Depression

[PLEASEHELP1991]

Maybe we should just outlaw marketing of prescription medication to patients who have no medical knowledge.

That's not really the problem; I don't think most people would ask for a specific medication. Rather, close the doors between doctors and the pharmaceutical representatives that influence them to prescribe expensive new medications that do not have any long-term studies.

[Daddy]

That's not really the problem; I don't think most people would ask for a specific medication. Rather, close the doors between doctors and the pharmaceutical representatives that influence them to prescribe expensive new medications that do not have any long-term studies.

Uh the commercials give lists of symptoms that a person could see and go 'well maybe i haven't felt like participating in my favorite hobby in the last week or two and my back does hurt.  maybe i should ask my doctor about depressolexa'

A patient should not be the one asking a doctor about a specific medication.  And a doctor who is not a psychologist or psychiatrist should not be the one who is asked about or prescribes these types of medications.

There's a reason the US is one of the few/only countries that allows this.

[PLEASEHELP1991]

Maybe I have too much faith in humanity for it to be goaded by some bouncing sad ovular being. But I believe it's mostly drug detailing (1-on-1 interactions between drug reps and physicians) that drives the sale of prescription drugs, and it is certainly a larger part of a typical pharmaceutical advertising budget than direct-to-consumer marketing.
(And psychologists cannot just be given a prescription pad in most states.)

[ncba93ivyase]

I'm pretty sure I've been in some state of depression on and off ever since breaking up with Hensa. Never diagnosed, though.

Before you met Hensa, would you say you say you really had any drive in life?

[Samus Aran]

Before you met Hensa, would you say you say you really had any drive in life?

Not really. It was around the same time she and I hooked up that I started having anything I wanted to do with my life. I was dealing with depression for a while before she and I got together, but some of that was more or less just teen angst. Once we got together, things were generally pretty great except for being lovesick since I was across the country from her. Around that time is when I really started writing a lot, so I had something that I wanted to do with my life, and I worked at it pretty hard.

I guess you could say that I have always been more or less at least a little bit depressed...or at least lovesick while with Hensa. But ever since she left me it's been much, much worse than ever before. But right now, I'm actually doing a bit better than I was during school.

[Daddy]

Have you considered using this for your writing?
It may help with the depression and bring out new aspects of your writing.

[The Hand That Fisted Everyone]

Have you considered using this for your writing?
It may help with the depression and bring out new aspects of your writing.

This is a good suggestion. Back when I was going through shit in high school, I channeled my emotions into my acting. It was very therapeutic.

they say that the best art is influenced by pain.

[applesauce]

Love really is a good driver in life. It focuses you on what you want and why very well. I feel like I have often lacked direction, focus, and drive since being alone. Not sure if I've been depressed or not. Maybe sometimes? I don't know. I vent on Boyah a lot so maybe you guys can decide.

Also yeah, advertising medication is a pretty bad idea. I don't think it should be outlawed though. If you really want to start finding solutions to your problems, you should read shit up on medical sites and wikipedia, not listen to a commercial. Or see a doctor instead, whatever. But medical commercials are shitty.

[Daddy]

The people who are going to ask doctors about medication they see on TV commercials probably don't have much overlap with the people who research decisions on the internet.

[applesauce]

The people who are going to ask doctors about medication they see on TV commercials probably don't have much overlap with the people who research decisions on the internet.

I agree.

But I just also generally disagree with making things illegal that aren't outright directly harmful.

[Daddy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Unipolar_depressive_disorders_world_map_-_DALY_-_WHO2004.svg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_depressive_disorder#Epidemiology ; (Click show under prevalence)

Compare the US with most of Europe where Direct to Consumer Advertising is banned. Other than France and Scandinavia (where Season Affective Disorder is a problem).  New Zealand, surprisingly has a low rate even though they allow dtca.

You then have some shitty countries which have depression rates for obvious reasons (then even shittier countries with very low rates, most likely due to a lack of doctors to diagnose such. All of Africa pretty much.)



http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(02)08383-6/fulltext - Brazil bans it but the companies disregard the laws and look at its rates.
http://www.indegene.com/html/indegene_in_news/News_%20Mint.pdf - India bans it but companies have got around it by advertising services which then recommend medications. India also has very high rates.


If you compare the US to the European Union and, to a lesser degree, compare the two countries where laws are being ignored or worked around to the EU it is clear that DTCA is correlated with much higher rates of diagnosis.


I'd argue that side effects ranging from simple dependence to things such as increased risks of heart attack, stroke, other diseases, and suicide are outright directly harmful.

I don't think banning the product itself should be an option (unless there is a safer alternative that accomplishes the same task to a similar or better degree)  but I see not issue with banning how things are marketed.   Banning DCTA does not disallow advertisement to physicians. However, prescriptions by doctors should be be allowed to be incentivized. 


Looking at the correlation between DCTA (Whether legal, skirted around, or bans being ignored) happening and not happening  and taking into affect the harm that can be caused by anti-depressants I would say it is harmful to allow it and it adds to benefit to the consumer.

It doesn't save them money since insurance would cover either.  Paying out of the pocket would cost them more since it'd be cheaper to buy a generic.
It doesn't result in a healthier decision since the doctor would know more which is a better option. It may actually result in the opposite if the patient keeps insisting on the drug they saw advertised rather than the one the doctor thinks is a better option.
It creates a rise in self-diagnosis.

These only serve to buffer the wallets of pharmaceutical companies.




Also, note I am not referring to marketing of OTC products such as allergy or cold medicine, aspirin/ibuprofen, anti-gas stuff, and things like that. 

[PLEASEHELP1991]

Direct-to-consumer marketing is not the sole reason for the high prevalence of depression seen in the US versus other countries. There's certainly a lot of awareness (and not just due to the aforementioned DTC ads for antidepressant drugs) and a lot less stigma surrounding depression in the US, which means more people are willing to seek treatment. There's certainly a high degree of income inequality in the US, which has been linked to higher rates of depression.

[Daddy]

perhaps the stigma thing is in part due to dtc for anti-depressants being every 5th or 6th commercial on tv therefore making it seem more common.


While others are a factor, I think it would make sense to eliminate one cause of the higher depression rate since it brings to benefits to the table.


It's like saying that because cancer can be caused by more than inhalation of asbestos like smoking, sunlight, genetics, and so on that asbestos should be be banned from use in certain locations. but not even because asbestos at least offers fire proofing.


Obviously banning DTC won't lower actual depression rates but it will decrease rates of false self diagnosis, requests of drugs that are less than ideal to deal with real cases, and all the negativity that comes with higher anti-depressant use.

[applesauce]

I don't think I have ever seen a commercial for depression medication.

I can think cholesterol, erectile dysfunction, and blood pressure commercials, but that's it for prescription meds I think.

[applesauce]

Also arthritis.