Socialized Health Care in the USA

[--Pete]

Hi,

Before we get on the shrink-visits-are-fluff bandwagon, . . .

While there is a need for mental care, shrink-visits (by many names) are one of the most abused medical benefits. Over the years, I've seen that benefit reduced and finally dropped from company provided health insurance. We've all got problems, and most of us feel better by venting them. The line between normal frustration, irritation, and anger and a 'true' mental condition is fuzzy -- and it is to the advantage of the mental health providers to move that line as close to 'normal' as possible.

. . . what about in the case of, say, diagnosing clinical depression? Believe it or not, but no amount of positive thinking will help you out of it - and left untreated, depression is a great way to cripple yourself - and be miserable-to-suicidal while you're at it.

Yes, all that is very true. There are objective symptoms of depression, such as fatigue, excessive sleeping, short temper, and others. However, it takes a trained and impartial practitioner to distinguish between true depression and a general dissatisfaction with life. Much like the case with antibiotics, which were (and, AFAIK, still are) prescribed for colds and other viral conditions at the requests of patients, anti-depressants are all too often prescribed as 'happy pills'.

While every other kid being diagnosed with ADHD may be bogus, mental illness is a very serious concern in adults. In the two years that I've known my girlfriend, she's been slowly recovering from depression, and it would break my heart to see her when she was out of pills, or missed taking one, or would, for no reason, have a relapse. And she was not as badly off as some other people.

Yes. And in some cases, depression can be a side effect of other drugs or combination of drugs. Believe me, I know.

--Pete