What is the morallity of  antidepressant usage since they create a
false sense of hapiness?

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 26 Apr 2003 18:47 PDT

This is a difficult question for many reasons. First, what is
"happiness"? Is is even possible for a sense of happiness to be false?
If you are happy...you are truly happy regardless of what caused it.

Secondly, your question assumes that antidepressants bring about "a
false sense of happiness" when in fact, in patients who actually need
the drugs, it restores their previous feeling of normalcy - not
happiness. While normalcy (enabled by the effects drug) may lead to
happiness in some cases, the drug in itself does not cause it nor does
it gaurantee it.

Finally, you might want to rephrase your question as to the morality
of those who use antidepressant drugs recreationally - those who do
not actually need them. Also, by "morality", a researcher must know
what moral yardstick you wish to use (reasonably prudent behavior, or
specific religious doctrine are a couple of common examples of the
types of morality). There are many different types of morality just as
there are many types of immorality. What might be acceptable in one
culture might not be acceptable in the other.

Regards;
Tutuzdad-ga

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Clarification of Question by archetype13a-ga on 26 Apr 2003 21:39 PDT

ok, I completly understand that this question needs clearification.
I'm trying to find information on different prespectives on the
morality of the use of anitdepressents. Are we treating the symptoms
of the problem and overlooking the problem, considering the rise in
number of people being prescribed these drugs?

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Clarification of Question by archetype13a-ga on 27 Apr 2003 20:54 PDT

my question does not pertain to the way the word "depression" is
defined in English. I understand exactly what depression is, there is
no need to cleafify. The information on depression does not relate to
my question. My question to clearify again: I'm trying to find out
various peoples philosophical perspectives on the the possible
overprescription of anitdepressents. Have any noteable doctors,
prefessors ect.. written on the subject? I'm looking for refrences to
opinions hence the philosophical perspective.

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Request for Question Clarification by techtor-ga on 27 Apr 2003 23:14 PDT

Would you accept links to articles about the overuse and/or abuse of
antidepressants? Of course antidepressants are not used only for
depressed patients... even people with Attention Deficit Disorder are
prescribed to use them.

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Clarification of Question by archetype13a-ga on 28 Apr 2003 10:40 PDT

Yes, I could use the information about abuse. I'm trying to find info
outside of the scientific field. More on the moral issue, not facts
opinions. If you come across an opinion on antidepressent use let me
know. thanks

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Request for Question Clarification by techtor-ga on 04 May 2003 08:16 PDT

Hello archetype,
I've done some research but I haven't come across general laymen's
discussions (like from educators, writers and clergy) on the morality
of antidepressant use. There are a few articles I've seen that discuss
antidepressants as merely a 'placebo' solution, and of one doctor who
believes that. Most opinions written down tend to come from scientists
and mental health professionals themselves. If that's not
satisfactory, I can look for more.

What is the "morality" of a diabetic using insuline to create a "false
sense" of a "normal" functioning pancreas?

As one who has taken antidepressant drugs, I believe this question is
based on a fallacious premise. Antidepressant drugs are not
euphoriants. Antidepressant drugs help to restore an abnormal balance
of neurotransmitters to relative normalcy. The metaphor used by
needsomeinfo-ga is an apt one: the use of antidepressants by a
depressed individual is very much like the use of insulin by a
diabetic individual. The metaphor may be extended by noting that both
a depressed person and a diabetic person may be in great danger of
dying if medication is not available.

The effect of a successful course of antidepressants is not a "high."
It is, rather, the "normal" state of mind that most people take for
granted.

"Are we treating the symptoms of the problem and overlooking the
problem"
No. I think your question arises from the way the word "depression" is
defined in English. It can be a medical condition, characterized by a
very definite set of behaviors/feelings/attitudes, or it can be used
to mean vague unhappiness. For example, somebody may say "I'm so
depressed because I failed my test." If the person who made that
statement were to be prescribed antidepressants, that would be
"overlooking the problem" as you say. In that case the correct
procedure would not be to administer drugs, but rather to give study
help for the test.

However, in clinical depression, the problem is not an external factor
such as failing a test, or losing a job, etc., but rather
physiolocigal. While it is not yet completely understood, it is
thought that antidepressants work by changing the brain chemistry, and
restoring the balance of certain chemicals. As pinkfreud pointed out,
they are not euphoriants. They can in no way be compared to illegal
drugs that serve the purpose of making a person "high".

"... considering the rise in number of people being prescribed these
drugs?"
Clinical depression is no longer a taboo subject. While many people
are still reluctant to discuss it with others, they recognize that
there are medications that can help them, and discuss the topic with
their doctors. The introduction of drug advertising in the media has
certainly played a part - the public is slowly becoming aware that
"being depressed" in the sense of unhappiness is not the same as
"clinical depression" and that there is help for the latter.

There are many excellent websites that explain clinical depression in
greater detail and outline some of the different drugs used to treat
it.

For more about depression see, for example, 
http://www.depression.org/
http://www.medicinenet.com/Depression/article.htm
http://depression.about.com/
http://antidepressants.co.uk/

For more information about antidepressants,
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/info/factsheets/pfacanti.htm
http://familydoctor.org/handouts/012.html

alex_p

This question is even more interesting when you consider that
antidepressants raise your levels of serotonin--and what few docs will
tell you is that raised serotonin is often a *bad* thing. Raised
serotonin is directly linked to depression, anger, and violence.
(Recall that the famous school shootings in the USA are all linked to
antidepressants.)

I was briefly on an antidepressant, and my husband was put on one for
years...and to me the real moral question is should we be putting
people on these drugs that cause such damage? Emotions aside, these
meds are also extremely hard on your organs, and when you do finally
stop taking them, you must do so very gradually. (Did you know that
most drug treatment centers won't accept people who are coming down
off antidepressants? It's because they can easily fly in wild fits of
anger and destruction.)

Add to this the fact that antidepressants are now prescribed for
everything from physical pain, to anxiety, to fatigue, to a weight
loss and anti-smoking aid, to...the list goes on and on.

To look into the dangers of Prosac and other antidepressants (all of
which are in the same class of drugs: of SSRIs), you might check out
these links, which are just the tip of the iceberg:

Prosac Backlash: http://www.mercola.com/2000/apr/9/prozac_backlash.htm

Prosac Truth: http://www.prozactruth.com/drtracy.htm

The Downside of Prosac:
http://www.harvard-magazine.com/archive/00mj/mj00.rn.home.html

Antidepressant facts:
http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/side-effects.htm