Last week the BBC reported that a leading British psychiatrist, Professor Gordon Parker, had claimed that depression was being over-diagnosed. He suggested that people who are simply a bit unhappy or suffering from short term low mood are being diagnosed by doctors as being depressed.
We should remember that no one feels happy everyday of their lives, and that we the troughs in life, the times which aren’t so good, make us appreciate the good times that much more. Life cannot be a constant high, despite the best attempts of the media and celebrity culture to persuade us otherwise.
So to some extent I would like to agree with Professor Parker. The word depression has become over used and doctors need to be more careful over diagnosis. Certainly the over use of anti-depressants continues to be a problem. And there does seem to be a trend for people to look for solutions to the problems in their lives outside of themselves, either through drugs or by looking for labels to attach to themselves. In truth a lot of these “depressed” people might do better by taking responsibility for their own lives and leaving doctors free to deal with people who are truly depressed.
On the other hand though, I believe many more people are suffering from minor mental illnesses than we recognize. It is quite common to see the effects of depression and stress in everyday life. But increasingly we see adults who are deeply insecure and crave attention, or who act like spoilt children. People who cling to the latest fashions as if they were still fourteen. People who are so wrapped up in themselves that they forget they have other responsibilities as parents, workers, citizens.
I believe a lot of these people are depressed. They don’t really know what they want, who they are, or where they are going. They have no idea of what really makes them tick and they fill the void which is left with consumer goods and showing off. If these people could get into counseling, into therapy, and learn a lot more about themselves the world would be a much better place.
