pair of dowsing rods.

Rick Reuben wrote:If you refuse to offer an opinion on whether they are overprescribed, then I'll ask you to stop criticizing my opinion that some folks ( who I have described ) are using them when they could be making more progress on their own, with better effort.

Did you read my previous post? You know, the one about wanting to withdraw from the debate.

Rick Reuben wrote:If you are so paranoid about 'offending' a drug user that you can't even debate the possibility that there are those without depression on AD's, then stand aside so people who are not straitjacketed by political correctness can have the discussion.

But I wasn't debating that with you. It's you who has decided that this is what you want to debate with me. I was criticising your insensitivity. I showed you some alternative ways of looking at the whole over-prescription argument, yes, but merely to try and get you to see things from a different angle.

I have offered my opinions multiple times. I have explained why I do not hold an opinion on over-prescription. You are obviously more concerned with trying to get me to say what *you want me to say*, than understanding what I have said.

This is the third time I've attempted to remove myself from the conversation. I asked you to kindly not involve me in any further postings and you have, by responding yet again with exactly the same criticisms you have been repeating ad nauseum.

If you cannot make your points compassionately on such a sesitive issue then I sugest that perhaps you are a judgmental, arrogant, ignorant, insensitive, pathetic little cunt.

You are quite possibly the most stupid person I have ever had a conversation with, both online and in real life.

I am done here.

[Arggggggghhhhhhhhhhh, no just fuck off will you? I've removed my initial post because I said I was done here.]

Anti-depressants by the way are not crap, if you think otherwise try reading these articles:

http://www.ahrp.org/AHRPinNews/LATimes020305.php
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41605.php

Now please stop quoting me and move on to someone else.

Bennett Williams wrote:"The Noonday Demon - An Atlas of Depression" By Andrew Solomon

Amazon .com link

Ooooh--thanks for this! Adding it to my only-existing-in-my-head book list.

Bobrick wrote: Handguns in the wrong hands are very crap. You probably can admit that.

Admit? You're still in the frame of mind that this is a game of poker aren't you? Jeez...

Of course they are, but it's illogical to suggest that that makes handguns crap. What makes them crap is the fact that they are designed to kill (do bad thing) and they do it really well.

Likewise, what makes anti-depressants not-crap is that they are designed to treat depression (do good thing). As the first link especially indicates, it seems fairly plausible that they do.

Whether they are misused has no relevance to the question.

Now Bobrick, please fuck off and leave me alone.

[Double post]

[Meh.]

happyandbored wrote:[Meh.]

It's OK. They're just "opinions."

happy and bored does not make any sense.