Description

An Anecdotal Text
By Lorna Naomi Murray

ISBN: 978-1-84747-159-8
Published: 2007
Pages: 35
Key Themes: clinical depression, recovery, empowerment, psychology, pharmacy

Description

‘Doodles in Depression’ is Lorna Murray’s attempt to make sense of her clinical depression. This thoroughly researched, yet gloriously random and spontaneous book delves into Lorna’s mind as she ‘comes out’ as a depressive and attempts to bring herself out of her depression. This is a book that will make sense and possibly bring comfort to fellow sufferers of clinical depression.

About the Author

Lorna was born in 1965 in Cape Town, South Africa – the city of sunny skies, briaavleis and chevrolet! Lorna grew up and attended school in South Africa before training as a general nurse and midwife. In 1988 she left South Africa for the bright lights of Europe, she travelled overland through Africa and Europe. In 1990 Lorna arrived in London (where 16 years later she is still living. At first she eked out an existence doing anything and everything before attended Central Saint Martin’s School of Art & design. In 1997 she graduated with a 1st class honours Degree in Fine Art Painting. However she struggled as a painter, developed severe depression and had a breakdown. In 2000 Lorna retrained as an anaesthetic nurse and is currently working in the NHS.

Book Extract

DEPRESSION IS A RECURRENT AND CHRONIC DISEASE. Here in Great Britannia, fewer than half of primary care patients take anti-depressants for the minimum 6-9 months as recommended as first-line treatment for moderate to severe clinical depression by the Association of Psychiatrists. And you thought we were a pill-popping nation. Obviously not. Does our partial or erratic adherence to recommended first-line treatment have something-everything-much- to-do with our general bad attitude to depression and the poor primary treatment that exists for depression? Especially follow up treatment. It’s all up to you to diagnose, refer and demand a follow up. If you don’t, no one is going to do it for you. Religious drug taking (the medicinal kind of course) is recognised far and wide, as an NB factor, if not the most NB factor, towards a positive treatment response. Studies demonstrate long-term recovery is higher in patients who conscientiously pop their pills. SO THE DRUGS DO WORK. Damn. To think, The Verve has misled us. So for effective treatment of depression, WE NEED DRUGS. For effective treatment of depression, WE NEED DRUGS and we must stay with the drugs. So 1+1=2. The future’s bright. The future’s Orange. The future’s Racoon, Dolphin, Panther, Canary.