All schizophrenics react to medicines the same way. So says the New York Times. According to the Gray Lady, “The nation is wasting billions of dollars on heavily marketed drugs that have never proved themselves in head-to-head competition against cheaper competitors.” But have these medicines proved themselves where it counts — in the bodies and biochemistries of schizophrenics? For many patients (although clearly not enough for the New York Times) a new therapeutic option often provides the chance to live their lives outside the horrible fog of schizophrenia The plain fact is that some medicines work better for some patients than for others. Some marginally so, others more significantly. One size does not fit all and nowhere is this more true than in patients suffering from severe mental illness. It’s time that the good folks at the Times editorial board stop listening to the better (Marcia) angels of their nature and reserve judgment before speaking with mental health professionals, patients and families thereof.
The Madness of Me-Tooism
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