Furthermore the metrics for these things are the most subjective thing in the world, surveys of humans. Most statisticians consider that data very low value but it’s the foundation of modern psychiatry.
Placebo is great if it works, sure, but psych meds have a long list of side effects. It’s be better to get placebo healed by your local witch doctor than a medical doctor, if you’re just relying on placebo.
Again it’s a big discussion and of course I’m open minded to learning more but on the flip side a lot of people take modern psychiatry as infallible medicine despite a lot of flaws.
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Connections-Uncovering-Depressio...
the person you replied to didn't say that. the point is to defer to professionals and not your own hunches.
Please don't spread anti-psychiatry misinformation online. I'm sorry that it didn't work for you, but please don't dissuade others from seeking proper treatment.
Playing devil's advocate: Even if SSRIs are just placebo (they're definitely not, and we have decades of science to explain why that's a false statement), what would be wrong with that? Placebo is remarkably effective, and even placebo is even getting stronger with time: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/straight-talk/201803...
This is where people are mistaken when they conclude SSRIs are placebo. SSRIs still diverge from placebo, but placebo is so incredibly powerful in short depression studies that it's hard for SSRIs' superiority to reach a numerically large statistical significance.
> I’m really on the mindfulness bandwagon
Mindfulness is a common therapy technique within professional treatment. I think you'd find that a lot of the mainstream self-care practices are mirrored in professionally-guided therapy. However, some people just can't/won't trust professional institutions, so at least we have mainstream pushes for mindfulness and self-care to slip these techniques in the back door.