Siren HEALTH the
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College Tribune | October 14th 2008
Dark side of the moon Counselling psychologist Leslie Shoemaker speaks to Aoife Ryan about when sadness becomes a disorder There is not one person who can say they have never experienced a thoroughly, unforgettably bad day. Most of us can recall a dozen experiences in the last week of an aggravating nature without much hassle in fact. It is, to give ourselves credit, only human nature. If we didn’t have the occasional low moment we would be in serious danger of becoming clones of Alec Baldwin’s character in his guest appearance of Friends; so ecstatic we made those around us depressed. However, it is when these occasional feelings of sadness become the expected that we should begin to survey our health. In the last number of years the stigmatisation of mental health has been greatly removed. Government funded mental health awareness advertisements now have great
prominence in the media and online forums are available for those who want to either learn more and confide to fellow sufferers. Social attitudes towards mental health have evolved so much that jokes are frequently made about yuppie trend followers attaching themselves to psychological disorders in order to appear more complex and elusive. Nevertheless, behind closed doors and out of the public eye, mental illnesses such as bipolar depression still retain a darkened, exaggerated image that can play havoc with the daily lives of sufferers. Counselling psychologist Leslie Shoemaker comes into contact with various mental grievances such as bipolar depression, and the lesser known seasonal affective disorder, on a frequent basis. Bipolar depression is rapidly becoming a more comprehended disorder on the whole as symptoms become more defined and diagnosis made more possible as a result. A disorder which two decades ago would have been an unrecognisable medical term for the majority of the public is now widely familiar, which begs the question whether seasonal affective disorder will in a short space of time become a household term. “S.A.D. relates to the effect the change of seasons to autumn and winter, when there is less light around, has upon certain people. At this stage it is difficult to determine whether many are affected by S.A.D. because definite statistics on it aren’t widely available but it is most likely on the increase in diagnosis because it is accepted now as a real disorder”, states Shoemaker. Research shows that the depression is linked to our need of sunlight, which regulates our body clocks. The amount and intensity of sunlight decreases come winter, which can cause a depressive attack. V a r i o u s hormones and chemicals, as well as disrupted sleep and the disturbance of serotonin levels, which control our
appetite and mood, are thought to be factors in the causes of S.A.D. The symptoms are similar to other depressive disorders; socially withdrawn, irritable and moody, concentration difficulties and anxiousness. “There are a number of ways you can treat S.A.D., one of which is light box therapy. Essentially, this involves exposure to strong artificial light that mimic daylight. Another form of treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy or medication. This disorder is still really in
‘bad and extreme’ as those on the show. It is important to stress that this disorder, like all, occurs on a spectrum from mild to severe.” One of the greatest problems in dealing with bipolar depression is not only coping with the dangers one faces when experiencing a low but the physical dangers that can occur during the highs. “The problem is that when people with bipolar are elated they don’t think about the consequences of their behaviour at all. In a Richard Gere film, “Mr. Jones”, there is a scene which accurately portrays this. The character is at a building site doing dangerous activities but he cannot recognise that they threaten his safety.” Although the cause of bipolar is not definite, it is assumed to be genetic. Myths surrounding the susceptibility of highly-intelligent people are now being dispelled. As it is a lifelong disorder, control and stability need to be established in order to allow the person to continue with their life. “Medication controls the symptoms but cannot get rid of the problems that the person may be having with their family and friends. If they feel good sometimes the person decides to come off their medication, which only exacerbates the difficulties they experience daily.” Many people face the worry whether medication will effect judgement negatively or alter the personality of the sufferer. However, Shoemaker denies the possibility of this. “Medication addresses the physical manifestations and cannot stop a person from feeling or impact upon the personality.” Among the number of misconceptions surrounding depression, is that sufferers cannot empathise. Rather, it is that they may find it difficult to express empathy due to feeling entangled in their own personal problems. It is known as the selfish disorder; an image which does not aid any possible sufferer’s desire for diagnosis, or the stereotype and social stigma. “People are afraid of being labelled ‘crazy’, which does happen. If we are to progress, we need to wipe clear any preconceptions, which only categorise and belittle people.”
“People are afraid of being labelled ‘crazy’, which does happen. If we are to progress, we need to wipe clear any preconceptions, which only categorise and belittle people” the early stages yet and needs to be further explored before treatment can be made more definite.” Similarly, sufferers of bipolar depression often experience restlessness and irritability among many of the possible symptoms. Despite allusions in available public texts that the two are linked somehow, Shoemaker denies any correlation. Both are, instead, critically important disorders in the depression range that need to be understood if advancement is to be made in either. “Bipolar depression is also known as ‘manic’ depression. The one feature that differentiates this from depression is that in addition to feeling down, people with this type of depression become elated. They feel they have lots of energy, racing thoughts and difficulty sitting still.” The question of representation once again raises its head with mental health. “Stephen Fry actually did an amazing television program that discussed his bipolar depression. The purpose was to educate the public and to reduce stigmatization. The only downside to this program was that he interviewed quite extreme sufferers. People I know who suffer from bipolar now feel they are viewed as being as
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