When To Medicate?

An interesting opinion piece in today's NYTimes discusses the difference between clinical depression and normal situational sadness and how today's doctors may be too quick to recommend antidepressants. However, the psychiatrist author of the piece makes the argument that even a "jilted lover" or somebody whose spouse has died can benefit from drug therapy.

A dozen years ago I suggested to my doctor that I might be interested in Zoloft or whatever, because I'd been in a funk for many weeks. My new job was a disaster, I'd had a tumultuous break up, and I was seriously regretting my move to California. My doctor said, "Oh, I don't think you're medically depressed. Things just really suck for you right now." It was the right call.