The Drugs Definitely Do Work

I've said it before and I'll say it again: people really do talk too much - and yet they say nothing at all.  There seems to be this modern notion that talking can solve anything.  (Personally, I blame British Telecom and its bloody 'It's good to talk' advertising campaign back in the nineties).  It doesn't matter what your problem is, let's all talk about it and you'll feel better.  Utter nonsense.  But we seem to be in the middle of one of those media campaigns encouraging people to talk, because talking can solve everything: loneliness, mental health problems, even Brexit, probably.  It's the idea that mental health issues can be alleviated by just talking to those suffering from them, as if mental health sufferers are just waiting for some untrained do gooder to come along and talk to them.  Presumably accompanied by a cup of sweet tea.  You know what people suffering mental health problems really want?  Medication.  That's right, pills.  Because they will help alleviate their problems.  They really will bring them back to some semblance of normality.  And they don't talk all the bloody time.  Sure, not all mental illness can be attributed entirely to chemical imbalances in the brain, (despite what the pharmaceuticals industry would have us believe), and prescription medication alone won't always resolve the problem, but there's no doubt that the drugs do work in easing the problem.  They certainly work a lot better than some well meaning random prick talking to you. 

Based on my own, limited, personal experiences of suffering from clinical depression, when I'm going through a depressive episode, the last thing I want to do is talk to anybody.  Indeed, all I want (and not just when depressed) is to be left alone.  As far as I'm concerned, the sooner the rest of the world fucks off and leaves me be, the sooner I can get on with dealing with my problems.  (And if I do decide to talk to anyone, it will be either a professional or a fellow sufferer rather than some random who doesn't have a clue what I'm going through).  Because experience has taught me that only I can deal with my depression - it is part of me, like it or not, and it is always going to be there, lurking somewhere in my head.  The key is to find a way to keep it marginalised, to develop strategies to constantly distract oneself from the darkness.  But what has set me off on this anti-talking rant?  Well, earlier I found myself on the receiving end of it at work, but not with regard to my mental health.  Oh no.  There now seems to be a notion abroad that you can resolve physical health issues by talking about them.  Jesus,  As I tried to explain, I really don't want to discuss my own health issues with anyone outside of a doctor's surgery.  Mainly because it is utterly pointless.  I mean, we can talk all we like about my high blood pressure, but that won't lower it.  The cocktail of pills I take every day do that.  It's the same with the diabetes: 2000mg of Metformin a day rather than endless talk treats that.  It's like I said, the drugs do work.