Comments on: I take no credit for this post http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/trouble/2007/12/26/i-take-no-credit-for-this-post/ A blog about mental health Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:55:48 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Andrew http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/trouble/2007/12/26/i-take-no-credit-for-this-post/comment-page-1/#comment-2811 Andrew Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:05:49 +0000 http://trouble.pwblogs.com/2007/12/26/i-take-no-credit-for-this-post/#comment-2811 Dammit, enough already. I'm all for materialistic explanations of humanity if we can find them, but reducing everything to genetics is absurd. How many people in the medical world ever wonder what percentage of illnesses are passed down in families via dysfunctional upbringing? There are certainly genetic causes for different illnesses (schizophrenia and bipolar are likely inherited) but this idea that "depression physiologically runs in the family" is utter bullshit, at least to me. As for the quote about the Hemingways...look, Ernest decided that after ECT robbed him of his ability to write and think that he had no more purpose, and Margaux went through things that would just as easily throw others into suicide. These aren't problems easily reducible to a couple genetic articles. Dammit, enough already. I’m all for materialistic explanations of humanity if we can find them, but reducing everything to genetics is absurd. How many people in the medical world ever wonder what percentage of illnesses are passed down in families via dysfunctional upbringing? There are certainly genetic causes for different illnesses (schizophrenia and bipolar are likely inherited) but this idea that “depression physiologically runs in the family” is utter bullshit, at least to me.
As for the quote about the Hemingways…look, Ernest decided that after ECT robbed him of his ability to write and think that he had no more purpose, and Margaux went through things that would just as easily throw others into suicide. These aren’t problems easily reducible to a couple genetic articles.

]]> By: Sherry http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/trouble/2007/12/26/i-take-no-credit-for-this-post/comment-page-1/#comment-2810 Sherry Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:43:22 +0000 http://trouble.pwblogs.com/2007/12/26/i-take-no-credit-for-this-post/#comment-2810 I hate to sound like the cynic that I am, but this looks like another way of denying insurance coverage. Identify the people at risk so you can avoid coverage. Now, *that'll* help my mood a lot! I find it puzzling that suicide researchers never seem to bother with the many of us who have come close to dying at our own hands. I search in vain for anyone who might be even remotely interested in listening to what I've learned about why a person might commit suicide, what thought processes bring us to that point. I know I'm not the only person who's in this situation. There are legions of us, but no one seems interested in listening to what we have to say that might shed some light on the subject. No, better to take the blood of dead people in order to chase the holy grail of a nice, clean technical solution. We don't need to talk to actual suicidal living people to see what helps them get through the day... nope. That might get messy and require some real *changes* in our approach. Can't have that. I hate to sound like the cynic that I am, but this looks like another way of denying insurance coverage. Identify the people at risk so you can avoid coverage. Now, *that’ll* help my mood a lot!

I find it puzzling that suicide researchers never seem to bother with the many of us who have come close to dying at our own hands. I search in vain for anyone who might be even remotely interested in listening to what I’ve learned about why a person might commit suicide, what thought processes bring us to that point. I know I’m not the only person who’s in this situation. There are legions of us, but no one seems interested in listening to what we have to say that might shed some light on the subject.

No, better to take the blood of dead people in order to chase the holy grail of a nice, clean technical solution. We don’t need to talk to actual suicidal living people to see what helps them get through the day… nope. That might get messy and require some real *changes* in our approach. Can’t have that.

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