Burnard P
School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK.
J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2006 Apr;13(2):242-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2850.2006.00936.x.
Depression has been well documented, in the academic sense. This paper offers one person's experience of periods of depression. It describes symptoms and personal ideas about this commonly experienced condition. It raises questions about the legitimacy of psychiatric and psychological theorizing, and draws from various existential positions to support the text. The author suggests that depression is not, particularly a 'learning experience' and, far less, a form of personal growth.