Oh Sugar
It strikes me that we here at SES have written a grand total of nothing about the recent findings concerning anti-depressants, or in fact any other scientific matter. At all.
This is most likely for the perfectly valid reason that none of us know anything much about it, at least as far as I am aware, but given that I am a stalwart defender of empiricism {or at least try to be} my take here is devoid of any real grounding in the knowledge required but at least impassioned {not that that matters to science, but still…}:
My problem with much of the media response is that it seemed to consist of arguments along the lines of “Oh, well you see, its still something that has effects. It doesen’t matter that they’re “Mere” placeboes, since they actually -do- something, after all, and with drugs that’s all that matters, right?”
Well, yes. It rather is, this logic holds just so long as there is no other effect of taking the drugs. Which makes this study a very strong case in favour of using for doctors starting to diagnose their patients pure sugar. It is clear that placeboes have a notable impact upon this form of mental disorder.
But to propose something that mangles minds in all -sorts- of ways beyond the depression and actually do a grand total of…Nothing. Nothing besides assisting your expections, is patently irrational. And only, I fear, being argued since Big Pharma can not make -that- much money out of peddling C12H22O1.
Especially since sugar pills will never you impotent, whereas Prozac often will. As a tramp-poem I once read in The Big Issue asked: “How can a drug which stops you having sex possibly make you any happier?”
I would here recommend Ben Goldacre’s article on the topic and say that that makes me right but that, of course, would be the form of appeal to authority fallacy that he detests above all else. So don’t accept it because you think it’s impressive that he’s a doctor {in fact he usually does his best to cover that up} and don’t accept it because he’s never been wrong before {although he hasn’t}, just read the article and accept it because he’s right.
Sugar pills are the future, glorified impotence causing snake oil the past. Progress still the norm.
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