by Lisa Frederiksen
As you’ve read in various posts on this blog and elsewhere, I’m sure, mental illness is one of the risk factors for developing the disease of alcoholism and/or alcohol misuse problems. Mental illness (ADHD, bipolar, depression, anxiety) is also present in just over half of those with alcoholism and/or alcohol abuse problems in what is known as a dual diagnosis. For these reasons, I wanted to use today’s post to draw your attention to Victoria Costello‘s post, “The Dangerous ‘Upside’ of Denying Mental Illness,” posted on Psychology Today’s website, March 10. To give you a sense of her article, please find the following excerpt:
I’ve been disturbed of late by a print media trend towards what looks an awful lot like a reactionary bandwagon on mental illness. A prime example was the NY Times Magazine story of 2.28.10 titled, “Depression’s Upside.”
If the reader can get past the feeling of revulsion that depression need have an “upside,” there’s plenty more in this story to anger anyone who’s ever battled this disease or dealt with it in a family member.
This block quote sums up Jonathan Leher’s main point… “The depression might be worth it if it helps you better understand social relationships. Maybe you need to be less rigid or more loving.”
In light of the direct connection between depression and suicide (60 percent of the 33,000 Americans who die by suicide each year suffer from clinical depression), if Lehrer can’t think of another less dangerous way of improving social relationships, I pity anyone who consults with him about their depression. But I’m also very concerned about his message, and how it appears to be part of a trend (back) towards the denial of mental illness, especially the debilitating disease of depression.
