There are many solutions to being unhappy. Go out and exercise, eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, consume less caffeine, and take your vitamins. Be skeptical about ads you see on TV that tell you depression is the catalyst for your unhappiness, because many of the drugs being advertised as “quick fixes” for depression have major side effects and withdrawal symptoms. These medications may work for some people, but nothing is guaranteed.
The following symptoms qualify as diagnosis for depression: sadness, feeling down in the dumps, changes in appetite, problems sleeping, and tiredness. However, determining diagnosis based purely on these symptoms would render one in five adults as depressed.
Depression is over-diagnosed. It is the number-one-treated psychological disorder in the world. A Japanese company promoted its medication for treatment of depression with an appalling awareness campaign stating, “Depression is a disease that anyone can get. It can be cured by medicine. Early detection is important.”
Antidepressants are marketed to the public as quick fixes to their problems. The general public uses the information they receive from the television ads to diagnose themselves. They seek medical attention by asking for medication they have seen advertised on TV.
“Too many people are being diagnosed with depression when they are merely unhappy,” said Professor Gordon Parker, psychiatrist of the University of New South Wales in Australia to the British Medical Journal. “Depression has become a ‘catch all’ diagnosis, driven by clever marketing from pharmaceutical companies and leading to the burgeoning prescription of antidepressant drugs.”
The medications available for treating depression have serious side effects because both depression and the medication affect chemical balances in the brain. It is a disorder that can neither be healed nor treated without the aide of a doctor. Depression is a serious disorder being exploited by the pharmaceutical industry for potential profit.
Commercials portray normal unhappiness as a state of depression. Zoloft coaxes their target audience, telling them that if they feel nervous, sad, tired, or alone, they may be depressed.
The wording of the commercial itself is possibly the most futile attempt to convince us that feeling emotion can be a sign of depression. Zoloft goes on to describe the disorder with a brief dramatization after they have the viewer asking either him or herself whether or not they have such mentioned symptoms. The final message left with the audience is “You just shouldn’t have to feel this way anymore,” coupled with a flower, a change to happier music, and a chirping bird.
Every drug commercial ends the same way: the viewer is told to ask their doctor about it. The most ridiculous part about every one of these commercials is the “oh and by the way” statement of a few miserable side effects, leaving many with harrowing images of nosebleeds and migraines. The deceiving part is that the side effects mentioned in commercials are only the common ones. It’s the rare side effects that should worry people.
Depression, although over-diagnosed, remains a serious issue and symptoms are confusing to any individual with emotions. It is extremely important to get help and remember not to diagnose yourself. In the end, a doctor will always know best.