Ah, health-related debates. They’re like a never-ending game of “he said, she said”… except replace “he said, she said” with “is happiness the only goal of mental health treatment?” and “how miserable are we supposed to be?” Exciting stuff, folks.

But hold onto your hats, because things really get heated when it comes to psychiatric medication. Back in the 80s, antidepressants were the bees knees. They were supposed to make you feel “better than well” and solve all your depression woes. But then, as all things tend to do, concerns arose that these wonder drugs were actually numbing people’s moods and emotions. Whoopsie daisy.

Nowadays, everyone in the medical world can’t stop yammering on about whether these antidepressants are really doing what they’re supposed to do, or if they’re just sedating us through life’s highs and lows. Are they helping those who need it, or just turning us into dopey little zombies? The world may never know (except for the doctors, researchers, and patients who are currently bickering about it).

Of course, emotions run high when it comes to medication. But the same questions arise in the field of psychotherapy, too. We’re talking about the “talking cure” here, folks – and the experts still can’t come to an agreement on what its fundamental purpose even is. It’s like watching a never-ending game of “telephone” with doctors, therapists, and patients all whispering different things into each other’s ears. Who’s to say who’s right and who’s wrong?

Serious News: nytimes