Not depressed, just British.....

[Bandit12]

A couple of years ago, I did an assessment for a boy with social difficulties and what his parents described as quite concerning depressive behaviour. The family was from the UK and had only lived in Australia for a couple of years. One of the assessments confirmed the high levels of depressive behaviours, and so I started wondering about things like cultural differences in expected behaviour and whether the test was even valid given that they came from the UK.

 

And then I found this: http://www.utne.com/2005-01-01/NotDepressedJustBritish.aspx

 

George Farthing, an expatriate British man living in America, was diagnosed as clinically depressed, tanked up on antidepressants, and scheduled for a controversial shock therapy when doctors realized he wasn't depressed at all, he was just British!Farthing, a man whose characteristic pessimism and gloomy perspective were interpreted as serious clinical depression, was led on a nightmare journey through the American psychiatric system. Doctors described Farthing as suffering from pervasive negative anticipation: a belief that everything will turn out for the worst, whether it’s trains arriving late, England’s chances of winning any national sports events, or his own prospects of getting ahead in life. The doctors reported that the satisfaction he seemed to get from his pessimism was particularly pathological.

 

“They put me on everything—lithium, Pro zac ( <-- edited because the filter thought I might be trying to sell it!), St. John’s wort,” Farthing says. “They even told me to sit in front of a big light for half an hour a day or I'd become suicidal. I kept telling them this was all pointless, and they said that was exactly the sort of attitude that got me here in the first place.”

 

Dr. Isaac Horney, a psychotherapist, explored Farthing’s family history and couldn’t believe his ears. Farthing spoke of growing up in a gray little town where it rained every day, of treeless streets lined with identical houses, and of passionately backing a football team that never won. Although Farthing had six months of therapy, he mainly wanted to talk about the weather. “I felt he wasn't responding to therapy at all,” says Horney, who recommended electroconvulsive therapy.

 

Farthing takes up the story: “Hopeless case? I was all strapped down on the table, and they were about to put the rubber bit in my mouth when the psychiatric nurse picked up on my accent and said, ‘Oh my God, I think we're making a terrible mistake!’ ” Identifying Farthing as British changed the diagnosis of clinical depression to rather quaint and charming. He was immediately discharged from the hospital with a selection of brightly colored leaflets and an I Love New York T-shirt.

Now I can't verify whether it is indeed true or just a web hoax, but it did make me laugh!

 

Postnote: Everything worked out for the boy, and I didn't actually suggest to him that his problem was that he was British!

 

 

[Yenn]

As an ex pom it sounds all too true to me. My last year there we had rain on 300 days of the year. Used to go to work in the dark and come home in the dark and it didn't get very light in between. Cold all the time and terrible politicians, it was only keeping so cheerful that kept me going. With apologies to Itma.

 

 

[facthunter]

Everyone knows a farthing is not the full quid. Lucky to escape the Horney psychiatrist. ECT is a shocking experience. Nev

 

 

[bexrbetter]

I used to ask the question is it the British weather that causes British people to be like they are or is it the British people that causes the British weather to be like it is?

 

 

[kaz3g]

Everyone knows a farthing is not the full quid. Lucky to escape the Horney psychiatrist. ECT is a shocking experience. Nev

I lost 5 years of my life after ECT...horrible experience. Now I'm a lawyer, I wonder how I ever gave informed consent to the treatment if I was so mad at the time that I supposedly needed it.

 

Kaz

 

 

[Bandit12]

I lost 5 years of my life after ECT...horrible experience. Now I'm a lawyer, I wonder how I ever gave informed consent to the treatment if I was so mad at the time that I supposedly needed it.Kaz

Not just a lawyer - as a psych, I also wonder whether anyone could really give informed consent for ECT. At least it is very rarely used these days, and as far as I know, almost never in Australia.

 

 

[nomadpete]

So, Bandit, please tell me how come a psych in training has to become an expert in advanced statistics (in order to get the degree). My better half has started to be discouraged by the training process. I don't see how statistical analysis can give much comfort to a person who may be suffering from the human condition...

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Didn't Robin Hood have a band of merry men? Must be a modern problem for the Poms, I blame global warming.

 

 

[Bandit12]

So, Bandit, please tell me how come a psych in training has to become an expert in advanced statistics (in order to get the degree). My better half has started to be discouraged by the training process. I don't see how statistical analysis can give much comfort to a person who may be suffering from the human condition...

Complex question Pete, and probably not suited to a drawn out answer in the humour thread, so I'll PM you. Like your better half, I struggled with that through my first few years of training too so I can relate.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Didn't Robin Hood have a band of merry men? Must be a modern problem for the Poms, I blame global warming.

I am surprised you of all people are advocating the gay lifestyle! Is there a secret life of the Gnu we don't know about?

 

No its cause they won the war and had to endure years of rationing and austerity, whilst the Americans could live it up.

 

 

[nomadpete]

I'm not sure but I suspect that "Merry" does not always equal "gay".

 

Anyway, global warming should cheer up all those drab, greyed out depressed poms.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

A couple of years ago, I did an assessment for a boy with social difficulties and what his parents described as quite concerning depressive behaviour. The family was from the UK and had only lived in Australia for a couple of years. One of the assessments confirmed the high levels of depressive behaviours, and so I started wondering about things like cultural differences in expected behaviour and whether the test was even valid given that they came from the UK.And then I found this: http://www.utne.com/2005-01-01/NotDepressedJustBritish.aspx

 

Now I can't verify whether it is indeed true or just a web hoax, but it did make me laugh!

 

Postnote: Everything worked out for the boy, and I didn't actually suggest to him that his problem was that he was British!

Bandit . . . . . you barrrrrstard. ! ! I know that a llot of us can be a bunch of miserable sods, but surely we ain't all that bad ? ( You'd be miserable too if your summer only happened once in every eleven years ! )

 

Funnily enough. . . . . I met more whingers in AUSTRALIA than I've ever met ANYWHERE ELSE on the planet ( and I are a well travelled pom. . . . ) I asked some of 'em. . ."What the hell are you moaning about ? you've got a bloody fantastic place to live in, terrific weather ( well, . . .most of the time ) some gorgeous Sheilas. . . I dunno, some people don't know they're alive ! ! ! ! !!

 

Phil