Why I take research with a grain of salt.
There is a lot of controversy around research. In general, it can be useful. Specific to an individual, you really need to dive deeper into the results to see how it might apply to you.
We are used to seeing and hearing research results where they throw around numbers like something has a 98% success rate, but they may not be giving you all the information. I have watched the pharmaceutical companies over the years. They come out with a new drug that has been FDA approved so their research has shown enough safety and effectiveness for the FDA to approve it. Then 5-10 years later I see ads for class action lawsuits for those same medications. And, in some cases the drug is taken off the market. Why? Because now that the drug in open to the general population you can see more of the results across the spectrum of people.
It is very difficult to get really good dependable research when it comes to people. People are so different from each other, between races, genders, the environment they live in, how they have grown up, how much stress they are exposed to, how much support and care they have had in their lives, what their diets are like, what their sleep is like, and on and on. Trying to get consistent data is tough. Trying to account for all the variables is very difficult. Research can give some generalities but for specifics you have to really know yourself, what works for you and what does not.
I was talking with a colleague many years ago who told me of a study between two modalities of treatment. They both were showing high levels of effectiveness. But then they told me that in the study on one of the modalities that they had a 50% dropout rate from the study. So, in that case 50% of the people dropped out of the study before it was finished. With the majority of them stating it was too time intensive and too much work. But the modality was touted as highly effective. It was highly effective for a percentage of the 50% of the people who stayed in the study. But the 50% dropout rate is disregarded.
The other thing to be aware of is researchers typically throw out the top 20% and the bottom 20% of the results. That is 40% of the results! Every researcher I have talked to about this and said, “But you throw out 40% of the results.” Has looked at me like I am crazy and then when I say, “Well you throw out the top 20% and the bottom 20% that are not having the same results as the other 60%.” They suddenly have a recognition and say, “Oh, you mean the outliers.” They totally dismiss that the outliers are part of the equation.
So, if 60% of those who stay in the study get good results they say the drug or modality is effective. That is useful information. But what about the outliers? The other 40% Who are they? What did not work for them? What reactions did they have? Were there health issues that caused problems, what was different about their reactions. And what would work for them? Were they reacting to the additives and/or preservatives, or the drug itself?
Now they do list the “side effects” that can occur but they never look into what is causing it or how to identify who may have difficulty with the medication. They also tend to minimize the Black Box side effects. The ones that cause serious damage or death.
When you are looking at treatment modalities, again you can get some good general results when a large part of the population is having a good outcome. There are also specific details to look into. Like how experienced the practitioner is with the modality. How much experience they have with people in your circumstance and how successful are they in applying that modality to your circumstances.
So, I highly recommend you actually look at the research and notice what the retention rate was and what happened with the outliers. Also, being very aware of your body, how it works, what works for it and what does not, helps you make and informed decisions.
It use to be that medical doctors told you of the side effects and black box side effects so if you had a reaction you would know to call the doctor and come up with a new plan. Now, people are not told of side effects or the black box side effects.
Particularly in the field of mental health, prescribers are frequently using anti-psychotic medication to treat other mental health issues, like depression and bipolar. And they are using it as a first-time medication rather than for people who are not responding to the typical antidepressants or mood stabilizers.
A colleague of mine told me her daughter went to see a prescriber once and they prescribed her an anti-psychotic for mood stabilization. My colleague was horrified. They had never even offered the standard medications, the less toxic options. And they never told her what they were, how they worked, what the side effects and black box side effects were. Suffice it to say, she told her daughter to discard them and they found a new prescriber.
The problem is that anti-psychotics come with some serious side effects and a very serious black box side effect. And people are never told about them. Anti-psychotics can come with extra-pyramidal symptoms, muscles stiffness, tremors or involuntary movements. They are given another drug to address these symptoms. In some cases, particularly with long term use, a person can develop Tardive dyskinesia: involuntary repetitive movements like grimacing, lip-smacking and uncontrollable movements of limbs and torso. Tardive dyskinesia can become permanent.
When I worked on a locked psychiatric unit early in my career, we had a 17yo who had been on these medications for years and he had a very pronounced gate much like the old Quasimodo character in horror films from a very long time ago. This was a permanent disorder for him and he was only 17yo.
Now there are times that a person may choose to be on a drug that can cause serious long term issues, such as liver or kidney damage or even tardive dyskinesia, but they cannot make that choice if they are never fully educated about a drug and what side effects and black box side effects it can cause. People should at least be given a choice.
Ok, I will get off my soapbox now.
Please educate yourself and demand detailed information about your treatment modalities.