| Rebuttal A trust clinically depressed person can not change their lifestyle on their own. They believe that there is no hope, that there is nothing they can do. They are completely convinced things will never get better. Christine states, "don't look at the shadows but at the light." While this may seem like a good yet simple idea, there is in fact a problem. Through depressed person's eyes, all they see is darkness because they do not believe any light does exist. She also says that, "you control your life." Well, this is true but only to a certain extent. There are certain life experiences that you have no power over. Such as, the loss of a loved one or losing your job. Sometimes when things like that happen, there is just no controlling your emotions. A depressed person does not choose to be depressed, it is out of their control. If they could, they would change how they feel but, the thing is, they can't. No one likes feeling awful every minute of the day. The exact cause of depression is unknown; however, it has been linked to a chemical imbalance in the brain. This chemical imbalance can be treated with antidepressant medications. Yes, there might be side effects. However, those side effects might be easier to live with than the actual symptoms of depression for some people. Furthermore, those minor side effects are just a small price to pay for happiness. Antidepressants are meant to be used for a short period of time. Then the depressed person will slowly be taken off the drugs. With proper care by a doctor and the proper dosage of the medication, antidepressant will work correctly. "�What is needed is a different lifestyle and a little bit of therapy and things will get better with time," says Christine in her argument. How much time are talking about here? To change your lifestyle, you need motivation. Lack of motivation is one of the top symptoms for a depressed individual. It is not as simple as it sounds. This idea of lifestyle changes sounds good on paper, but when you put it to the test, it would never work. If the solution was that simple, there would not be nearly as many depressed people in the world. If a person could just simply choose not to be depressed, they would. There is a reason so many people are seeking professional help. They can not pull themselves out on their own. Depression should be looked at as a disease. These people need more than just the suggestions of a lifestyle change and to look at the light. These people need antidepressant drugs first to change the chemical imbalance in their brain. Once that is taken care of then you can turn your focus to therapy while slowly being taken off of the medication. It is rare that you find someone who has pulled themselves out of depression on his or her own. It is just not possible without the help of some kind of drug thereapy. Conclusion Through the process of taking a look at our own lives, looking at the lives of those around us, as well as research, Klein and I have found that as of this point in time there is not a miracle cure for depression. Since depression is a mental illness that can affect anyone at anytime, for any reason at all, it is difficult to find a good and positive way of treating it. Theories and ideas proposed so far include, administering antidepressant medication, changing of lifestyle, and therapy. Our question was, which is the best option of the three, or is there a combination of them that could be used to give the most effective treatment for a depressed person. In our arguments, Klein argues the side that antidepressant drugs are the best possible solution and will work. My argument takes the opposite side and states that therapy and lifestyle changes are better than spending the extra money on the medication. Ironically enough though, this argument was quite difficult for me to complete. Before I started my college career, I used to think as my argument states. However, things for me have changed and I have grown up going through some really rough times. As it turns out, I have been diagnosed with depression and although there are a few ideas as to what has caused it, the doctors and myself don't really know for certain. Since the time I found that I had depression I have been on the antidepressant medication, Zoloft. Taking this medication along with regular visits to a therapist, I have learned how to deal with my problems better and improve my mood on my own. Once I have mastered these skills, which the therapy and the medicine are helping me to learn, I will be able to go off the medication and face life and my problems head on and by myself. In my case it appears as if a combination of drug therapy and normal therapy are the best way to help me in dealing with depression. There are good sides and bad sides to every possible solution that could be used to treat depression. With drug therapy there is abuse and the over prescribing of it on the bad side, yet on the good side there is the fact that when the right drug is found it will work. With the therapy option the good side includes, that people learn to think and handle things on their own, and that a person can get to feel more comfortable with their illness rather than hating it. The bad sides of therapy that there are include the overall cost for the length of time in therapy, the possibility of going to a therapist that doesn't know what they are talking about, along with the therapy might not even help at all. However with the way life is, there is bound to be good and bad to everything and every solution that could be proposed to treat depression. Since we are not Gods, we cannot fix things with a wave of our hand or a simple commandment. In fact, it is by the sheer fact that we are not Gods and that we are not perfect, that we as humans must learn to live with what we have and to make the best possible use out of everything that has been given to us. Klein and I have found that because there is no miracle cure for depression that through our research combining therapy and antidepressant medication(s) is the best way to go at this point in time. With this method of treatment put into use, the success of a person being cured of their depression is increased a great deal. Because of this increase, once the patient is more suited to be in society without being depressed, it is possible to discontinue the drug therapy and only continue with the psychotherapy if needed. |
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