There is this false moral imperative
that seems to be all around us,
that treatment of depression,
the medications and so on,
are an artifice,
and that it's not natural.
And I think that's very misguided.
It would be natural
for people's teeth to fall out,
but there is nobody militating
against toothpaste,
at least not in my circles.
People then say,
"But isn't depression part of what people
are supposed to experience?
Didn't we evolve to have depression?
Isn't it part of your personality?"
To which I would say, mood is adaptive.
Being able to have sadness and fear
and joy and pleasure
and all of the other moods that we have,
that's incredibly valuable.
And major depression
is something that happens
when that system gets broken.
It's maladaptive.
People will come to me and say,
"I think, though, if I just
stick it out for another year,