Remembering Those....

[Lisandro]

Let's see if I can explain myself:

1. The incident is terrible. It's a pity, deeply sad, sorry. My condolences to the victims' parents and relatives.

2. I want to bring up a reflexion. Like old Pope John II asked, which kind of society are we living? A society that could in one century makes two world wars, create the power to autodestruction, fight and kill, do not protect the weak, the children, the poor, etc., couldn't we help with a little drop in the ocean and try to make the world better: maybe if we help to make better the people around us, we can contribute to the rest of the world. Talking seriously: I think the society has to find some answers and we must feel ourselves something 'guilty' to these things. Otherwise, life goes on, nobody changes nothing, thinks nothing... nothing is related to us, nothing has nothing to teach us. I'm not scared to think that I, myself, need to do something to avoid this sad things to happen. The guilty is not *only* the mad man.

It's my 0.02. Hope it does not bring fire to this thread and the avast forums.

[Gene J]

Polonus and mauserme, yes it is true that antidepressants were involved. Please remember that this man was a troubled soul. He was diagnosed with his problem before he went on doctor prescribed medication. Drugs cannot cure every problem, and I doubt it made this young man's problems worse. Many people with mental illness refuse to stay on their medication, and our society has not shown much empathy towards solving their problems.

The three most important women in my life (mother, significant other, and best friend) are taking antidepressants and are much better for it. Sadly, I also have a younger brother living on the street in Georgia because he refuses to take medication for his problems. We have not heard from him in over a year now and are quite concerned about him.

I also am deeply saddened by the deaths at VT. My thoughts and heart-felt sorrow go out to all involved, including the family of the man that caused this catastrophe.

Our society once again has a lot of collective thinking to do.

If you have some time, here is a excellent blog by a family that is dealing with mental illness on an ongoing basis that is well worth bookmarking: mindriddles.blogspot.com 

[.: Mac :.]

It really is terrible what happened. :'( Technical says it best:

I think the society has to find some answers and we must feel ourselves something 'guilty' to these things. Otherwise, life goes on, nobody changes nothing, thinks nothing... nothing is related to us, nothing has nothing to teach us. I'm not scared to think that I, myself, need to do something to avoid this sad things to happen. The guilty is not *only* the mad man.

This hits home with me as it was not too long ago I was in college

[Negeltu]

My heart goes out to those who have suffered through this ordeal. 

I would also like to say that antidepressants and antipsychotics should not be demonized in my opinion.  I have 3 friends who have to take anti depressants and antipsychotics like Haldol, Geodon, Zyprexa and Zoloft.  They could NOT function without them.  They will literally become violent/aggressive/paranoid WITHOUT them.  Then they will just cease to function.  WITH the meds they got their degrees in college, play in their bands and have somewhat normal relationships.  Is psychiatry perfect?  No way!  Many things need to be rethought, but for many people that is all they have to function.  Just remember that.

[mauserme]

I would also like to say that antidepressants and antipsychotics should not be demonized in my opinion. 

I did not mean to imply they do.

What I've seen, in my non-medical/unqualified to diagnose anything capacity, is that sometimes the drugs seem to remove inhibitions that people normally posses. 

I have a friend who went bankrupt after going on antidepressants - he seemed to believe he couldn't fail at anything, even in some terrible business decisions that everyone around him recognized could not work.  He was always an over confident person before the drugs, but to the point of ruin after going on the medication.

I think in some people if there is a strong tendency toward a particular attribute, be it self-confidence or violence, antidepressants can remove the control of that tendency.  And I have heard that they may have contributed to other, similar acts.



Just my opinion, though ...


2Tech - In a small way isn't that part of why we're on this forum?  Making things better in whatever way we can.  But it does need to be broader than just this.

[Lisandro]

2Tech - In a small way isn't that part of why we're on this forum?  Making things better in whatever way we can.

Fully agree... so this is why we're here...

But it does need to be broader than just this.

Sure... that is why I want the others *think* about what happened and, maybe, discover that need to be better in some way: compasion, friendship, giving time and love to the others, help, forgive!, etc. etc.

[Gene J]

Quote from mauserme:
"I have a friend who went bankrupt after going on antidepressants - he seemed to believe he couldn't fail at anything, even in some terrible business decisions that everyone around him recognized could not work.  He was always an over confident person before the drugs, but to the point of ruin after going on the medication."

mauserme: What you have described is a person who is "bi-polar" which used to be called manic-depressive. He needed the antidepressant for the depressive state and he should have been taking something for the manic portion also. Many people when they are manic believe they are a god. If someone feels they "couldn't fail at anything" why would they want to take a drug to stop that feeling. Manic people are very prone to not wanting to take their prescribed medications. Surprisingly, the medication they often need isn't even a drug, it is lithium salt.

[polonus]

Hi GeneJ.

I fully agree with you that some people need prescribed drugs, and also should be taken off when they show averse reactions. But drugs can never be a solution for things that could be altered in another way.
In how many cases this is entered as an easy way out of a social or an emotional problem. To be on drugs for years and years can make people really inert, rob them of their emotions, and turn them into hopeless zombies.
Off course when the alternative forms no solution, I agree with you. But do not think that this is candy, the averse effects can be gruesome as well or when someone goes "berserk" because of this or take their own lives...the cause is often missed. It is a two-sided sword and that is what it is, and it just depends what side cuts deepest.

polonus

[Marc57]

I think the school has to take some responsibility in this, After the first shooting they should have been on lockdown and had extra officers on patrol until the killer was found. (just my opinion)

[Gene J]

Polonus: Modern drugs for depression do not turn people into "zombies". They let them lead normal lives. Some drugs for schizophrenia do have bad side effects, but compared to the disease untreated, most people are far better off on the medication as prescribed. The blog I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread, will show how these drugs have affected one young man and his family.

No one has suggested that the young student at VT was on any of those schizophrenia meds.

You might wish to Google the side effects of Zoloft or Prozac for the specific side effects of these two antidepressant drugs.

Keep up the good fight against malware, I enjoy reading your posts.

[drhayden1]

to not to be forgotten-one week after the horror and forever :'(

[Lisandro]

to not to be forgotten-one week after the horror and forever :'(

Thanks for posting their photo... It's unbelievable that the media news give more importance to the killer than to the victims... I don't want to know more about the killer... I wish people care about the victims more...