I will begin by qualifying myself. I worked in mental health for over 5 years from the floor up from psych tech in a mental hospital, needs assessment specialist, assistant to the director of continuum of care for a residentail treatment facility and finaly as a case manager for an intensive in home program.

There is a disconnect in those who provide treatment for alot of poeple in situations like the one described in this article. I have worked with doctors who all to often have said, "What meds are they on?" "Lets increase them." Without seeing the patient or attempting to address any underlying needs or changes (in one case the onset of puberty) that may have had some effect on the patients physiology.

Part of the disconnect comes from how medicaid and other insurace companies demand that its services are billed (in discrete 10-15 minute units)and then how the local mental health facilites promote this within their agencies. I was once told by a supervisor that I should "take a client fishing" to get more units and bill it as a "therapeutic exercise". The other part comes from the intrusion of big pharmaceutical companies and their kickbacks etc as described by others.

I finally grew tired and became wore down with fighting this massive system and eventually left it. Your letter brought tears to my eyes and I felt your pain not because I have been in the same situation but because I have been on the other side of the fence and fought a similar fight. I am glad in your case things came out for the good.

That's as close to socialized med we have today. Does it have a better record in this area? Medicare fraud and inept care is a pretty big deal. Now the providers will tell you it's because the reimbursement rates suck but I tend to think that people are generally bad at their jobs. Socialized medicine may wind up being either cheaper or better but not both.

I've been known to express the opinion that antidepressants are among the best things ever invented by man. And I don't think that's an overstatement.

They have proved incredibly helpful to me and they are allowing me to lead a much fuller life. Increased mood, increased energy, less social anxiety. I am more present and small things have stopped seeming like incredibly heavy burdens. What I'm talking about here is stuff like doing your laundry and getting out of bed to go to the corner store to get some food. And no more of that indescribable suffering you experience in the throes of depression. None of that "foggy head" that makes you unable to properly concentrate on work and makes you feel you could curl up and die.

I experienced all of these and I was a functioning depressive: never dropped out of school or lost jobs over this. It took excruciating effort not to, but I count myself lucky that I could 'keep afloat'. There are many people who can't.

So sure, antidepressants have side effects. All drugs do, by the way. The nature of the human body and of our current level of understanding of it is such that it's really hard to develop an effective-and-almost-side-effect-free drug. I'm not a drug industry advocate, but I understand drug development is a very complex process that can't be compromise free. I'm experiencing some side effects from SSRIs, yes - but of the alternatives available to me at this time, being on them is the better option. And I'm very grateful they exist.

As to the situation described in the article, I think the main issue is the way the meds were prescribed, not their inherent therapeutic value/lack thereof.

Although I'm pleased to learn that Ms. Bauer was able to find a successful resolution to a terrifying medical predicament for her son, I had a hard time getting past the beginning of the article.

Generalizing autism as "rigid", "routine", and "a little eccentric" does a tremendous disservice to the wide spectrum that autism encompasses. I only WISH "a little eccentric" could be used to describe my nephew, being raised single-handedly by my sister. He's 13 and has the vocal, mental and self-control capacity of a 3 year old child. My sister has resisted putting him on any medications because she was apprised early on that children with autism often have nasty reactions and side effects to medications that work well with "normal" people. However as adolescent hormones have taken over, contrasting with an inability to function as more than a small child, my nephew has become more prone to physical outbursts and I worry for my sister's safety. She has finally found a gentle medication that seems to help keep him somewhat quiet (and finally, after 13 years, allow him to sleep for more than 4 hours at a stretch).

I feel for Ms. Bauer and all that she has been through, but please don't make the mistake of suggesting that all autistics have savant qualities and are merely "eccentric". The reality is that autism can be very scary and debilitating in its natural state.

1. The relationships that all physicians have with the drug manufacturers.

2. The need for persons with chronic diseases to take charge of their own lives.

3. The families of persons with chronic diseases have limited power to change the lives of

afflicted persons.

4. Physicians are not gods, although some act that way.

5. The need for information, information and more information.

I speak from bitter experience. My son suffered from depression. I begged and pleaded with him to get help, but he refused. In 1996 he committed suicide.

I have a hereditary, chronic, fatal condition. I would say that only within the last 10 years has this condition been widely known among physicians. This condition can be diagnosed with a blood test. In 2002 my brother asked two physicians to authorize the test, only to be told that this condition did not exist. Finally in 2003, armed with a copy of my lab report and seeing a physician that was more open to suggestion, he had the test done. Luckily, he and his children have dodged the genetic bullet.

What this all boils down to is this:

Ms. Bauer was persistent, perceptive and lucky. She has been able to improve the life of her son and those who surround him by finding the right combination of professional help, willing participation by her son, and the understanding and compassion of his family and acquaintances. There is no magic bullet for any one.