Title: Talk Doesn’t Pay, So Psychiatry Turns Instead to Drug Therapy - The New York Times
Headings: Talk Doesn’t Pay, So Psychiatry Turns Instead to Drug Therapy
Talk Doesn’t Pay, So Psychiatry Turns Instead to Drug Therapy
Missing the Intrigue
Drawing the Line
Quick Decisions

Content: Two years ago, the man developed rheumatoid arthritis and became severely depressed. His family doctor prescribed an antidepressant, to no effect. He went on medical leave from his job at an insurance company, withdrew to his basement and rarely ventured out. “I became like a bear hibernating,” he said. Missing the Intrigue
He looked for a psychiatrist who would provide talk therapy, write prescriptions if needed and accept his insurance. He found none. He settled on Dr. Levin, who persuaded him to get talk therapy from a psychologist and spent months adjusting a mix of medications that now includes different antidepressants and an antipsychotic. The man eventually returned to work and now goes out to movies and friends’ houses. The man’s recovery has been gratifying for Dr. Levin, but the brevity of his appointments — like those of all of his patients — leaves him unfulfilled. “I miss the mystery and intrigue of psychotherapy,” he said. “