[Pharmboy]

Well, you raise an excellent point. But again, it depends on the genetic endowment. For example, schizophrenia is an excellent example. In identical twins, we know that if one twin manifests the clinical syndrome (e.g., auditory hallucinations, delusions, inability to discern reality from fantasy, social dysfunction) only about half the time will the other twin go the same route. The difference? Likely varying environmental experiences.

We also know that environmental stress will bring on the symptoms...but once the syndrome is seen, it will respond to drugs.

And again, some children will come out of absolutely dismal environments relatively unscathed, whereas other kids brought up with every convenience and ease will be thieves, killers or rapists.

But there is no reason to believe that severe anxiety disorders brought about by environmental stressors will not respond to medication. The brain chemistry is affected by experience and by its genetic potential. The best explanation I've seen says that our genes give us a range--and our environment puts us at a specific point within that range.

[Old Professer]

That brings me to my third point, the environmental influence of the administration of psychotropics; how much of the benefit observed is due to the physiological response versus the psychological response incorporating the administration and the administrator?

We consistently see that in a clinical setting psychotropics work wonders while released patients left to their own self-medication cause grievous failures.