Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Against Depression, a Sugar Pill Is Hard to Beat
Washington Post ^ | May 7, 2002 | Shankar Vedantam

Posted on 05/07/2002 8:48:34 AM PDT by liberallarry

Edited on 09/03/2002 4:50:26 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 201-215 next last
Global warming and evolution are not the only areas where scientific evidence is misunderstood or overstated for political or commercial reasons - or simply because people are desperate. This world is HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
1 posted on 05/07/2002 8:48:35 AM PDT by liberallarry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: liberallarry
I know that I get a little crabby and depressed if I don't get my daily sugar fix.

Maybe they should replace sugar pills with Broccoli pills! ;-)

2 posted on 05/07/2002 8:54:50 AM PDT by the
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: liberallarry
It really is all in their head.
3 posted on 05/07/2002 9:02:57 AM PDT by sonserae
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: liberallarry
Against Depression, a Sugar Pill Is Hard to Beat

In the secular world my guess would be that you are right.

But, in the Born Again Washed in the Blood of the Lamb, Christian world, the Word of God and the word of God is all we need. And neither will rot our teeth.
Alas

4 posted on 05/07/2002 9:07:07 AM PDT by Alas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: liberallarry
It has been known for a long time that a certain percentage of people will feel better when given a placebo -- and that goes for any type of medicine, not just for anti-depressants. I've participated in blind clinical trials and I can assure you I know the difference between placebos and real anti-depressants. Thank heavens that at least some people are moving beyond the '50's mentality that people who are depressed just need to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and get over it!
5 posted on 05/07/2002 9:12:05 AM PDT by Amore
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Amore
Thank heavens that at least some people are moving beyond the '50's mentality that people who are depressed just need to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and get over it!

I prefer to beat them until they are smiling again.

6 posted on 05/07/2002 9:15:34 AM PDT by Lazamataz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: liberallarry
One thing I'm pretty sure of though, from my own experience, is that sugar consumption increases anxiety to a considerable degree. Since I quit drinking soda, eating sweets and starch (in other words, drastically reduced sugar in my diet) I've been amazed at how calm I've become relative to before.

I'm not sure what the relationship is between anxiety and depression, but I'm fairly sure that sugar is a player.

7 posted on 05/07/2002 9:17:58 AM PDT by Sam Cree
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: the
George Herbert Walker Bush wouldn't take them!
8 posted on 05/07/2002 9:18:36 AM PDT by DrDavid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: liberallarry
Re #1

One of the problems we have today is that the defintion of depression has become really broad. It got that way because the criteria for dianosing depression is not precisely defined. That is because we still have poor understanding of how human brain controls emotion. There was a lot of progress. But we just go out of the dark age. It does not help that complex system like human brain can be made to produce the same results using different means and approaches, either. That is the nature of complex system. There are many ways to get to the same objective. In this case, harnessing the innate mechanism of human preception (make them feel good), and medication can both work. However, some serious case would be difficult to be treated with feeling good alone. Their underlying biochemical or neurological problem cannot be reversed in this way.

9 posted on 05/07/2002 9:19:17 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alas
I bet you the word of God tells us to go easy on the sugar.
10 posted on 05/07/2002 9:21:00 AM PDT by Sam Cree
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Sam Cree
Sugar and anxiety, maybe. In anxiety, you are hyped up as people can get with sugar and/or caffeine. But sugar and depression, no. Depression mean you are down, way down. There's never going to be an easy answer. The human brain is quite complicated biologically.
11 posted on 05/07/2002 9:24:46 AM PDT by Amore
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Amore
So, are clinical depression and anxiety sort of opposites?
12 posted on 05/07/2002 9:36:11 AM PDT by Sam Cree
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: liberallarry
Like the majority of information about depression in the media this article chaps my hide.

Anti-depressants were developed to treat patients with Major Clinical Depression. I saw nothing in this article that differentiated a major clinical depression from any other depressive episode. Anti-depressants are now presribed for anyone having a bad day.

Placebos have been proven efficacious in the treatment of many conditions, but I question the validity of those diagnosis.

13 posted on 05/07/2002 9:39:20 AM PDT by scholar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: liberallarry
His analysis of 96 antidepressant trials between 1979 and 1996 showed that in 52 percent of them, the effect of the antidepressant could not be distinguished from that of the placebo.

He doesn't say that these were for approved drugs. It really makes the comparison meaningless. Also, "indistinguished" may mean that there was a trend, but not statistical significance. Some drugs may work for a (perhaps undetermined) subset of sufferers. Nevertheless, the article raises an interesting subject.

Is it really surprising that the placebo effect can be seen on PET scans? Where else would one expect to find it?

14 posted on 05/07/2002 9:42:18 AM PDT by monkey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alas
But, in the Born Again Washed in the Blood of the Lamb, Christian world, the Word of God and the word of God is all we need.

Though I think that I understand your sentiment, it's very naive and not at all Biblical. Did the Good Samaritan provide the injured man care and medicine or did he just pray for him? See also the book of James.

15 posted on 05/07/2002 9:49:34 AM PDT by DallasMike
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: liberallarry
As with all medical research, you also need to watch for bias by the investigator. He is a psychiatrist. The advent of effective anti-depressants has had a marked negative effect on the financial status of many in his profession. When the family doc could deal with a substantial percentage of mild to moderate depression, the insurance companies began to slash and burn the reimbursement for therapy. The goal of this researcher may have been to support the null hypothesis and covertly support the call by psychiatrist for more therapy and less drugs. If you don't think data can be manipulated by selection bias and and sensitvity testing, I suggest a course on statistics at the junior college. As one who has published medical literature in the past, I can assure you that bullshitometers must always be set on high suspicion. There are liars, damn liars, and statisticians. This article is simply another volley in the turf war between primary care and psychiatry.

WW

16 posted on 05/07/2002 10:06:10 AM PDT by WilliamWallace1999
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: liberallarry
Excess sugar consumption causes depression. This is like saying a couple of shots of booze helps with a hangover, or another fix of drugX helps cure the withdrawal symptoms.
17 posted on 05/07/2002 10:09:39 AM PDT by AmericaUnited
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WilliamWallace1999
Bullshitometers are the most valuable instruments ever invented. Hard to come by though - and very expensive if you find a good one.
18 posted on 05/07/2002 10:17:36 AM PDT by liberallarry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: WilliamWallace1999
Re #16

One may not even need a family doc prescribing a medication for moderate depression. Simple consultation might do. Using a psychiatrist as a confidente-in-hire per hour can be a bottomless pit. The therapist or psychiatrist are not some kind of Yoda-reincarnates who will make you figure out of your presonal emotional problem.

19 posted on 05/07/2002 10:22:45 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: scholar
Like the majority of information about depression in the media this article chaps my hide. Anti-depressants were developed to treat patients with Major Clinical Depression. I saw nothing in this article that differentiated a major clinical depression from any other depressive episode. Anti-depressants are now presribed for anyone having a bad day. Placebos have been proven efficacious in the treatment of many conditions, but I question the validity of those diagnosis.

There are many interesting studies; including the Vermont Longitudinal study of schizophrenics which, roughly, concluded that over 25 years or so, Schizophrenics will manifest similar symptoms and coping abilities etc whethr or not they have taken organ-destroying antipsychotic medication.

Many seem to think the brain is something that controls us rather than an organ used by the indestructible soul to exercise its attributes of will, intellect and memory

20 posted on 05/07/2002 10:36:59 AM PDT by Catholicguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 201-215 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson