choosing a treatment Archives - Page 6 of 6 - Natasha Tracy Bipolar Expert

Polypharmacy Treatment Requires As Much Faith As Science

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Aug 18, 2011

As I’ve said, mental illness treatments often don’t work. And you have to keep trying treatment anyway. Because without doing anything new, you are condemned to being stuck in the same mental illness mire you are currently in.

But in all honesty, mental illness treatment requires faith. Trying psych med after failed psych med requires a belief that something will work in spite of the evidence to the contrary. It requires a belief that is not based on proof.

I hate that.

Why Aren’t Doctors More Honest With Patients in the Hospital?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Jul 1, 2011

Inpatient Prescriptions of Antipsychotics

Yesterday I received this comment from Leah,

. . . At the mental health clinic [where] I stayed, they were really into prescribing low doses of Seroquel [quetiapine] for unipolar depression . . . after reading up on this stuff I became somewhat angry for the widely prescribed off-label use of these antipsychotics since side effects can be strong. Especially since I was not told. Do you maybe have any thoughts on this practice?

Thoughts? Yes. Far too many. Ask anyone.

I have, over and over, lamented about the lack of honesty and transparency in the doctor-patient relationship. Specifically, why is it doctors prescribe antipsychotics, often off label, without disclosing their risks? It’s happened to me many times. In the hospital may be a special case, however.

Money Through Lies – Direct-to-Consumer Drug Advertising

Posted by Natasha Tracy | May 23, 2011

Making You Want Something You Didn’t Know You Needed

I despise drug ads. No one should be interrupted from watching the season-finale of House only to have a picture of a highly unkempt woman on a couch quickly to be turned into vital young dream girl thanks to the latest wonder-pill. That is absolute poppycock.

But drug companies spent $4.2 billion in 2005 on direct-to-consumer advertising in the US.