*BOOMCHAA!* said:
do you think the United States Federal government should substantially increase mental health care?
NOTE: These opinions are just that: opinions; and have not been evaluated by the FDA or any other organization. I am not a doctor or psychiatrist, and these opinions are my own. People should not alter their medication on this advice, nor put it out of their mind completely, without speaking to your doctor first. In reading this, you agree that this is merely my opinion, and that you indemnify me of any liability or libel of any kind. If you do not agree to these terms, do not read this further. Your further reading of this passage implies consent to this disclosure.
This is a complex issue to me.
First off, I have deep problems with the two most common types of antidepressants right now--SSRIs and Wellbutrin (bupropion). As the traditional medical world is finally discovering (silently), both of these drugs work by altering the reuptake systems of serotonin and dopamine, respectively--but not both at once. "Reuptake," though, is the key word. If you aren't producing enough of the chemical to start with, all the reuptake inhibiting in the world isn't going to do a damn thing, and there is a portion of the mentally ill who fall into this category. So what happens? These are the "helpless."
These drugs, however, are terribly flawed. An SSRI will boost free serotonin levels--but at the expense of the dopamine levels. What happens? This is where the withdrawal symptoms come from when people try and quit SSRIs cold turkey, because dopamine is the chemical that controls addictions. It shouldn't be a shocker to anyone that Zyban, the anti-smoking prescription, is Wellbutrin repackaged under a different name to make it look like it isn't an antidepressant. I'm flat out shocked that the FDA is allowing this deception.
But what about Wellbutrin? It boosts dopamine at the expense of serotonin, and, since dopamine is the anti-addictive neurotransmitter, there are generally few withdrawal symptoms with this drug. However, for those on Wellbutrin for a while, a lack of serotonin will make you jittery and high strung, with the potential for muscle spasms and, yes, seizures. Hence why Wellbutrin effectively scared some doctors from prescribing it for patients, who may, in fact, need it.
In general, I think these drugs are overprescribed and dangerous. These are no different, to me, than the amphetamines of the 1970s that were also, supposedly, "safe" at the time, but were later made illegal.
But are there any alternatives? In all actuality, yes, there are. There are chemical compounds from natural sources that can do exactly what these drugs do, but better, faster, and with few to no side effects. But why aren't these being prescribed? Well, they are, somewhat, but not in the U.S. Germany, for instance, first prescribes St. John's Wort in over 90% of depression cases; Prozac only about 6% of the time. Compare that to the U.S., where Prozac is the leading prescription. What is different? The pharmaceutical industries, in essence, are little more than corporate drug pushers. If a pharmaceutical salesman is successful with a doctor, that doctor will suddenly prescribe that drug more often. Also, most HMOs also have a "preferred" antidepressant, negotiated with whatever pharmaceutical company that gives them the best price. One year, the "preferred" may be Prozac. The next, Paxil. The year afterwards, Celexa. You never know.
At the same time, however, there are people who truly do need and have successful treatment with these drugs, but the high failure rates and overprescription of these drugs cannot be ignored. We are a stressed out society that eats too much (and when it does eat, eats too many sugars) and exercises little. Don't you think this isn't going to affect your brain sooner or later? But rather than fix this problem, we just pop more pills.
What we need is not necessarily more money in mental health, but a whole new health care system.
Melon
I've always thought he was kind of attractive in your avatar, though. 
that was their first single. their second was "careless memories," released in april 1981. i like it because the b-side is "khanada." 
