“The researchers found that compared with placebo, these new-generation antidepressant medications did not yield clinically significant improvements in depression in patients who initially had moderate or even very severe depression. The study found that significant benefits occurred only in the most severely depressed patients.” This excerpt from a recent AP article made me think about all of the devices used to alleviate depression. They all share the common characteristic of addressing a symptom instead of a cause. If I were to take a drug to feel better, the drug will eventually wear off. Or the supply will go away. Or my condition will change so the medication won’t work anymore. This is the reason why people shouldn’t be medicated for most emotional issues. The environment that caused stress that the drugs masked can change in a heartbeat and then require a whole new set of coping mechanisms. Sometimes the reaction can be violent, which is a whole new topic. Suffice it to say that the way we look and the way we feel basically has to be dealt with and the better we learn to feel about ourselves, the better the quality of life overall. Our self image has to be cultivated to bring us true happiness. Whether you are heavy, not attractive by society’s usually false norms, or simply feeling inadequate in yourself, the inner search for self-acceptance is the true panacea to distress.