I'm sorry that you felt distressed to read my post. I certainly didn't mean to cause distress.

> If everyone with MI should be able to cure themselves, then shouldn't everyone with a physical illness be able to do so also?

I'm not going to answer that question because I think it is a false analogy (though indeed a tempting analogy that is encouraged by pharmaceutical companies, and indeed, an analogy that has been picked up on by many a consumer).

Here is a different analogy:

If you want to teach someone to cook a good curry then you need to alter their neurology in order to teach them.

Now... Is the best way to teach someone how to cook a good curry to give them psychosurgery (neurosurgery) or to give them medication (pharmacology) or to give them a few lessons in how to cook a good curry (environmental intervention / social skills training)?

Nobody is going to deny that in order to learn how to cook a good curry your neurology needs to change. The controversy is over the best way to get your neurology to change. Psychosurgery, pharmacology, environmental (social skills) training. That is the million dollar question, really.

Typically... We start with environmental (social skills) training as much as possible. How come? Because the side-effects of medication can be really quite serious (raised blood pressure, gained weight where obesity is close to an 'epidemic), sexual dysfunction, diabetes, worsening of depression, worsening of anxiety, death in some instances). Given the harmful side-effects of medications and given the fact that a lot of people simply don't seem to benefit significantly from them the issue becomes:

Have other methods been exhausted?

And so I repeat:

If you feel like your mood is bad and you are heading for a major depressive episode then:

Schedule your activities such that:

- You do something nice for yourself (to show you that you value yourself)
- You do something nice for others (so you feel a sense of meaningful connection to others)
- And where your sleep is disturbed tire yourself out (exercise stimulates edorphins which is a 'feel good' drug and it tires you).

Activity schedule for a couple days. MAKE youself do this. And then... After sticking to your activity schedule... Then see how you feel. If you feel better then CONGRADULATIONS you are in the majority of people in the world who feel jolly bad sometimes and have learned some strageties to successfully manage your emoitons (and that will help you considerably when you seek a lisence to practice as a mental health professional). If you try and do that and you successfully complete the activities and you still feel like %#@&#! in a few days... Then matters need to be reassessed. And that reassessment (in pinksoils case) will (or might) affect her lisence to practice as a mental health professional in the future.

So... WOrth trying? You bet.

You %#@&#! bet.