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Charlie, Thank you for your words and medical perspective. As someone who has been battling depression for five years now, it is very disturbing to me to have this condition trivialized by the boot-strap and attitude types of arguments.. I struggle every day to have a positive attitude, and as Mr. parkinson takes away more and more of my life, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain a positive attitude. Parkinson's is horrible, but without my anti depression and anti anxiety drugs and a wonderful therapist, I wouldn't be here today. My husband has referred to me as his "half empty girl",. A title he doesn't like after thinking about it for a while because It is too true. All of my family is baffled by my lack of self-confidence. Do I try to look at myself as others see me? You bet I do. When I look in the mirror, I see nothing special or accomplished. When I hear the it's your attitude, diet, lack of guts attitude it is just one more thing that I'm doing wrong. It is just one more thing I am responsible and at fault for. I have a great deal of respect for people like Chuck Murray who have and can harness that positive attitude. Chuck probably did not intend his comments to be taken so personally by anyone. (Then again maybe yes..) In either case, it stikes me as if it is my failure. Every day I try to be positive because I don't enjoy having an Eyore perspective and I hate it when the most pleasant daydream turns nightmarish before i can stop the offending thought. So thank you again, Charlie for coming to my defense. Cathy Charles T. Meyer MD" wrote: > I am sorry that you had to get out of the depression yourself but I disagree > strongly that the medical, profession knows little about depression and how > to treat it. If you are able to achieve things and get the natural high > that gives then probably you are not all that clinically Depressed. The > fact that you were able to shift your attitude without medications is useful > but does not prove that "the medical profession knows little about > depression." All it proves is we don't know as much as we would like to > know. > > The issue is what is depression? Is it a medical illness that results from > the interaction of our genetic make-up and our experiences or is it a moral > weakness that one can talk one's self out of and that people get and keep > from doing something "wrong"? I personally see it as a medical illness with > meds and certain types of psychotherapy as being quite helpful in treating > most (but not all) people. > > Depression is a brain disease just like PD. and requires medical treatment > like PD. Who- especially among this group would say that PD is not a brain > disease and the decreases of dopamine in the brain are just coincidences > that can be wished away. And who among us would say that MD's know little > about PD because they can't cure it? In fact in depression the "cure" or > remission rate is about 80+% with what we do know while with PD the cure > rate is zero. With depression we just know more about the illness' > treatment rather than its pathogenesis. > > I am taking time to make these points because I fear that some people might > take what you did for yourself as a prescription for themselves and miss out > on what for many is a potentially lifesaving treatment. > > Charlie > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sinead Aungier" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2000 4:46 AM > Subject: depression > > > > I had true clinical depression for several years and know all about it > and > > > drugs did me no good. I got out of it by eating foods high in vitamin > C, > > > such as potatoes, brocolli and cutting out foods that rob you of > vitamins > > > and also by maintaining a moderate body temperature. The medical > > > profession know very little about depression and I had to get out of it > > > myself. I find that when you're busy and achieving things this gives > you > > > a natural high which can only be good for you rather that being stuck in > > > your thoughts thinking about your problems, which only reinforces this > bad > > > mental habit. > > > > > Sinead