Medicine's big new battleground: does mental illness really exist?

[DebJ]

124. anesthesia is not a drug?

Anesthesia can be very dangerous. In my case, my liver/kidneys cannot effectively remove these types
of drug from my system as they should. Had my tonsils out in second grade; I was supposed to wake up in
hours, but I was unconscious (ie, not 'sleeping' but unconscious) for three days. They told my parents I might never wake up. Had local anesthesia to get a finger stitched up; the finger was numb for the better part of a week. Had my gall bladder out two years ago at 10 am. Was supposed to be up and out by the afternoon. But it was 6am the following day before I could even urinate. I insisted on going home even though they did not want to release me....I have no memories of the following three days.

General anesthesia does not induce 'sleep'.

It does not cure mania, nor the triggers for mania. Every spring as the days lengthen, this causes chemical changes in the brain due to the additional hours of sunlight. Anesthesia is not the answer. And it is dangerous.