Doctors argue that depression 'should not be
seen as a disease'
Irish Independent Wednesday November 30th 2005
Eilish O'Regan Health Correspondent
DEPRESSION should be viewed as an emotion rather than a disease,
according to the authors of a controversial new book.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Michael Corry of Clane General Hospital and
Dublin psychotherapist Dr Aine Tubridy question the widespread use of
drugs to treat depression, saying it is more "band-aid" than
cure.
One in five of the population was prescribed anti-depressants last year
at a cost of €100m.
However, while these can give a "short uplift to mood", they
can mask the underlying cause and lead to relapse on withdrawal, the
medics insist.
The doctors make the claims in their book, 'Depression: An Emotion not
a Disease', and call for more emphasis on psychotherapy to provide insights
into problems and behavioural changes.
Commenting on the book, Dr Siobhan Barry, spokesperson for the Irish
Psychiatric Association, said the views expressed would not be termed
unorthodox.
"What would be unorthodox is if they were saying that antidepressant
medication never had a place in the treatment of depression," she
said.
Options
Dr Barry said that different kinds of treatment were needed for various
types of depression which varY in severity, and some people on anti-depressants
might benefit from having them reviewed, with other options considered
by their doctor.
Growing numbers of antidepressants were being prescribed but it was
open to question if more people were depressed, she added.
The authors emphasise the need to look at a range of treatments for
depression - such as sleep, exercise, nutrition, acupuncture , yoga,
massage and psychotherapy.
They appeal to their colleagues to join them in seeking better ways
to help vulnerable people suffering from depression.
They said it was impossible to separate depression from its causes -
such as sexual abuse, bullying, dysfunctional relationships, poverty,
panic, broken hearts and the increasing demands on everyone to "have
a life" and make ends meet.
If people saw depression as an emotion it could be viewed as empowering,
optimistic and liberating, putting the sufferer back at the helm rather
than at the the mercy of disease.
They argue: "If we stand back and look at depression, it has few
of the characteristics of a disease.
"If, for example, you lose your job or your lover rejects you and
you become depressed, would your depression not immediately lift if
your job was reinstated and your lover returned? This would not be the
case if you had renal illness, cancer, diabetes or any other disease.
"Many a depression would be lifted instantly by a Lotto win or
the departure of an abusive spouse."
Dr Barry pointed out one of the problems with psychiatrists working
in the public system is that they can have a case list of up to 400
patients.
This means the amount of time they can devote to the individual patient
is curtailed even though they would benefit from being able to talk
more.
"If you threw out the disease label it would probably not make
a whit of difference to how depression is treated," she added.
© Irish Independent
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