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Originally Posted by BlackDeuceCoupe
If you look at my last 'fuel log' entry, you'll see that I spent 4 hours, and a half tank of gas, talking a friend out of their 'depression'. I finally convinced him to figure out the source of his anger and go attack it/them, rather than himself.
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That's good that you were there for your friend.
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Turned out, after hours of talking - his family is driving him crazy - sucking him dry financially, emotionally, and physically. "Great", I said, "Go home and kick their blood-sucking parasite arses out! Or, at least be a man and yell at 'em!"
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It takes a while to drill-down to the root cause -- you got through on the first "session". Good work!
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Depression, so called, is simply anger directed toward yourself.
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Not always. There's often an anxiety component to it.
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Putting a 'depressed' person on meds usually just makes the situation worse - sometimes they kill LOTS of people!
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The key word error there is "usually". The proper term is "very rarely". Mostly, there's a caution in using anti-depressants in children or teens because of the paradoxical reaction and suicidal ideation. I work on the inside and deal with the real data on this stuff.
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Evaluate, medicate, evacuate - that's the mantra of the mental health system - and I think the OP is V smart to stay away from the pill pushers. You're better taking up amateur boxing, or something, and getting it out of your system, than trying to suppress inner anger, e.g. depression with meds...
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Again, I'm afraid this a sweeping generalization.
I will admit that anti-depressants are over-prescribed;
however, if the patient has a true depressive condition, either environmentally induced or genetically inherited, then meds can often help them live closer-to-normal lives.
The flaw in the system, is often the absence of "talk therapy" in tandem with a medication regimen. Like you found with your friend after a few hours, clinicians often take months to get to the root cause, talk it through, look at solutions, and report back to the Psychiatrist for med changes or discontinuation. Often it's just a Psych doc, 15-minutes, and out the door.
It's just what I've seen working in various parts of the health care system, including Psych.
RH77