Quote:
Originally Posted by RP
Denise: While it's conceivable that adults with depression might self-medicate with cigartettes, it's equally likely that they could self-medicate with sweets (my unfortunate "drug" of choice), alcohol, pot, overspending or any number of other things that might provide a temporary escape from the malaise of depression. I've likely been depressed most of my 68 years and only started taking antidepressant medication when my life hit pretty close to rock bottom in my 40s. Antidepressant medication has allowed me to find the joy of living since then that I didn't even know was possible. BTW I've never smoked a single cigarette in my entire life....
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My point was not to equate antidepressants with cigarettes, and I didn't say that people use SSRI's just because cigarettes are too expensive. My point was that smoking was a form of self-medication that is no longer acceptable. Yes, of course other forms of escape are, and always have been, in use. I was talking about a specific activity used for self-soothing, that was more widespread than it is today. I theorize that it was used as a means to deal with depression and the pain of living.
If you had the impression that I was trivializing antidepressants and their ability to improve the quality of life, I'm sorry. That's not what I was saying. My theory is that no longer having the option of smoking to help escape the unhappiness and discomfort of depression, maybe people who may have chosen to smoke previously, are willing to seek medical treatment. Thus, the uptick in numbers that the op mentioned.