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From the New York Times letter section comes further evidence that depression is the Rodney Dangerfield of diseases. Read More
sons
I must admit, having raised three sons myself, (and been considered clueless by all of them at one time or another; still that way by my youngest son) I'd love to see Dr. Kramer's youngest son treat HIM as if he were clueless!
kk
Depression is a chronic disease
This is my opinion based on personal experience. I am being treated for a chronic disease that could be fatal if left untreated. I see two healthcare professional who, I believe, saved my life. One I see monthly and the other I see every two weeks. I am prescribed a drug for my treatment. My quality of life has changed dramatically in the time since I started treatment and feel I now have hope of a normal life. My disease is depression. Death could be the result of self-neglect, self-mutilation, or self-destruction. In my case suicide was a very real possibility as death would have been a relief from the pain of a tortured mind and existence with little hope of a future. Without treatment my brain is a disorganized tangle that translates into a life of unbearable emotional confusion. I felt apathy towards myself and my loved ones. I tread perilously close to the edge and nearly lost my balance.
Terri, hang in there, I've been there ....
but don't believe in the label that depression is chronic.
I was misdiagnosed w/postpartum depression a number of years ago, and my depression persisted for a couple of years on Zoloft(I think I mentioned this already in a previous blog article). My psychiatrist also led me to believe that depression was CHRONIC.
Given this ominous prediction, I presumed that the statistics were stacked against depressed people, this information gave me little solace and made me even more, shall we say, "depressed"--if it weren't for my psychiatrist assigning me, along with the requisite prescription of an SSRI, to read Listening to Prozac cover-to-cover for the following session, there would have been no bright side at all to the situation.
I laugh at myself now when I think of what I took away from Dr. Kramer's book. I was a grad student at the time and I thought, wow, SSRIs are amazing, it can make an inhibited personality come out of its shell and sparkle. Could this wonderdrug give me an edge in the highly competitive arena of Harvard academics?! Could it make me faster, stronger (mentally), more charismatic, even, perhaps more creative! Would the drug alter my brain chemistry to remake me into one of the Ubermensch? Instead I should have thought, good heavens, medication?! Drugs?! How long would I be dependent on this extra synthetic, chemical substance, a happy pill which in reality wasn't a happy pill at all.
Is depression CHRONIC? Not for everyone and WE should not readily expect it or it WILL become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
For me, I've been experiencing some life-shattering upheavals these past few months, I've begun reading vigilantly about depression every chance I have, in anticipation of the onslaught of another depression, but it has not come. This period in my life is by far more challenging and difficult than I have ever experienced but still, so far so good,
OPTIMISM about the future REIGNS---fingers crossed.
And as for kids, my daughter already gives me attitude at the ripe old age of six and a half! Kids these days! I know I must be getting pretty old when I hear myself say that.
thanks
thanks for the encouragement tessa. i am hanging in there, 'cause life is good! Good luck in grad school...
One cool cat
How cool your son is, understanding IT, so early in life. The next time some old thinker wants to argue against your position ,maybe you can sleep in, and you can send your son in your place.It sounds as if he can slay a few dinosaurs as well. Thanks for the personal touch with the story. Sincerely,David
Response to No Respect (December 9, 2008)
I'm not qualified to judge whether anybody is a genius or not. But this was the acid test devised by Jonathan Swift in 1706, "When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in confederacy against him." By this yardstick, Dr. Kramer should've a pretty good shot at claiming the title !!
Old Soul
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