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Grief Isn’t a Medical Condition
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Grief Isn’t a Medical Condition
A few weeks after her dad died, Jenna had an OB-GYN appointment. She had also just given birth to her first daughter, so she was grieving, exhausted, hormonal, and overwhelmed.
When the doctor asked how she was doing, Jenna burst into tears.
“Would you like me to write you a prescription for an antidepressant?” the doctor asked gently.
In her latest article, Jenna explores something I have seen happen to several friends, often women in their 50s.
One was married to an abusive alcoholic. One was going through a painful divorce. Another had lost her sister to cancer. Yet after a brief appointment, each was told she was depressed, often with peri-menopause offered as the explanation, and prescribed antidepressants.
But were they depressed, or were they heartbroken, frightened, exhausted, and trying to survive something genuinely difficult?
What they needed first was time. A chance to cry. Someone to listen properly and ask what was happening in their lives. Perhaps a conversation about their life, Vitamin D sleep, nutrition, movement, sunlight, friendship, practical support, and ways to cope…followed by a simple call a week later: How are you doing? We know this is hard. We are still here.
As Jenna says, she is not talking about catastrophic or debilitating suffering. She is talking about… life.
Medication can be valuable and necessary. But not every painful emotion is an illness to eliminate. Sometimes grief, anxiety, anger, or exhaustion is telling us that something in our lives needs attention or change.
Does this resonate with you? Have you ever felt that a very human response to a difficult situation was treated as a diagnosis?
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2 Replies
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Here’s a Thought article here: https://imahealth.org/heres-a-thought-being-human-isnt-a-medical-condition/
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I am sure there are people who have been helped by anti-depressants, but in our family we have seen relatives who have had them prescribed when the cause of the depression is circumstances, not medical need. This creates a new problem where there was once just one…not only is the cause of the depression not being directly addressed, but now a new dynamic, namely a powerful drug has been introduced creating a dependency that will have to ultimately be weaned. It also can take a physical toll leading to a shortened life, one less healthy overall, or both. When medically necessary, an anti-depressant may be an effective tool in treatment. But when the problem is based on emotional and spiritual issues, anti-depressants only mask the symptoms and prevent the sufferer from acquiring the true help they need to cope.
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