Unhappiness, Sadness and 'Depression': Antidepressants and the Mental Disorder Epidemic

by Tullio Giraldi

Overview

This book examines existing treatments, legislation and research methodology of depression and exposes their limitations, championing psycho-social support as an alternative. Depression, affecting 350 million people according to the World Health Organisation, is almost invariably diagnosed by the criteria of the American Psychiatric Association – a definition which encompasses those with normal emotional responses to stressful life events.

Tullio Giraldi discusses recent developments in popular and academic dialogue related to the use of antidepressants and recent increases in depression diagnosis and laments the rise in prescribing antidepressants despite their links to suicide and unfulfilled promises of efficacy and safety. He argues that psychotherapy is a cost effective treatment devoid of drugs' adverse effects. This work presents psycho-social support as an alternative to antidepressants, particularly for less severe cases, and as a more effective strategy for coping with the emotional challenges of today’s global reality. Patients, students of medicine and psychology, and professionals of mental health will find this work valuable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783319576565
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	08/09/2017
Edition description:	1st ed. 2017
Pages:	202
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x (d)

About the Author

Tullio Giraldi is a pharmacologist and clinical psychologist. He teaches clinical psychology and psychopharmacology at the University of Trieste, Italy, where he is an Eminent Scholar within their Faculty of Medicine, and is currently Visiting Professor at King’s College London, UK.

Table of Contents

Foreword: Silvio Garattini.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Melancholy and Depression.- 3. The Diagnosis.- 4. The Mental Disorder Epidemic.- 5. Early Treatments.- 6. Treatment Becomes Effective.- 7. Assessing Efficiency.- 8. The Rise of Effective Treatments.- 9. A Matter of Chemistry.- 11. Written in the Genes.- 12. The Safety of Antidepressants.- 13. Conclusions.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The drug industry pushes pills by promoting ills. This valuable book exposes how Pharma has misleadingly marketed normal sadness and grief- turning them into clinical depression. We must stop this greedy medicalization and monetization of normal human experience.” (Allen Frances MD, Chair DSM IV Task Force and author of Saving Normal)

“Tens of us take an antidepressant of whom 90% have been on them for over a year. There are not that many depressed people. The fact so many are affected points to a medical or perhaps even a political problem that faces us with two issues – how did it arise and how do we get people out of the trap they are in. This book is your best guide to finding answers.” (David Healy, Professor of Psychiatry, Bangor University and author of Pharmageddon)

“A remarkable achievement! Unhappiness, Sadness and 'Depression' should be must reading for all health professionals and policy makers. Scholarly, yet at the same time eminently readable, It documents the history of medicalization of human misery and the role of commercial interests in current treatment practices.” (Irving Kirsch, Associate Director of the Program in Placebo Studies & Therapeutic Encounter at the Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and author of The Emperor's New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth)