Wise Thoughts On Solomon

There were several comments on my post on Andrew Solomon's op-ed piece in Friday's New York Times and they are so good, in both directions, that I am posting them here for one and all.

From Lily:

"I hated the Noonday Demon from the start because of the introduction in which Solomon acknowledges that his Daddy's pharmaceutical company, Forest, started making anti-depressants in response to his battle with depression at Yale. The anti-depressant they produced was Celexa. The anti-depressant that caused me to tie shoelaces around my neck on Easter Sunday and slice up my body was Celexa. I don't want to hear about how great medical advancements are in the field of depression. I don't want to hear about how grateful I should be to Solomon's father and other wealthy, white male researchers who profit off of the misery of the downtrodden, and fail to disclose the truth when their "cures" illicit only more misery."

Depression at Yale deserves a medication all its own!

From CL Psych, who also comments on the op-ed on his blog:

"I thought that was one of the worst puff pieces I have ever laid eyes on. His main idea may have been to encourage depression centers, but he came off to me sounding a lot like a drug rep."

And from Masale, a new commenter:

"What does his being rich have to do with the merit of his book (which I found to be an excellent personal account on his struggle with the illness). I ask as that is the only reason you cite for not liking the book. Also, I have been on Celexa and it helped me more than anything else. Which is to say that anti-depressants work for some and don't for others. There must be an equal number of patients out there who are thankful that these meds exist today. I'm amazed at how the previous commentors feel they have a right to launch ad hominem attacks on Solomon solely based on what his father does for a living!"

First, I am glad Celexa helped you. Cool beans. Second, I have made the point before on this blog that I am sick and tired of the exemplars and authorized spokespeople of living with mental illnesses being rich actors and the trustafarian literary class. Why? Because not having to work for a living and having vast financial resources sure as hell isn't even close to how most people with these illnesses have to live. Seriously. Money and privilege are amazing buffers against reality. I would like to try them sometime, especially since I am currently unemployed and make do with, like, half a computer.

Mostly, though, his writing style in his book simply isn't to my taste. And I am cranky enough to have an opinion about things like that.