And I said that meds reduce response to the stress, not actual levels of stress.

If I take a pill, or natural supplement, I may feel better. But the deadlines are still in existance, the wage still could be better, the war is still looming not so far from my place... It is there.

Over here we have cold recipes involving warm booze and it goes like "you are still sick, but you don't care anymore". That might be as well how many of the psychedrugs work. (that is until they stop working and leave you in the same situation as you were before).

To elimanate stress, one often has to eliminate stress. MI is being allergic to stress, lowers ability to handle it, but I don't believe it generates stress on its own without interactions with your environment (feel free to call my psychopath who doesn't understand MI, but that won't change my view, wink wink). Of course, you cannot eliminate all stress in your life, but lots of things you can change.

Psyche drugs are painkillers for the soul. They eliminate the response to hurt, the psychological pain... but they are not curing the cause.

As for brain damage... ADs certainly affect your brain and it takes long time to readjust. Much longer than doctors like to admit.