----- Original Message -----
From: Betty Alfred <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, November 08, 1999 11:36 AM
Subject: Depression and disability


> In a message dated 11/07/1999 1:31:49 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> << I was wondering how many of us have depression due to our disabilities
and
>  take medicin? Now I'm taking Zoloft 50mg and talk to my doctor twice a
month.
>   >>
>
> I keep wondering -- for those of us who have, or have had depression --
how
> much of that is due to our disabilities, or society's response to our
> disabilities?
I keep wondering , that , too , Betty.  Kathy




>
> I've noticed two distinct emotional experiences (my personal anecdotal
data)
> that can be called depression, but I take umbrage with the patent
> classification of clinical depression in one experience.  I qualify that
> doubt by saying if the depression is due to society's response, then I
wish
> to assert my opinion that it is not entirely productive to make the
depressed
> person the target (e.g., "YOU are depressed.  Let's treat YOUR problem").
In
> short: The buck does not stop here.
>
> In that vein, I also wonder if a psychologist or other mental health
> professional who is not in tune with disability awareness issues, and who
is
> not "teachable," is truly qualified to treat the patient.
>
> I would ask you to bear with me.  My account is not about CP, but it seems
> that depression is a good discussion topic and I'm hoping that this will
be a
> positive inclusion.
>
> Part of my disability experience is knowing that physical change is the
> constant.  As soon as I become accustomed to one "level" of disability, I
> have an exacerbation and have to adjust to more loss.  Most of the time
it's
> not as serious a change as it was in the first year.  Nevertheless, I have
> noticed that a temporary bout of depression accompanies each change.  It's
a
> stark reminder of an uncertain future.  That's one type of depression I
> experience.  It's always temporary, and never serious in my estimation.  I
> have sought treatment for that in the past, and I am glad I did.  I will
seek
> treatment in the future if necessary.
>
> The second type of emotion that can come under the heading of depression
is
> the "bad feeling" I have due to the change in the way I am regarded in the
> public eye, and by former friends.  I was part of the "other world" for 38
> years, and I can safely say that I am treated differently than I was
treated
> before.  Learning about the wall that society seems happy to maintain has
> caused me great anger.  Not knowing it existed before I was disabled
causes
> me great anger toward myself -- how could I have been so stupid?  How
could I
> have wasted all those years when I should have been fighting for the
rights
> of all people?  Then I remind myself that the mainstream media, and former
> friends with disabilities, didn't tell me that there was a fight to be
fought
> -- as I tell anyone now who will listen.  Then I feel anger about that.
> Sometimes that anger turns to depression, because the fact that this fight
> exists -- to the degree that it must -- is absurd on the eve of a new
> millennium in this our "enlightened" society.
>
> I ask you: Is that clinical depression, or an expression of intelligence?
> Cogito Ergo Doleo.  I think therefore I am depressed.  I have no intention
of
> medicating, and therefore suppressing, the emotion that kicks me in the
butt
> and makes me fight for the independence of our children with disabilities,
> and our adults with disabilities who's voices have been suppressed through
> forced institutionalization and lack of communication technology.  That
> "depression" -- as much pain as it causes personally -- coerces me to keep
> communicating to others that the technology we have today can allow the
> majority, if not all of the disability community, to experience meaningful
> employment, and thus hold our rightful place in society.
>
> I'll be damned if I'll medicate that.  The target for treatment in that
case,
> in my opinion, is society.
>
> Any thoughts about that?
>
> Tribal blessings (and tribble blessings, for those of you who noticed a
> previous subject  line misspelling),
> Betty
>