Kim Ji-yong, director of Yonsei Well Mental Health Clinic
It has long been argued that mental illness is a fiction invented by doctors and pharmaceutical companies for their own benefit. Recently, however, a one-person media producer ignited this. Depression itself is a ‘false disease’ and it became controversial on the Internet by spreading an absurd story to the effect that ‘if you have the financial power of 1 billion won, all your worries will be solved’.
Such claims can seriously harm patients’ care. The most important factors in increasing the success rate of treatment are early treatment and prevention of recurrence. The longer the untreated period and the higher the number of recurrences, the worse it is.
Here’s their claim that depression doesn’t exist. It’s just a feeling of depression due to stress, and it goes away on its own when the environment is resolved. The name depression seems misleading. Depression is not just a state of feeling depressed. It is a state in which brain functions are generally deteriorated, resulting in various changes in thoughts, emotions, motivation, concentration, sleep, etc., which adversely affect daily life in the long term. Depression is just one feature that appears in the midst of it.
Depression is caused by three factors: biological, psychological, and environmental. There are certainly cases in which depressive symptoms resolve quickly when environmental stressors disappear. However, it is often independent of environmental factors. Will postpartum depression and menopausal depression caused by rapid changes in female hormones be solved with 1 billion won? Will depression caused by hypothyroidism, cerebral infarction, or seasonal depression be okay if you just live hard and keep your mind strong?
Just as the pain in a broken leg doesn’t suddenly go away just because you have wealth, mental illness is the same. Depression may temporarily improve, but recovery from depression is a separate issue.
Depression is a disease that clearly exists. Numerous studies have proven changes in neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, and changes in the brain’s network that processes emotions and stress. In a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, which can see the activity of body organs, the brain in a depressed state shows a decrease in activity. These changes are more pronounced in the brains of people with severe suicidal thoughts.
Negative thoughts are a key symptom of depression. I draw negative pictures of myself and the future. Many do not start treatment because they think it will not get better, and often give up soon. The nonsense of ‘I don’t have depression’ is very dangerous because it can further shake these anxious minds. I hope more people know exactly about depression, don’t give up because it won’t get better, and come out for treatment.
※ Director Kim Ji-yong of Yonsei Well Mental Health Clinic started with a podcast in 2017 and opened a YouTube channel called ‘Psychiatrist Brain Rich’ in January 2019 to introduce mental health information. As of September, the channel has about 170,000 subscribers. He is also the author of the essay ‘Sometimes a Psychiatrist’.
Does Director Kim’s depression exist? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9hpTsDBFME)
Kim Ji-yong, director of Yonsei Well Mental Health Clinic
2023-09-04 14:36:00
#depression #solved #billion #won마음처방
