Clinical depression is found in my family also, and my youngest sister and I are unable to function without medication.
There are a couple of issues that I have regarding the article and the term "mental illness."
"Mental" is a meaningless term given the current understanding of brain chemistry disorders and likely explains the disparity between men and women in reported depression. "Mental" implies a personal weakness that is rejected by men of my cohort. You simply "pull yourself up by the boot straps" and be a "man." It should be no surprise that older men make up the group most at risk for suicide. Older women are often told by their general physicians to just put on a happy face, get a hobby, etc.
The "mind" is nothing more than a construct and doesn't exist in reality. The brain and how it functions is very real. "Love," often associated with the heart, is another construct, but no one refers to a "love illness."
I was impressed that the article emphasized the importance of family dynamics in regards to a depressed family member. The article is not intended to be inclusive of all research concerning family/illness dynamics, so I feel compelled to point out the cause/effect fallacy that may be in play. I am a proponent of Family Systems Theory for psych interventions. I recommend attention should be focused upon the family dynamics prior to the diagnosis of depression. The basic question is whether the family has an invested interest in the member being "sick?"
I would appreciate Gilda's thoughts on this in that she has looked deeply into her family dynamics through therapy.
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