Nobody Is Sad Anymore–They’re Depressed
September 17, 2008 / 1:41 pm • By Dr. Melissa ClouthierHave you had a bad day, bad week, bad month, bad year? Most likely you’re not sad from the loss of a job, a loved one or some other unfortunate circumstance, you’re depressed. This trend to pathologize the normal range of human experience means that everyone is “sick”.
Another view here.
4 Responses to “Nobody Is Sad Anymore–They’re Depressed”
September 17 2008 / 10:23 pm
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As someone who has had to struggle with depression for many years, I can tell you, it’s not just “sadness.” In fact, it doesn’t really feel much like sadness at all. It more closely resembles the feeling J.K.Rowling describes the Dementors as causing in the Harry Potter books: the feeling that there will never again be joy in the world. Unfortunate circumstances can trigger depression, but it is more than just a reaction of sadness. I wish it were otherwise.
September 17 2008 / 10:36 pm
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Trish,
I’m not suggesting that you struggle with something other than depression. What I’m saying is that there are real, legitimate reasons to be sad sometimes and it isn’t automatically depression. But these days, a sad person is often medicated rather than helped through his grief.
September 17 2008 / 11:04 pm
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I understand that, but I’m concerned about the fact that some people consider depression just an exaggerated feeling of sadness.
And real depression can be triggered by real, legitimate reasons to be sad. It’s true that some people are being treated for depression that they don’t have, but it’s also true that some real cases of depression are missed because they were triggered by an experience.
September 21 2008 / 4:03 pm
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Melissa, I agree that depression is likely misdiagnosed alot.
I think it is because doctors, especially family practitioners don’t understand the illness. Most of the mental health profession doesn’t understand depression because it’s very hard to get objective data and study it. That is my opinion on it anyway, as someone who has been treated on and off over the last 3 years and have struggled through depression for the last 8 or 9 years.
I think it’s dangerous to treat people with medication who don’t really need it. Saying they don’t need medication however, doesn’t mean that their condition is not depression. In my experience, cognitive therapy has been much more effective in treating depression.
Your comment about medicating versus helping someone through their grief is therefore, puzzling to me. It implies that medication is the right way to treat depression at all times.
I’m not sure what you are basing your comments on though because you don’t specify. It seems to be just a general intuitive perception of yours. It would’ve been better for you to state a stronger case because as it is it appears that you are belittling, to use your word, a legitimate, and potentially debilitating illness.