Recovery is more then just medication. You can't blame the doctor if someone descides to drink alcohol with their meds, it is noted on the bottle not to drink. Depression came before the meds and alcohol is a depressant. Sounds like he needed a therapist with the meds not a drink. Don't blame those who are helping to educate people like your brother, because of your lack of knowledge. Support from family may have helped your brother. Hopefully the next time you'll seek out a professional instead of playing the blame game. No offense to your brother, his pain was more then he could bare. He was a victim of an illness not a doctor or pill. Hopefully when your done being angry you'll educate yourself, so when the next family member or friend is sick, you can help them. It is those educating others that help save lives.

but there are mental health conditions that do result from chemical imbalances and are every bit as physical as diabetes or heart disease for example. you would no more tell a diabetic to not take insulin than you would tell someone who is bi-polar not to take their medication.

june w. this day shall live in infamy. I agree with you 100% on that statement.

Mental Health America is trying to get politicians to include mental health diagnoses in health insurance so that they cover the medications and treatment of those with mental health diagnoses. It is exactly as stated by june w., not a fault of the person. If more sufferers of mental health diagnoses could receive adequate supportive treatment, then perhaps fewer would feel the need to "self medicate" in the form of substance abuse, in order to feel okay.