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Martin's picture

Drugs and Talking

I think we all agree that nobody should be allowed to just dispense drugs in order to solve a mental problem. Some blend of the two therapies is necessary to ensure that drugs are not abused as a quick fix masking real problems that underly the mental symptoms. 

On the other hand, forms of talk therapy (with a medical proffessional) that are used as a continuous crutch for people throughout life is an unneccessary strain upon an already strained healthcare system. I think the type of support that people get via talk therapy when they don't really have an underlying problem can and should be found among friends and family. Billing your insurance company for that doesn't seem like a legitimate use of community resources. 

For that reason I instinctively dislike activities like the one we all participated in last monday. I think they can be breading gounds for peoples desire to seek self affirmation when what they might need is a stern but caring friend/realitve to tell them to cut the crap and do x y or z.  But, that is just my first thoughts on the subject. I am sure there are situations where that kind of therapy is not only legitimate but it might even be useful.  

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