Ever heard of talk therapy?

I've always found the idea of a Prozac nation disconcerting, not least of all because I see peers suffering from depression and anxiety disorders all too frequently. I guess I'm not alone in observing this, because the World Health Organization predicts that within 20 years, depression will become the second leading cause of disability in the world.

Much as I know that anti-depressants can help people who are suffering, it's doesn't make it any easier to see people you love experience the mad side-effects that accompany many anti-depressants. (For more on that check out this great BBC documentary on Seroxat - the same drug is called Paxil in North Ameria - online). That's why the following news inspired some hope:

"A new Canadian study has found that talk therapy may give sufferers of depression an even bigger boost than popular drugs such as Prozac -- with none of the accompanying effects. In fact, the benefits of talk therapy over antidepressants were so high, they surprised even the researchers involved in the study."

Posted by matt at January 6, 2004 10:00 PM