OT: Despair

[Renegade 13]

SIU, I'm not so sure you're correct.

In my extended family, there have been many many people who have passed away from suicide. None have from AIDS.

As Dogscoff said, the causes of AIDS are well known and easily preventable. AIDS could be exterminated without a cure even being found, if people had half a brain. Depression isn't "acquired" like AIDS is. It generates spontaneously out of the circumstances of a person's life. But Dogscoff has said it better than I can, so I'll leave it at that.

AT, I'd be careful what you believe when you read a Scientology website. Their beliefs are rather...different from those of most people. I'm not saying they're wrong about everything, but I'd take everything with a grain of salt about the size of Greenland. For example, from what I've gathered, they do not condone any medical intervention with regards to depression. It is known that when people are suffering from a major depressive episode, and are likely to kill themselves, medication can help to prevent this. It is known that chemical imbalances are often present in victims of depression. Resolving these imbalances likely will not address the cause of the imbalances, but can help in the short term. They aren't a long-term solution. I was on antidepressants for a while. I took myself off them (I know, you're not supposed to do that, but oh well). Sure, they made me not feel depressed. They made me feel nothing at all. It was like walking around in a fog all day long, it ruined cognitive skills and erased the ability to feel emotion. It acomplished it's purpose, but at a price I was not willing to pay. I believe due to the medication, I have no memory at all of several months of my life. Now, I'm not saying medication isn't necessary, because it is. It definitely is. But not for everyone.

I'm also wondering, do you remember the name of the drug that ravaged your pancreas and kidney? I'd like to do some research on it.