Every treatment has unintended side effects, but it's worth exploring whether the unintended side effects of psychotherapy leave one better off than purely targeting mental health with drugs.

Therapy has its problems -- I'm a frequent commenter on these boards about how therapist ineptitude hurt me.

But, I'm glad that psychotherapy exists as a discipline, and I believe it excels the best when it looks at a person's holistic health, favoring treating the mind-body-organism as a whole, rather than targeting specific problems with prescription drugs.

The value of psychotherapy is having a personal cheerleader and a listener and (for me) someone who understands how trauma affects the brain.

Further ....

(I AM NOT TRYING TO MINIMIZE ANYONE'S EXPERIENCE, MERELY SHARING MY OWN ....)

I was able to throw off deep, deep, suicidal depression without prescription medication. My solution was weekly psychotherapy, daily exercise, life-style changes to maximize sleep, acupuncture, and a naturopathic doctor who advised me to eat more protein and fats, such as butter.

Granted, it was a lot of work and took more than a year to accomplish, and three working professionals (psychotherapist, naturopath-doc, acupuncturist) but my brain functioning and peaceful attitude is the best it has ever been. No drugs, no big pharma.

In my view, psychotherapy has a place. It shouldn't be overstated but it shouldn't be so easily dismissed.