Comments: Anti-Depressant Backlash Fuels Alternatives
"Using herbal supplements with conventional medicine can be dangerous, psychiatrists say. 'There are always snake oil salesmen,' says Carolyn Rabinowitz, president of the American Psychiatric Association."
Is Ms. Rabinowitz referring to alternative treatment providers or psychiatrists here?
Posted by Francesca Allan at July 13, 2007 03:20 PM
It is not a backlash against SSRI's, as much as it is people finding something else that works for them, after [possibly]feeling worse on the medication. Speaking from experience, the months I suffered on Prozac were so bad that I sought immediate relief from the drug--meaning removal. Many people, in the quest to feel better also take on other therapies as an "add-on" to the SSRI, feel better and end up tapering off of the SSRI and leaving the therapies in place--lifestyle changes, exercise, meditation, etc. Then in the end the patient often wonders why they went on the medication in the first place sometimes not realizing the life style changes could have helped first. If PCP's stopped writing antidepressant scripts and started giving coupons for 1 month Yoga classes and therapeutic massages--I bet those patients wouldn't be back asking for a drug.
Posted by Stephany at July 13, 2007 03:57 PM