"The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquillity as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament. "

Brother Lawrence

Is depression a problem of meaning or of medicine?

June 1, 2008

I'm impressed by this description of personal experience with depression on Julian Sheather's blog. Julian is deputy head of ethics at the British Medical Association. The blog entry raises thoughtful issues about autonomy, antidepressants and the oversimplified argument whether depression is best seen as a biochemical imbalance in the brain or as some kind of issue about life management. The true situation is more subtle and interlocking than any kind of easy "either-or" debate suggests.

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antidepressants depression meaning autonomy control