Manufacturing Depression: The Secret History of a Modern Disease
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.86 (714 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1416569804 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 464 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-08-20 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Part memoir, part intellectual history, part exposé—including a vivid chronicle of his participation in a clinical antidepressant trial—Manufacturing Depression is an incisive look at an epidemic that has changed the way we have come to think of ourselves.. Gary Greenberg, a practicing therapist and longtime depressive, raises a more disturbing possibility: that the disease has been manufactured to suit (and sell) the cure. Doctors, and drug companies, claim that this convergence is a public health triumph: the recognition and treatment of an under-diagnosed illness. Greenberg draws on sources ranging from the Bible to current medical journals to show how the idea that unhappiness is an illness has been packaged and sold by brilliant scientists and shrewd marketing experts—and why it has been so successful. At the same time, depression rates have skyrocketed; twenty percent of Americans are now expected to suffer from it during their lives. Am I depressed or just unhappy? In the last two decades, antidepressants have become staples of our medicine cabinets—doctors now write 120 million prescriptions annually, at a cost of more than 10 billion dollars
"Insightful and Funny" according to Ethan Watters. I first read Gary Greenberg's thoughts on depression in a Harper's essay that was passed from friend to friend always with the same insistence: "You've got to read this!" I'm pleased to say that the book is also a must read. It is a devilishly hard thing to see how one's culture informs one's sense of self. Some writers try to manage the trick by becoming vociferous critics of the psychological trends of their time, endlessly pointing out the mistakes of all th. warm said It's about time!. Finally, a critical history of depression that illuminates the conditions and origins of the malady while advocating humanely on behalf of its sufferers. I loved this book! Combining narratives about his own experiences as both a depressed person and a professional therapist treating the depressed, along with a fascinating history of depression from the time of the ancients (including a wonderful reading of the Book of Job as an early record of depression) thro. Challenging and enlightening, yes. Pat, easy answers, no C. Billy Gary Greenberg has stepped into the 'treacherous waters of anti-depressantresearch' and challenged the old-guard establishment, calling into question theintegrity of the entire healthcare industry - but he doesn't necessarily outlinea concrete remedy for the frustrating mess. And as we all know, the Americanpeople don't mind if you enlighten them on the problem, but you'd betterfollow that up with the ANSWER.And Greenberg doesn't do that. He nudges, he suggests
He offers a measured dose of philosophy in contemplating whether unhappiness should be regarded as a disease or instead as an essential part of being human. Ultimately, his book is a sobering critique of the marketing wizards who have overhyped the dubious benefits of antidepressants and of an American public all too eager for quick fixes to life’s inevitable challenges and disappointments. Instead of dry polemics, he offers a witty and often very personal investigation into the roles doctors, drug companies, and patients themselves have played in casting depression as “the common cold” of American mental illness. From Booklist Science writer and psychotherapist Greenberg has suffered from bouts of depression himself, which eminently qualifies him
He has written about the intersection of science, politics, and ethics for many publications, including Harper's, the New Yorker, Wired, Discover, RollingStone, and Mother Jones, where he's a contributing writer. Gary Greenberg is a practicing psychotherapist in Connecticut and author of The Noble Lie.