Of [...] 80 million new antidepressant prescriptions in the '90s, non-psychiatrists wrote 60 million. And if studies of primary caregivers are any indication, most of those diagnoses of depression were made in less than three minutes.

    Which is really upsetting! So then you get really mad at doctors, but then realize they're just giving the people what they want (as patients are now customers) and so you shift the rage to the Pharmaceutical companies for pushing the stuff like cold cereal to elementary school kids.That's not very fair though- no amount of advertising forces you to want/buy something.

    So why? Why do such a high proportion of people looking for relief from depression seek it in the same manner? Is there some factor aside from personal decision-making which compels us into the 'take a pill and get on with your life' solution? Well, consider this:

  Try getting your company's health insurance to cover the expense of counseling. Odds are, it won't. But it'll pay for pills.

    Thanks again to Salon.com, my daily workhorse of a site to read while not working at work. Post coming later tonight about something way cooler and more fun and interesting and relevant to people who are awesome. I also tried to upload some music but Vox is too busy having sex with journaling platforms of its own gender.

Originally posted on boodoo.vox.com