Depression To Engulf World, Story At 11

A Canadian doc says that by 2020 depression will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide. I'm not sure how he can predict that, but I bet the pharma companies are happy to hear it. Actually, you do hear that same assertion tossed around by others--it's a consensus opinion, so it must be right! Seriously, though, I have yet to read a cogent analysis of what's driving the depression dynamic. My vote goes for post-industrial sociocultural shifts in human living, as in an America where we push everyone to study their asses off and go to college and ring up loads of debt getting there, but when they graduate it's a job at Starbuck's or a boring accounting job or a moronic cubicle job of some kind. That's why you spent all that time reading Plato, right?

In other depression news:

Mass. Senator Goes Public With Depression. Cool. Funny thing: out here in Washington State I know several prominent figures who refuse to be public about having bipolar disorder or depression. Not cool.

UK Man To Stamp Out Friend's Depression. Cute.

MRI To Predict Depression Recovery From CBT. And they are recovering without medication? Very interesting.

George Clooney Gets Depressed Putting On The Pounds For Movie Role. Matt Damon says no one recognized George on the set and Clooney got all bummed out. Vanity, thy name is George Clooney.