More that we don't have diagnostic criteria. There isn't one member of my immediate family who has escaped having run-ins with classic major depression... and out of the 5 of us, only two seem to have the kinds of biochemistry issues that make an antidepressant useful.
Two more (me included) have ADD/ADHD that can look like major depression... weird, but not unheard of. Both of us do rather badly on standard ADD treatments, since we go anorectic. Not fun or helpful. And I get further troubles since I have SAD (where some sorts of antidepressants can help, but they're not the first-line treatment).
Last one will go into major depression due to perfectly reasonable things like "my mother died". Bit of an extreme response, but it is a natural one. Only thing that seems to help there is cognitive therapy type interventions.
But that's a real broad range of mental health issues that all express as DSM IV "major depression". Figuring out who all had what and which drugs work and don't work... that's been a major problem. The diagnostic criteria are just not precise enough, and may never be precise enough. Brains are tricky. And getting the right coping skills treatment has also been tricky. Bleah.
Mental illness always needs treatment... what kind, how much, and when is the hard part. (no, not that I'm at all ticked by the US health care system...)
no subject
Two more (me included) have ADD/ADHD that can look like major depression... weird, but not unheard of. Both of us do rather badly on standard ADD treatments, since we go anorectic. Not fun or helpful. And I get further troubles since I have SAD (where some sorts of antidepressants can help, but they're not the first-line treatment).
Last one will go into major depression due to perfectly reasonable things like "my mother died". Bit of an extreme response, but it is a natural one. Only thing that seems to help there is cognitive therapy type interventions.
But that's a real broad range of mental health issues that all express as DSM IV "major depression". Figuring out who all had what and which drugs work and don't work... that's been a major problem. The diagnostic criteria are just not precise enough, and may never be precise enough. Brains are tricky. And getting the right coping skills treatment has also been tricky. Bleah.
Mental illness always needs treatment... what kind, how much, and when is the hard part. (no, not that I'm at all ticked by the US health care system...)