In America you have TV ads for anti depressants - in the UK we don't have anything like this. Which is better

Answer 1

I think it's important to put information about how to deal with depression on TV. Mental illness still has stigma attached to it, but the more exposure people have to information about mental illness and how to deal with it the better. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental disabilities are no different than diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other physical ailments. They are ALL medical problems dealt with by Doctors who offer treatment.

Answer 2

UKs way is better, simply because anti depressants are not something to be taken lightly, depression has to be taken seriously and varies enormously from individual to individual and some drugs give very bad side effects, and are also addictive so that an individual has to be 'weaned' off them, or they become ill. In some patients, counselling is a better option and they find it helps them more. However, 'depression' is not and will never be a black and white condtion. I have strong feelings on this matter and feel that anti-depressants should not be advertised as a 'quick-fix' solution that anyone can buy... although that may or may not be the case in the USA. They should be prescribed to those who need them, and not to target the vulnerable who could benefit in other ways.

Answer 3

The cost of TV ads puts up the price, but they really aren't any help in deciding which ADs to use. To do that you need to have a good diagnosis & know just what sort of thing they are good for, and what they won't do too. Only training plus a lot of clinical experience will help make the right choice, even then it's difficult.
I've known G.P.s have several goes at prescribing different ADs for a patient until they come across one that appears to work without too many negative side effects. Imagine if a patient who can't even get a clear view of what they're suffering tries to self-medicate. The result could be catastrophic! No wonder most ADs are prescription only. And of course, if they're prescrition only, the only people who need to know about them are doctors & pharmacists, so why waste money on TV ads?

Answer 4

If they told the truth they would be OK but they don't

Stress results in oestrogen dominance and depression is one of the many possible effects of the oestrogen dominance.

To rectify the depression (post natal, Gulf war syndrome, SAD seasonal affective disorder or winter sickness etc) get the hormone balance checked out by doing a preliminary hormone test at www.johnleemd.com or www.hormoneprofile.com

Have a full saliva test done by contacting www.npis.info or www.salivatest.com in most cases the depression will be cured when the hormone balance is restored by taking the appropriate dose of natural progesterone USP.

A good web site is www.hormone profile.com but search for "natural progesterone" and many pages will be found.

"Prozac stops the P450 system from working. So someone has oestrogen dominance, they have depression, they have headaches, they are not doing well, they can't tolerate stress, they go to the doctor. They go to the doctor and he puts them on Prozac. That increases their oestrogen dominance, they can't excrete their own oestrogen. So here we have impaired liver function. Yeah, we do have people who drink too much but actually the liver does pretty well with that. But if you have Prozac you're damaged, " John Lee December 2002 talk

Answer 5

What should the overriding goal be?

For me, it would be to be sure everybody has as much knowledge as possible, particularly about health and treatment.

When confronted with decisions related to goals, there are often downsides to achieving our goals. While we can be in general agreement that knowledge is beneficial, we are also aware that knowledge from a potentially biased source would undermine those benefits.

The United States tries to offset the potential for bias by requiring certain content for these commercials -- side effects, restrictions, etc.

In the end, the doctor is the referee. By being familiar with the individual needs and characteristics of patient, the doctor can prescribe what is appropriate.

The advertising in the United States, therefore, keeps doctors on their toes. They better know what meds are out there and their relative strengths and weaknesses. The issue of advertising raising the cost reflects an improper understanding of the complicated economics of supply and demand. With regard to pharmaceuticals, an increase in demand lowers the unit cost because it creates economies of scale. Advertising helps increase demand.

Certain sources of health information -- WebMd, Consumer Reports, etc -- can be a source of unbiased information as well.

Answer 6

I would think it's better NOT to have the TV ads...
this way it's not implanted into the minds of people that they MIGHT have a problem.
Most people here see the ads, then go to any doc that will prescribe the drug they see on TV as a miracle cure to whatever ails them, they won't listen to doctors anymore. Because they see this crap on TV, they think they are now educated in helping themselves, and won't listen to reason anymore - they just want the drugs to make them better.
It's best not to implant peoples minds with this crap.
Most times the FDA approves the drugs and six months down the road takes it off the market (but not before the drug company makes millions) and the lawyers take over to sue the drug company.......
its' really sad.

Answer 7

I'd really like to have no commercials at all. If I'm going to buy something, I dont need an ad on the telly to tell me. I especially dont approve of ads for anti-depressants. Doctors and their patients should make that kind of a decision. Seeing ads with all kinds of pills just serves to confuse the issue.

Answer 8

Wow, i'm in uk and didn't know that in US they advertised AD's. I wondered what they were on about when speaking of that little white bubble man or something. I think it is really strange. If i saw an add for prescription medication on tv i would think what the hell is going on. It could make people who do not need this medication think that they do need it. It could also take the seriousness out of the condition and cause problems for real poorly people by making them take the wrong type of AD medication for their condition.

Answer 9

I dont know about ads for anti depressants, but there should be ads offering people help and advice if they are depressed to show there are options for them. Im in the uk too!

Answer 10

Many common natural remedies are claimed to have blood sugar lowering properties that make them useful for people with or at high risk of diabetes. Learn here https://tr.im/p8wa2

A number of clinical studies have been carried out in recent years that show potential links between herbal therapies and improved blood glucose control, which has led to an increase in people with diabetes using these more 'natural' ingredients to help manage their condition.