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Comment by weakfish | Hacker News Reader

Well, good thing you don’t need to be convinced for other people to get help. Sheesh.

My partners life was literally changed by taking medication. Do you think that’s a bad thing?

I strongly doubt that ‘herbs’ are more effective than decades of scientific research. I presume that you’re hearing amphetamines and thinking of the extremes; as the parent said, the medical doses are far lower than that of recreational users.

Drinking coffee is a stimulant, and yet in moderation it’s not harmful to the used. Do you feel similarly about any sort of caffenation?

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Good thing I am not trying to stop anyone, nor arguing against there being some benefits to seeking treatment.

I've noticed this is mainly a US thing. If you all think it's great, there must be something to it. Like a big marketing campaign going back years. Nope, too wild! It's more probable I need a lecture on the benefits of being hooked on amphetamines in the name of mental health.

How long do you think such treatment can last? Have you checked? Do it for your partner. Do you honestly think using this stuff for decades does not come with major drawbacks?

"How long do you think such treatment can last? Have you checked? Do it for your partner. Do you honestly think using this stuff for decades does not come with major drawbacks?"

I know people who have been on ADHD medication for 30 years. I'm assuming the people I know aren't the only ones. So do you have any evidence that these treatments can't last, or are you just making things up?

Edit: Also one of them has a doctorate and it would have been impossible for him to obtain it without medication.

Not op but for me - and I think for many others - it's really a worthwhile tradeoff.

To say life with mental illness/disorders comes with its own major drawbacks is really an understatement. Amphetamines may well have harmful effects, but untreated mental illness/disorders can cause an incredible amount of damage, not just to the person affected but to those around them.

Many people, such as myself, seek treatment with medication after they've exhausted all other known options. There's only so long you can keep running on empty. I'm just happy to have something that works.

The issue is you keep using terminology like “being hooked on amphetamines” to degrade treatment like it’s crystal meth. You should understand that doesn’t sit well with people who have had their lives dramatically improved by treatment.

Again, does coffee sit in that same boat?

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