and.....on a lighter note about 'victims'..... still writing from my hotel in Singapore.

Went for a walk yesterday, down Scotts Road, up Bukit Timah road to Stephens road, and up an inconspicuous Dalvy Road where the Israeli Embassy lurks. Protected by 3 layer outer barriers. Small 3 ft wall, 30cm Ballards then an 8ft concrete fence all around. Gates have multi layer barriers also. Beautiful tropical trees, palms of all description, then onto the Botanical gardens. Amazing 80 yr old palm which flowers only once in its life, at age around 80. flowered in 2004, will die soon.

Surrounded by Asian people waving their hands about doing Tai Chi to the sound of oriental whining music wofting through the early morning haze.

Then there was the guy looked at me and raved on about who knows what... I thought he was 80c in the doller.. turned out he was enthusiastically greeting the guy behind me.

Then, (and this is the victim bit) I watched this 30something bloke walking his very muscular boxer dog across the grass. Suddenly it felt 'nature' call and dropped a bundle. Then, proceeded to lay down in said bundle, and stayed there, with a gleeful look on it's face. The owner could not believe his eyes.
He ended up wiping its rear, and then (look on his face during this was priceless) its newly endowed shoulder area.... poor guy.

I agree with Alexander Deane, The only difference between today and years past is that we can “label” and “catalogue” more explicitly the range of maladies and ailments which afflict humanity.
That previously, such things as “depression” had no “label” and had no medical remedy does not mean it did not exist, That its occurrence was ignored merely means people were more concerned with other issues.

“Victims” exist. Unfortunately they are, invariably, victims of their own inadequacies and whilst that is sad, it remains their individual responsibility to deal with their circumstances and find solutions to the issues which depress them.

ConspiracyTheory “I agree with this. I reckon a great deal of distress is caused by the disastrous way capitalism has gone to extremes in the western world, depressing wages, making life really damn hard for everyone. Capitalists tax everyone more than 70%”

I am quite sure circumstances under the “glorious peoples collective” was far more depressing, trapped behind the iron curtain, extended vacations in a Siberian gulag being the only diversion from an existence of drudgery.

As for 70% tax – you demean your own posts with such drivel.

I have suggested before and will again, rather than making fatuous and inaccurate observations of western economic structures, suggest something better to replace them with.

Personally, I find nothing depressing with being allowed to follow my own destiny / life path. I have worked in a range different roles in different industries and have “grown” to the point that I decide which jobs I will do and which I will decline. I find having almost complete and total control over my own time management and deployment leaves me with no frustrations, no stress and nothing which resembles depression.

However, “blaming capitalism” is a typical “victim” response by those who are inadequate and lacking in skills, thus your criticism is explained and could be readily “labelled”, “catalogued” and resolved by an intense course of prozac – just don’t use any machinery or take on any challenging tasks whilst under medication.

Col Rouge - with respect, I would suggest that as someone who has apparently not had any first-hand experience dealing with major ("clinical") depression, you do not have all the facts required to offer an informed opinion on the subject.

In a certain proportion of cases, it is simply not possible for a sufferer of depression, by means of exercising "individual responsibility", to recover simply by "finding solutions to the issues which depress them". This is just another way of saying that they should "snap out of it", which is now widely recognised as being utter nonsense.

It would be just as absurd for me, as a physically fit and healthy person, to suggest that a sufferer of heart disease (or poor eyesight, for that matter) could cure himself "if he just improved his attitude".

Yes, there are people who become temporarily depressed after a major life event (such as a marriage break-up or the death of a loved one) and recover over time without significant intervention from health professionals.

But there are many more for whom there is not such a convenient explanation, and who suffer over extended periods. Such people may well have "everything to live for" and no social, economic, personal or other reason for malingering or manufacturing symptoms. I point again to world history being littered with examples of successful people who have suffered from depression in spite of their success.

Yes, depression did exist in earlier times and no, it wasn't always labelled as such (although there were certainly plenty of other names by which it was known). But it is illogical to suggest that an absence of labels and treatments suggests that we were dealing with the problem better then than we are now.

Apparently we need to add psychiatry to Col Rouge's list of areas of expertise, which also includes

* corporate accountancy
* Indonesian jurisprudence
* the wit and wisdom of Margaret Thatcher

...amongst many other talents, no doubt.

We are indeed fortunate to blessed with the regular pronouncements of such a polymath! However, it's a shame that Col's humanity and compassion aren't as evident in his posts here as are his pride and open disdain for those who aren't Masters of the Universe, as he evidently is.

With all due respect, Col - do you actually care about anybody other than yourself, your immediate family, and Margaret Thatcher?

In all honesty mahatma you have to agree that in the nebulus and complex world of psychiatry that your profession does tend to over medicate.I bet that if a study was done on prescriptions,the amount of medication would increase expodentially with the lower socio/economic groups.We do tend to look for quick fixes.

How do you get off the psychotropic drugs?Show your analyst your enormous bank balance.

I think we need to look at broader social causes such as our mega cities, loneliness etc.Being social creatures we need others for motivation ,self worth and getting things into perspective.
The issue is complex but we cannot afford half the population to just spit the dummy and say it is all just too hard.Time to think outside the square,perhaps?

BC2 “Col Rouge - with respect, I would suggest that as someone who has apparently not had any first-hand experience dealing with major ("clinical") depression, you do not have all the facts required to offer an informed opinion on the subject.”

Oh really? In what part of my post was I required to declare what experience I have in dealing with “clinical” depression. I should have mentioned my ex-wife, who was hospitalised for same before I met her? In future, ask before you make presumptions about my knowledge or life experiences. Simply making presumptions leaves you looking pompous and stupid.

Mahatmaduck “Apparently we need to add psychiatry to Col Rouge's list of areas of expertise”

We do not need degrees in something to allow us to express an opinion on it.

For your sarcasm (the lowest form of wit but the highest you could aspire to), a dearest Margaret quotation

“I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”

You have as little skill in wounding as you do in making reasoned and valueadding contribution to debate.
As for "caring" you throw the word around without defining what you mean. Thats a cheap emotional trick.

Arjay “We do tend to look for quick fixes.”

Agree and in searching for the “quick-fixes” come the snake oil salesmen with their cure-alls.

The difference between someone with the physical symptoms of depression and those without is sometimes simple. Those without have learnt

The world does not care and owes us nothing. If someone wants to “fix” their problems, start by looking into oneself and don’t look to the universe for a sign or mystical inspiration.

A couple of years ago I used a counsellor for some emotional issues I was faced with. The skill of that counsellor was, she relied on prompting me with questions for which I had to find the solution from within me. That was some of the best money I ever spent.