In this episode I take an exhaustive look at the diverse perspectives of depression, that pervasive mood disorder that afflicts far too many people. I explore its gradual onset and chronic, often life-long course, and highlight the overwhelming features of depression, from low mood and poor appetite to poor sleep and loss of interest in pleasurable activities. I also explore the less appreciated dimension of the pain of depression.
I illustrate the lived experience of depression with such fascinating patient accounts as that of Sally Brampton titled Shoot the Damned Dog, of Lewis Wolpert titled Malignant Sadness, of Andrew Solomon titled The Noonday Demon, and of William Styron titled Darkness Visible. Significantly, the memoirs stress the difficulty people have in recognising that their low mood has crossed the threshold into depression.
The interplay of familial and environmental risk factors of depression is also a major theme of the podcast which emphasised such critical provoking life events as divorce and loss of income. I also discussed the risk of suicide that may complicate depression, a theme that I explored by relying on the book When It is Darkest by psychologist and suicide expert Rory O’Connor.
I also discuss the different treatment modalities of depression, from antidepressants and psychotherapy to somatic therapy, the long road to recovery, and the ever-present risk of treatment resistance and relapse. Other themes the podcast covers are the shame and stigma that accompany depression.
The historical themes of the podcast highlight the insights of Abu Zayd Al Balkhi in depression and cognitive behaviour therapy, that roles played by Sigmund Freud and Joseph Breuer in establishing psychoanalysis, and that of Nathan Kline in the development of the first antidepressant.
