Meditation 'works just as well as anti-depressants'

[BainsBane]

134. I used that example

because I recently saw an excellent and moving documentary on PBS about Act Up and other AIDs activists. I could have referenced any other disease seen as biological (as though mental illness isn't, which of course if false). I'm for whatever people can do to find relief for themselves. Only they can decide what treatments are best for them. The stigma against mental illness remains great. Most people still will not talk about the fact they have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder because of the judgment and shame that accompanies such illnesses. If someone finds medication helpful, that is fantastic. Lots of things are helpful: a good protein centered diet, regular exercise, and other mindfulness techniques in addition to meditation. But I cringe at threads that claim medication is unnecessary for those with serious mental illnesses. I see them as part of the old "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality that keeps so many from seeking treatment. I remain frustrated than antidepressants don't cure the disease and only work marginally better than placebos in the case of major depression, but they are nonetheless essential to preserving the lives of many people, including members of this site. For those with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, no amount of meditation is going to make the biological changes necessary to keep them from entering mania or psychosis.

I don't mean to suggest that HIV/AIDs patients don't face stigma and a world of bullshit. I know they do.