Developments in translational neuroscience offer hope for the future, but psychiatry still relies more on skilled clinical observations than laboratory tests.
Sometimes, what patients tell us has more to do with how they want us to perceive them than how they truly feel.
There is a substantial body of evidence indicating that SSRIs, the most popular antidepressants, e.g., fluoxetine (Prozac), cause more sexual side effects than some other antidepressants, e.g., bupropion (Wellbutrin).
Read more: Bad Messages About Good Treatments: The Case of Sexual Side-Effects
In the standard movie formula, the end of the second act is when the main character appears to have lost everything. All efforts have failed. Love is beyond reach. The future is bleak. The end is near. Then comes the third act bringing resolution and relief.
"Neuroplastic Man Untangled," the article that introduced the concept of personalized treatment of depression, was published in The Southern California Psychiatrist, January, 2000.
The official guidelines for diagnosing depression are out of touch with current clinical knowledge. What would make them more useful for guiding treatment?