ARWSF -“One of the reasons they over prescribe everybody is that they are making profit from the drug companies. Zoloft and others pay out to psychiatrists for writing the prescription. Its off record, but its done.”
They don’t over prescribe. In all fields there are practioners who aren’t on the up & up, but most medical prof. are Not like this. So don’t characterize us all on the actions of a few!
“These brought me before a well known psychiatrist in the community recently who deals with Perinatal and Post Partum depression. What was her conclusion? That I need Zoloft.”
Why is this a Chiddush to you?
“My point is that before people accept a report from a psychiatrist or a family doctor that ok you have depression- take this med…they should first try using natural methods such as Cognitive Behavioral THerapy.”
This point is already well known. Most people whom go to their family doctor or on their own feel like they are suffering from anxiety and/or depression FIRST make an appt. with a counselor, either a MSW or a psychologist. Usually it’s the therapist whom recommends drugs if they feel the patient will benefit from them and then they are given a referral to a psychiatrist. Most people have the shrink originally prescribe and then go to their GP for refills because Shrink appts. are costly. CBT is a type of therapy that is practiced by these prof.
“Oh, and when I contacted the psychiatrist and told her listen I need to get off this for the above reasons, she told me that electrical painful shocks or brain zapping is not a reason to go off the med.
I was thiking sure it is, because I may one day want to stop taking it and then I`ll suffer from this, no? OR be trapped on it.”
The Doc is right. All drugs have side effects. In this case the drug also has withdrawl effects. In medicine the principle is to weigh the benefit vs. the risk. The drug is given when the benefit outweighs the risk. This is what your Doc feels in your case. Just because some drugs have side effects and/or withdrawl effects, most people won’t experience any of these. It is foolish to think that I’ll be from the minority!