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The Weariness of the SelfDiagnosing the History of Depression in the Contemporary Age |
eBook Available
A history of depression that describes the illness across social history and within psychiatry.
Depression, once a subfield of neurosis, has become the most diagnosed mental disorder in the world. Why and how has depression become such a topical illness and what does it tell us about changing ideas of the individual and society? Alain Ehrenberg investigates the history of depression and depressive symptoms across twentieth-century psychiatry, showing that identifying depression is far more difficult than a simple diagnostic distinction between normal and pathological sadness - the one constant in the history of depression is its changing definition.
Drawing on the accumulated knowledge of a lifetime devoted to the study of the individual in modern democratic society, Ehrenberg shows that the phenomenon of modern depression is not a construction of the pharmaceutical industry but a pathology arising from inadequacy in a social context where success is attributed to, and expected of, the autonomous individual. In so doing, he provides both a novel and convincing description of the illness that clarifies the intertwining relationship between its diagnostic history and changes in social norms and values.
The first book to offer both a global sociological view of contemporary depression and a detailed description of psychiatric reasoning and its transformation - from the invention of electroshock therapy to mass consumption of Prozac - The Weariness of the Self offers a compelling exploration of depression as social fact.
Drawing on the accumulated knowledge of a lifetime devoted to the study of the individual in modern democratic society, Ehrenberg shows that the phenomenon of modern depression is not a construction of the pharmaceutical industry but a pathology arising from inadequacy in a social context where success is attributed to, and expected of, the autonomous individual. In so doing, he provides both a novel and convincing description of the illness that clarifies the intertwining relationship between its diagnostic history and changes in social norms and values.
The first book to offer both a global sociological view of contemporary depression and a detailed description of psychiatric reasoning and its transformation - from the invention of electroshock therapy to mass consumption of Prozac - The Weariness of the Self offers a compelling exploration of depression as social fact.
Details
378 Pages, 6 x 9
ISBN 9780773546486
March 2016
Formats: Paperback, eBook
"One gets drawn into Ehrenberg's interesting ideas ... this book could help spark a debate about a subject of growing concern in contemporary society." Winnipeg Free Press
"The European, and in particular the French, perspective of the history of depression in the context of self provides an interesting dimension, if not breadth, to the American perspective of depression specifically and mental illness generally, especially as the American view is usually oblivious of self-concepts. I am quite certain that those who choose to read this publication will be rewarded." Richard Duus, PsycCRITIQUES
"What is psychopathology? Is depression a part of someone, or the whole? What is 'treatment'? Psychiatrists have asked these questions for over a century and they form the basis for the magisterial The Weariness of Self ... this book is essential reading for all who study psychiatric and psychological disorders from any disciplinary perspective, and a careful reading will yield rich rewards." The Biologist
"It is invaluable for those interested in understanding the nature of depression, its prevalence, and its complexity. Summing Up: Essential." Choice Magazine
"It is impossible to do justice in a short review to the wealth of ideas and insights contained in this book, including some brilliant and illuminating aphorisms and oppositions, and The Weariness of the Self repays careful study.... The Weariness of the Self makes an important contribution to the understanding of depression and illuminates the changing ways of thinking about it." American Journal of Sociology
"... a major contribution to the anthropology of modern individuality [Ehrenberg] demonstrates an impressive knowledge of his field. The Weariness of the Self is not, nor does it pretend to be, a treatise on clinical depression. Instead it aims to demonstrate and discuss what the syndrome may tell us about modern society... beyond doubt one of the most interesting publications on depression in recent years. ...a must-read..." Rasmus Johnsen, Ephemera
"The European, and in particular the French, perspective of the history of depression in the context of self provides an interesting dimension, if not breadth, to the American perspective of depression specifically and mental illness generally, especially as the American view is usually oblivious of self-concepts. I am quite certain that those who choose to read this publication will be rewarded." Richard Duus, PsycCRITIQUES
"What is psychopathology? Is depression a part of someone, or the whole? What is 'treatment'? Psychiatrists have asked these questions for over a century and they form the basis for the magisterial The Weariness of Self ... this book is essential reading for all who study psychiatric and psychological disorders from any disciplinary perspective, and a careful reading will yield rich rewards." The Biologist
"It is invaluable for those interested in understanding the nature of depression, its prevalence, and its complexity. Summing Up: Essential." Choice Magazine
"It is impossible to do justice in a short review to the wealth of ideas and insights contained in this book, including some brilliant and illuminating aphorisms and oppositions, and The Weariness of the Self repays careful study.... The Weariness of the Self makes an important contribution to the understanding of depression and illuminates the changing ways of thinking about it." American Journal of Sociology
"... a major contribution to the anthropology of modern individuality [Ehrenberg] demonstrates an impressive knowledge of his field. The Weariness of the Self is not, nor does it pretend to be, a treatise on clinical depression. Instead it aims to demonstrate and discuss what the syndrome may tell us about modern society... beyond doubt one of the most interesting publications on depression in recent years. ...a must-read..." Rasmus Johnsen, Ephemera
Alain Ehrenberg is research director emeritus at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paris.
Acknowledgments ix
Foreword Allan Young xi
Preface xiii
Introduction: The Sovereignty of the Self or the Return of Nervousness 3
PART ONE A SICK SELF
1 The Birth of the Psychic Self 21
2 Electroconvulsive Therapy: Technique, Mood, and Depression 45
3 The Socialization of an Indefinable Pathology 70
PART TWO THE TWILIGHT OF NEUROSIS
4 The Psychological Front: Guilt without an Instruction Manual 106
5 The Medical Front: New Avenues for the Depressive Mood 136
PART THREE THE INADEQUATE INDIVIDUAL
6 The Depressive Breakdown 166
7 The Uncertain Subject of Depression, or End-of-the-Century Individuality 190
Conclusion: The Weight of the Possible 230
Notes 235
Bibliography 297
Index 333
Foreword Allan Young xi
Preface xiii
Introduction: The Sovereignty of the Self or the Return of Nervousness 3
PART ONE A SICK SELF
1 The Birth of the Psychic Self 21
2 Electroconvulsive Therapy: Technique, Mood, and Depression 45
3 The Socialization of an Indefinable Pathology 70
PART TWO THE TWILIGHT OF NEUROSIS
4 The Psychological Front: Guilt without an Instruction Manual 106
5 The Medical Front: New Avenues for the Depressive Mood 136
PART THREE THE INADEQUATE INDIVIDUAL
6 The Depressive Breakdown 166
7 The Uncertain Subject of Depression, or End-of-the-Century Individuality 190
Conclusion: The Weight of the Possible 230
Notes 235
Bibliography 297
Index 333
Winner
CHOICE Outstanding Academic Book Award
CHOICE Magazine (2010)
CHOICE Outstanding Academic Book Award
CHOICE Magazine (2010)
