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emily4040 said:
I think the term "biological base" is being used differently by Genevieve and Ben. Genevieve, I think, means chemically based - if your depression is caused solely by your brains processing of neurotransmitters. I think Ben means issues like a poorly functioning thyroid.

So Genevieve says those folks SHOULD use meds for relief since their brain needs help, and Ben's book is saying that is the wrong move for them since they need to fix the medical cause first. Both are true.

IMO if someone is depressed, they need to see an MD to look for biological causes first. I think people should then see a psychologist for a good assessment....and stick to just therapy for about 3 months. THEN if the depression hasn't abated - get thee to a psychiatrist. And if you've been depressed for a long time, even after meds have helped some, you may still need therapy. CBT can really help change those long-engrained patterns of negative thinking....imo.

emmy

I hope that makes sense.

emmy

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LOL! It more than makes sense -- it expresses it concisely and clearly.

I told a psychiatrist once that I didn't think it was asking too much to get nearly the same standard of care that i demanded from vets! That went over better than one might have expected, too. For an animal who looks "depressed" or shows any weird behaviors, the first thing you do is to check for any physical causes. You never start out with behavioral strategies, because you don't want to punish physical discomfort. Same should be true for humans, no?

Then again, it's a lot harder to get into vet school than medical school...