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Flare
And no I’m not talking about the Monkey Wedding in India. Although, seriously?! 3,000 people showing up?! That’s a hell of a lot of sugared almonds…
Or even the story about German police dogs being trained to wear shoes so that they don’t damage their feet on broken glass.
Neither is about our Government’s announcement that instead of one big ’super-casino’ in Manchester there will be 16 smaller ones dotted around the country… but not in Manchester at all. Yes, people are pissed.
Nope, the news I’m talking about is this.
Apparently, according to a new study, there is no point in taking medication if you are mildly depressed. You may as well just take a placebo for all the good it’ll do you. This plus other stupid and sensationalist bollocks was on the front cover of the Guardian (as above) and The Times – the freakin’ Times! Now I am very VERY sceptical about this study as it comes shortly before our government (well known for getting things laughably wrong) announces plans to treat people with depression with pretty much anything but drugs.
As someone who attributes the only reason she is still around to the medication she took in the past this winds me up. Yes, I’m all for sorting your problems out and alternatives to drugs (and, yes, I am probably reacting before I think but there again I am quite tired) but as there is currently an average 12 week wait for psycho-therapy on the NHS – what are you supposed to do until then? I was lucky – the drug I was on wiped me out so bad that I didn’t have the energy to do anything ’stupid’, and even though the thoughts were running through my head I just didn’t care enough… Prozac. Nope. Just made me feel sick. Numb… but sick.
But numb was good. Numb made me detach from all the insanity out there and gave me the emotional rest I needed before I ‘coped’ and ‘processed’. Had I still had the energy who knows what I would have done?
You see? This is why I need to blog earlier in the day. i had it all in my head and now… Just fuzzy cotton wool nonsense. For a much better post about depression and anti-depressants go see Miss Britt. I needs my sleep now!
10 Responses to “The News has Jumped the Shark”
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February 27th, 2008 at 12:50 am
What’s truly sad is how much coverpage space they take up with that graphic. Slow news day in London apparently.
kapgar’s last blog post..Don’t let the sun go down on me…
February 27th, 2008 at 1:54 am
Oh for FUCK’S SAKE!
Just what people need. Another layer of doubt and stigma to keep them away from a fucking doctor to get HELP.
“Yeah, you’re right, it’s all in your head. The gov’t says ’snap out of it’”.
ARGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about irresponsible fucking reporting.
Miss Britt’s last blog post..The Rest Of The Centerfold Story
February 27th, 2008 at 2:01 am
Let’s be clear about what the claim is here. The claim is not that people who take anti-depressants don’t get better. It is that people on anti-depressants do get better but people on placebos also get better.
As for the ‘papers you mention; the Times is part of the Murdoch press, and the less said about the Guardian the better!
February 27th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
There was a huge segment on the Beeb news last night about this too. I agree with yorksdevil – that was how I interpreted the story but I also totally agree with Britt that this is just another way to make people doubt treatment. Despite the disclaimers that people currently taking medication shouldn’t just quit, we all know that plenty will, and thus undo all the good work they and their doctors put in.
)
Scuse the waffly comment but there was a lot to say
Penelope’s last blog post..Check Mate
February 27th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
I’m irritated for the same reason Britt is….we’d finally got to a point where there is little stigma associated with having depression because people were open about it and it was finally understood.
This is going to set us back 20 years.
Hilly’s last blog post..Today I Rest On My Laurels While Eating Pink Cupcakes…
February 27th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Hope you came through the earthquake okay. Bricks falling on one’s head can give a different perspective on depression.
February 27th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
This was the very definition of irresponsible journalism. It’s my view that the drugs do work in may people’s case. Although it’s true they don’t work for some.
At the end of the day this is just one study.
As for the governments new plans to emphasize talking therapy. I applaud it, but if they want it to work they are going to have to pump a lot more resources intot he mental health system.
Dan’s last blog post..When earthquakes attack
February 27th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
kapgar – Yep, yesterday was a slow news day – today Britain (over)reacts to something new
Miss Britt – You are right in your screaming. I’m normally all for research but I really don’t think the guys who did this one considered what effect their conclusions would have on the people taking the medication. It’s not even like they are using new data – I think I’m right in saying it’s from the drug trials? I honestly give up… it just pisses me off.
yorksdevil – You make a good point in summarising their findings. But lets just take a moment and examine this. If I was to tell you that the drug you are taking is going to make you feel better – you feel better, yes? Many tests and studies have shown that placebos work… so in a way it does not matter if you get the drug or the placebo. Now, because of all the press that this particular study has gotten thousands upon thousands of anti-depressant takers are going to be believing a little less in the drug they are taking. This means that they won’t feel the same as before – that the drug will have less effect. I think the point I was trying to make was less about the study’s conclusions and more about the negative effect it will have on those who are taking the drugs mentioned in it.
Penelope – I imagine somebody somewhere will drag this story up again in a few months when there is a surge of people going to the doctors demanding alternative therapies to treat their depression. And Gordon Brown will come up with another ’surprise’ policy then… AM coming over all political now – that’s not good!
Hilly – Exactly. It’s going to go back to the ‘it’s all in your mind, pull yourself together, you don’t need drugs as they don’t work anyway’ attitude. I just want to cry.
Quantumfog – Oh yes, more in today’s post… of course! Nice little linking comment coming back at you though – when it happened I thought I was losing my mind!
Dan – See this is what I did today. I read the transcript of today’s Prime Minister’s Question Time just to find out the level of investment for you. It comes to a total of £173million to employ 3600 more therapists… and they are “looking at piloting some of Lord Layard’s [the Government's expert who actually proposed employing 10,000 more therapists] proposals on how we can help people get into work…” so it looks like it may be a fix ‘em up and move ‘em on policy anyway… I look forward to reading the details…
I just want to say, while we’re on this subject how much I appreciate the work that you and your colleagues do… You deserve much more support than it appears the Government is willing to give,
Bec’s last blog post..The News has Jumped the Shark
March 3rd, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Ridiculously irresponsible article. Cannot believe people still have stigmas regarding medication. Get help if you need it. Drugs have saved my life.
Karl’s last blog post..Free Speech Only Goes So Far, Dickhead
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Karl – This government mostly has a stigma about paying for medication. You get war hungry tossbag – we get penny pinching dickwad… wanna swap?
Bec’s last blog post..A Family Day