I have this ad showing up on my facebook page.



A fictitious drug called 'fixitol'!

I think that's the problem with the medication mindset that seems to pervade mental health services now. The drug will fix it all. No other effort necessary.

Medication is one tool in the toolbox, and it's not necessarily the best tool. For some people it's a necessary tool; for others it isn't.

In all fairness I see this same mindset with physical ailments too. One obvious example is type II diabetes. Diet and exercise can help reduce or eliminate the medications, but many, many, many people don't want to give up their sugar and take a walk every day. And doctors don't push those options for a variety of reasons. One reason is that so many people aren't interested in making lifestyles changes. I have a coworker who watched both of his parents die of type II diabetes. He's in the early stages himself. He comes right out and says, "Just give me the drugs. I'm not changing."

Another way diabetes and MI are the same: some people can get off the medication and some people find that no matter what changes they make, they need to have the meds as part of their wellness plan.