[jtsuited]

Originally Posted by tbh

people can ask for evidence without being a dick about it. i too found jsuiteds post to be unhelpful, particulalry in a support thread. jsuited, please dont post like that again

ok.
not sure how calling something that has ZERO evidence behind it bullsh1t is being a dick but you're the mod.

I would actually say it's far more helpful to point out to sufferers of depression what the evidence says are the best ways of recovery. There is huge money in depression treatments for quacks.

And according to the evidence, antidepressants (slightly better than placebo in mild cases, signficantly better in severe depression), exercise (30 minutes of intense exercise 3 times a week/45 minutes moderate exercise 5 times a week), meditation and certain talk-therapies are all helpful. And as always, all of them together are far better than either alone.

If you want the evidence for any of these, please go to the Cochrane collection, which is the largest meta-analyses database on evidence based medicine.

cochrane.org

I understand that this is a support thread, but I think it would be greater for everyone to actually get better through the tried-and-tested evidence based treatments, than to dilly dally around with all the various forms of quackery aimed at depression sufferers.

As has been mentioned, the FIRST port of call for anybody suffering depression is their GP. Not 'qualified professionals' in areas that are complete pseudoscience or flat out New Age quackery.

[jtsuited]

Originally Posted by Princess Peach

Pretty tough to find any definitive evidence of a sure fire treatment for depression, it being such a subjective mental illness.

Nope, antidepressants, exercise and certain talk-therapies have years of data to back them up.

Originally Posted by Princess Peach

So if a few posters here find Reiki is working for them, how is anyone to say otherwise?

Because there are only two types of medicine....that which has been proven to work and that which has not. Reiki falls into the former category. People should be aware of this fact.

Originally Posted by Princess Peach

I think meds work well for me, could find many articles saying otherwise.

I can find you loads of articles saying the Queen is a lizard or that the MMR vaccine causes autism. But there is no evidence for either claim. You have been prescribed medication based on the evidence available to your doctor.

[tbh]

Originally Posted by jtsuited

ok.
not sure how calling something that has ZERO evidence behind it bullsh1t is being a dick but you're the mod.

Let me just clarify, I don't want to pull the thread too far off-topic, but I want to be sure you know where I'm coming from.

The person posted that Reiki has helped her. That they experienced a benefit from it doesn't mean that others will, but it's also not up for debate. S/he got benefit from it, and that's all that counts.

S/hes offering her experiences of something that has benefited her, and that's great. To then reply saying "you do know that's bull****, right?" is needlessly aggressive and may put him/her off posting in future.

By all means discuss it (probably best in health sciences) or say "well, I don't believe in it, but if it works for you..." or whatever.

But I don't want someone being made to feel like a liar or a shill because they posted the truth, as they experienced it.

Now, I'm happy to discuss this over PM if you want to continue the conversation. I'm not saying you're a dick or anything, I'm just pointing out that the tone of your post isn't suitable for this thread, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't post like that again.

[jtsuited]

cool, fair enough. hopefully i've explained myself in my above posts. i understand if this isn't the place for a discussion like this.

[Princess Peach]

I just would really hate for anyone to start questioning something they are getting benefit from. Whatever helps, you should just do it

[jtsuited]

Originally Posted by Princess Peach

I just would really hate for anyone to start questioning something they are getting benefit from. Whatever helps, you should just do it

Well I don't think it's that simple. A lot of people with depression in particular, have an ongoing battle with it for a very long time. This is sometimes because they only get partial treatment and then fluff out the rest with stuff that doesn't really help (to a significant degree).

When depression isn't treated fully, patients often fill that hole with a whole load of other stuff from chakra realignment to workaholism to pretty much anything. Now this would be fine if they were doing great but a lot of the time they're only keeping their head above water and relapse is only around the corner.

And, as Nesf, points out, there's big money in the 'alternative' treatments. I put it in quotes because alternative medicine by definition means stuff that has either been proven not to work, or, has not been proven to work.

Listen, if slapping yourself with a wet fish everyday alleviates your depression, I'm all for it. But slapping yourself with a fish has not been proven to work whatsoever. And considering there ARE vitally important proven treatments for depression (anti-depressants + exercise + certain talk therapies all together) it is an awful waste of both time and money for depression sufferers to be seeing quacks.

So if someone said 'should i slap myself with a fish every day, it makes me feel better' I'd say 'go for it, but make sure you're fully treating the problem with the evidence based treatments first'.

Clinical depression is a SERIOUS, insidious nasty condition you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemy. By thinking that Reiki or homeopathy or acupuncture etc is gonna take care of it is not very helpful at all, because it often causes people to not seek proper treatment to end their horrific, needless, suffering.

[Princess Peach]

Nobody here has said the it was their only form of treatment though

If you want to call alternative therapists "quacks" thats fine, I just don't think its helpful for people here who have benefited from it or who want to try these things.

[sam34]

jt and pp, drop it please. or take it to pm.

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by Princess Peach

Nobody here has said the it was their only form of treatment though

If you want to call alternative therapists "quacks" thats fine, I just don't think its helpful for people here who have benefited from it or who want to try these things.

I just want to say that I hurt my back badly. The specialist, on reading my mri scan, advised me not to have any surgery undertaken because of the risk involved. It was so bad, I got depressed not being able to do anything. I was on anti-depressants for a long time(I was a very outgoing guy up to this accident). My gp tried every kind of pain killers on me, no good. A relative told about this reiki. Now, I am a cynic, but I went along and tried it, after a lot of persueding. Best thing I ever done. Worked for me.

[Carpe Jugulum]

Dipping in & out of this site but still unclear if it's for folks suffering depression or people with Bipolar. Could anyone clarify? Best of luck to you all anyway - thinking of you all

[Gremlinertia]

Originally Posted by Carpe Jugulum

Dipping in & out of this site but still unclear if it's for folks suffering depression or people with Bipolar. Could anyone clarify? Best of luck to you all anyway - thinking of you all

It's for anyone and everyone suffering from depression, anxiety, bi-pola,r etc and their friends or relatives that they trust. Post whenever you wish, i mostly rant, others offer support, basically, ya takes it as ya sees it.

[Carpe Jugulum]

Thanks Gremlinertia

[banquo]

As a fellow cynic, I have begrudgingly accepted the (frankly amazing) benefits of meditation.

[Gremlinertia]

Argh, back to nightshift tonight and my pain issues have kicked in with a vengeance, hard to keep positive at all when mind and body are fighting me. Here's hoping other's are having a better day. Least i'm off mon and tue.

[cloud493]

I've been thinking about this for agesssss. And, I've decided to leave Dublin and go home, which is Birkenhead (which for those who don't know, if the scummier, smaller brother of Liverpool) Its not that Dublin doesn't have it charms. I will miss it. And I don't quite think going back will be a magical cure either.

But at the same time, I'm not sure what's here for me. And birkenhead is home, no matters whats happened, I've always been most comfortable there. So yeah. Finally stopped dilly dallying and made a decision