Hacker News Reader

Comment by warfangle | Hacker News Reader

o/ heya.

I've been on psychiatrist-prescribed meds for a little over two years now. I've gotten a better job, my salary has increased by 52%, I live with less stress, I have a (mostly) tidy home, I am no longer dependent on alcohol, I care for a wonderful dog, I am cultivating healthy relationships and friendships, and I am more involved in my community.

I've also been seeing a cognitive-behavioral therapist for about three years to work through anxiety, depression, gender identity, and trauma from several childhood sexual assaults.

But maybe I don't count, because I'm not a 'guy' :) but I'm doing absolutely fucking amazing, thank you very much.

View on HN

and as soon as you go off the meds?

What does that have to do with anything? Some conditions are incurable, only treatable.

WTF does this mean?

If you go off your HIV meds you get AIDS and die. If you stay on your HIV meds you have a life expectancy is similar to someone who does not have the virus. (1)

Do you then conclude HIV meds are bad? Or HIV patients need to just suck it up?

(1) http://www.spectator.co.uk/2014/04/why-id-rather-have-hiv-th...

I think he is implying that if he went off the meds, his life wouldnt go to the can: that the effect can be explained by the placebo effect.

I've learned coping skills to help me deal with what I take the meds for - coping skills that I could not practice / get good at while I was not being treated. I'm not as good as I am when I'm on them, but I'm a whole lot better than I used to be. (How do I know? I take regular doctor-sanctioned drug holidays. Luckily the meds I take do not need to be tapered.)

But you don't really care about that. Or any valid piece of evidence that disputes your already-formed opinion.

I used to be really against psychiatry too. Had docs in high school that didn't ask the right questions. Got misdiagnosed. Spent my 20s a shambling (semi-functional, but shambling) mess.

I'm privileged that I'm able to afford my mental healthcare team (neither of them take insurance). I wish access to quality mental health professionals was more easy to obtain. It's a double edged sword- the practice has a hard time recruiting, and health insurance is often pretty terrible for it. So many people who would benefit from a mental health provider cannot / will not get it.

Your question only highlights your ignorance. For the vast majority of meds, they should be used in conjunction with therapy to resolve the underlying problem. The meds are not (always) a cure, but rather a treatment of symptoms to make the cure easier to achieve.

"You're nearsighted. You need glasses."

"But as soon as I take off the glasses...?"

There are more invasive procedures that directly fix nearsightedness. Of course, they're riskier than glasses.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com