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Depression In The Lords Of Discipline By Pat Conroy

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A majority of people associate the root of depression with mental or emotional trauma, but they do not realize that in a large amount of cases depression is the result of a preventable problem outside of the brain. In The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy, multiple characters have to confront depression. John Poteete, an overweight freshman cadet at the Institute, and Annie Kate Gervais, a southern girl with an undesired pregnancy, exhibit all the signs of depression throughout the novel to the point of attempting or committing suicide. Even though they are facing events that are mentally and emotionally distressing, that is not the only reason they are suffering. Depression is not solely caused by psychological circumstances, but can be traced …show more content…

In a WebMD article, “Depression, the Thyroid, and Hormones”, it points out that, “The glands in the endocrine system influence growth and development, mood, sexual function, reproduction, and metabolism. Levels of certain hormones, such as those produced by the thyroid gland, can be factors in depression. In addition, some symptoms of depression are associated with thyroid conditions” (WebMD 1). This confirms the idea that problems outside of the brain can be linked to depression. Afflictions that break down the thyroid, such as Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism, are beginning to be recognized by psychiatrists and tested for, before a depression diagnosis or prescription for antidepressants. Doctor Izabella Wentz, a clinical pharmacist and thyroid specialist, explains how in a trial for depression medication, “only 30% of people were 'responders' to most antidepressants” (Wentz 1). She also establishes that “medical studies have shown that up to one-third of people who fail antidepressants report feeling better once started on Cytomel (a T3, thyroid hormone)” (Wentz 1). Depression is not always as daunting as it is depicted. People battling depression do not need to pay thousands of dollars for medicine that targets regions of the body that do not hold the true …show more content…

In another article written by Kelly Brogan, a psychiatrist with a degree in cognitive neuroscience, she uncovers that, “not a single study has proven that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain” (Brogan 1). Although it was common belief that depression was tied to a chemical imbalance from distressing life experiences, it is now apparent that this theory is lacking proof. People are still misdiagnosed when nothing is actually wrong with their brain. This can be seen with another example, that comes from one of Doctor Izabella Wentz’s readers. The reader had been taking antidepressants for several months and decided to be tested for Hashimoto’s. She found that she only needed thyroid medication to improve her depression instead of spending money on expensive psychiatric care (Wentz 1). Patients are lacking proper treatment since their treatment is not addressing the cause of their predicament. This is not only affecting the several people examined in this argument, but is impacting millions. There are “30 million users in America” alone (Brogan 1). To a greater extent, antidepressants “are among the most prescribed, best-selling drugs” (Brogan 1). This indicates that there are millions of people who are mistreated and have depression. Physical

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