Re: Robin's Choice
As a Mental Health practioner with 40 years of experience I felt compelled to respond to Mr. Godbout's editorial comment following the tragic death of Robin Williams.
Mostly, I was appalled at his apparent lack of knowledge regarding medications used to treat depression. In his editorial he describes these as "dehumanizing ... drugs that ... reduce him to a shadow of his former self... with the social engagement of a potted plant".
I'm not sure what Mr. Godbout is basing this description of the effects of antidepressants on, however, he is accurately describing the real and painful symptoms of depression itself. Thousands of people have found these medications to be "life saving" (in more ways than one)
and to have someone malign their benefits without any apparent scientific support, is careless and disrespectful.
People are often reluctant to try medications for the reasons cited, i.e. believing they will be "zoned out zombies", because of things they have read, (thanks Mr. Godbout for perpetuating this
negative myth) or heard from others. Fortunately, there are such a variety of medications out there
that, with support and careful monitoring, people can, and are, helped to return to a `normal' life. If a medication were to create the effects so vividly described in the editorial, they would be discontinued and something else tried instead.
If Mr. Godbout can find one medication out there that does not have some side effects, I would love to know about it. It is this type of thoughtless comment based on lack of knowledge that continues to stigmatize mental illness and prevent people from seeking the help they need. We are left with the impression that the choice for people with depression is to suffer these horrific side effects from medications, with the only other option being to commit suicide. I wonder, Mr. Godbout, how many people will now seek help or be willing to take medication for their symptoms because they have been negatively influenced by your biased and uneducated opinion?
You have single handedly perpetuated the negative and destructive myths that stigmatize mental
illness and set the practices of mental health and treatment of these illnesses back about 50 years. Good work!
Linda Schmidt
Prince George
