ADs & SSRIs don't really work for most depressions

I walked into GP and said I suffered from "depression" and had trouble sleeping. No questions whatsoever, no assessment of my claim, no measurement of the degree of depressed mood at thta time, no advice about how to take or likely side-effects, just an AD handed out in under 3mins. No advice about other therapies, no review program or recommendation given. I think its a national scandal and its easier to get rid of patient (or falsely reassure them with tablets with scientific benefit similar to placebo - at least you get no side effects with placebo!). I'm not saying ADs are not warranted sometimes, but they should only be given by psychiatrist and someone who has specialisation and has time to assess and followup properly.  I think GPs are not right to hand out psychological medicines, I think its a specialisation. If you have insomnia then short course of diazepam can help, but if it persists you probably need therapy and significant lifestyle changes - not drugs! Therapists can help with insomnia by reducing anxiety, advising on lifestyle changes, getting to route cause of sleeping difficulty which canbe complex etc.  We reach for the ADs much too easily and frankly I think more natural methods are better than being drugged-up with all these chemicals (with the exception of severe clinical depression, schizophrenia, other very serious brain disorders etc. which should be closely monitored by a psychiatrist anyway). Many GPs are reluctant to hand ADs out, but feel compelled by patients who think its the easiest way out. They do work sometimes; but sometimes doing nothing interventional works as well. We need more therpists, more psychiatrists and more mental health team structure nationally, and leave GPs to the things that medical science understands like heart, lung, bones and joints, kidneys, diabetes etc.  How many people are driving and operating machinary whilst on these ADs medications? I think to be honest ADs have taken the UK by popularity rather than effect.  I'm not saying people arent depressed, but its lifestyle often, not some disease.  Same has happened to caffiene which has reached epidemic proportions with people ruining their health and brains daily on the stuff. Your body doesnt need these chemicals - it needs to be respected and understood and loved :-)

I'm sure a family member could conclude you were depressed LaserBeam, but that doesnt then give them the right to hand out psychological medicines to you does it? GPs are too busy, not the right avenue for dealing with complex psychological issues in a 5min appointment once a month with different Dr each time. I'm not saying psychiatrists handing out ADs make them more effective as a drug, but at least it is their speciality and they should in theory be able to manage your mental health more carefully. Unfortunately I think psyhciatrists are also under pressure to dish out meds for every problem - this is socities expectation rather than bad medicine I think. Alternative therapies and lifestyle changes are likely most effective for most modrately and lightly depressed patients. But thats hard to do, and taking a pill is easy. Other therapies are underused and under resourced. Therapists can indeed help with insomnia. It is perhaps your fixed perception that you need a pill to cure every problem you have that draws you to the conclusion that drugs are the only way out. 

There are some who appear to benefit LaserBeam, some.  Also many many many who bounce from one AD to the next, changing because they dont work anymore, many who have serious side effects also, many who are blunted by these meds which effects feeling normal. Many become dependent in the sense that if they try to come off them they have horrendous reactions which frightens them to going back on. The science even says most no better than placebo. I would say they are over prescribed in this pill-popping culture. There is a place for meds, buts its way over subscribed becuase of unrealsitic expectation and lack of resources and cash for mental health. Many many people also living stupidy unhealthly lives and lifestyles ..and they get depressed - suprise(!!)