Depression: Out of the Shadows
PBS has recently begun airing this very good program on the complex subject of depression. We are invited into some personal, painful stories, but also introduced to the latest treatments. The program can be viewed online at the PBS website.
Please forward this information to anyone you know who has been touched by this illness.
Please forward this information to anyone you know who has been touched by this illness.
Also, if you have seen the program, I would appreciate hearing from you through the comments section of this blog. I'd like to know what parts of the program most resonate with your own experience, and I'd like to know what treatment approaches have been most helpful to you or to those you know who have recovered or are recovering from depression.
Wes
2 comments:
Good series. I wish I could have a series of scans of my brain by which I could verify my depression and mark progress. I have difficulty feeling the progress I know I've made (or been told I've made.) I have a favorite quote that suggests the goal is not to be happy, but to honestly know yourself and choose a suitable life. After watching this series, that seems like a miserable goal. I want the magic bullet to area 25! I can and do lead a productive life. What I really want is...to feel happy. To truly be in this moment...To feel the light in the room get brighter...
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. It's amazing how fast we are learning more about the brain. You need to send PHILIP BURGUIERES of the Houston Texas a donor letter for WFMHC. He seems to get the problem.
Solomon's description of depression as an illness of loneliness resonated most with me. "And the primary experience is the feeling of being isolated, of being alone, of being cut off from everyone and everything." The mental and physical heaviness is so exhausting. At times it can literally feel like you are being crushed under the weight of it all. Many of the individuals spoke of how important the support of a therapist, family members or a close friend was for them. Medication helped me to a degree, but for me the value of those human connections cannot be underestimated. Nothing can take the place of a steadfast, compassionate therapist/friend.
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