Alone

"may put them on the right path"

Medication shouldn't be offered to anybody unless the condition is serious and physiological tests have been conducted to determine whether or not the person lacks the healthy brain patterns of a 'normal' person. If a man or woman walks into a surgery with a physical condition, a GP can often diagnose it because he or she can see it.

Psychologically, it involves discussing it, and unless the GP had taken the 6 months extra training to learn about psychological illnesses, he or she is in no position to administer or offer treatment. Likewise, it is unethical for that doctor to make a referall in the longterm (which involves waiting lists) and then in the short-term, provide 'temporary relief' that only kicks in when the 'assessment' phase of care begins.

That's the reality of the situation.

There is no temporary relief - it becomes longterm because you find yourself waiting for care to be available, and by the time it is, you're 6 months further down the road, no coping mechanisms are in place, still taking the medication, and that's all you have. It may offer temporary relief - the drugs may kick in and make you feel happier - but the second you come off those drugs, you are back to where you started again, emotionally.

Drugs like that aren't made to be taken on a longterm basis - they are the crutch when you have a broken leg that you can't get off because there is nobody there to help you walk again, and by the time you learn, you don't want to come off them. Theoretically, they're asking you to apply what coping mechanisms you have learned AFTER you come off the drugs but often because the withdrawal effects are so severe, you find yourself back on them unable to cope.

I think you're mistaken in the belief that drugs may work for some people - drugs don't work; it just depends on how quickly you become receptive to the coping mechanisms you learn through care (whenever that comes), and how much self-reliance and inner strength you can use (that we all have deep down) to be able to cope without the medication.

Again a lot of what you say is totally correct. It is so easy for doctors to hand out a prescription and think that solves the problems. It doesn't. I am so very anti drugs, trust me, but I know for a fact that they DO work for some people and just because you and I don't agree with drugs doesn't mean to say it won't help others, because they may do. It could be a life saver for some, and people do and can come off them. Each individual is different and it is wrong for either of us to say to somebody, don't do this by do that. We can give our advice and our experience, but just because that's what we think doesn't mean to say it's right for others, it would be wring just to shut the door on something that may help. They may help, they may not, every body is different 

And not everybody has that inner strength that you talk of, I am sure that they REALLY wish they had, and again, not all drugs have severe withdrawal symptoms. For sure some do, but, one person may get them, the next person may not, just can't pegion whole things and say this is how it is. It's not as black and white as that. I can't stress enough how anti drugs I am, but it can and does work for some people, they are the ones who have to live with depression, and if it helps them, then that is fantastic. They need not be a life sentence

The best advice you could give to somebody - who isn't aware of the side effects - is to make them aware of the possibilities of what could happen and allow them to make up their own minds by listening to somebody who has knowledge. As I said first time, one size doesn't fit all. You could be right - some could benefit - I've never seen it in the longterm (and obviously depending on the severity of their condition) bearing in mind the grand scheme of things, but by and large most of the problems people have can be solved with the right sort of therapy away from medication. I agree, it is wrong to tell people that the drug will not work for them, but I wouldn't say that unless I knew exactly what it is that's actually wrong with them to begin with, and the GP often without training can't determine that.

Yes that's right, can't disagree with that.