Wurtzel captures the internal and social experiences of depression very accurately, as is evidenced by the common reaction to her book--people very down on her whining, just get over your self obsession, and get on with it. That is the reaction of most people to the depressed--it can be exhausting dealing with them, wears out most, and makes friends and family angry that their efforts are for naught, maybe even unappreciated, when the depressed don't just feel better already.

While the title "Prozac Nation" is a clever marketing device, her book is really much more memoir, a personal depiction of a descent and rise from depression. Drugs do provide her the needed boost to begin to get a grip on life, but she is cautious to add that therapy is necessary to undo the bad habits of mind and body that develop during the depressed period. One must learn how to function as a "normal", non-depressed person--medication can't do it all. Wurtzel does the research, and demonstrates how depression, and anti-depressant medication use have sky-rocketed--but she doesn't really add any speculation as to why. I had hoped she would have had a few ideas about this.

I expected Wurtzel to dig deeper into the question of her personal depressions's causality, the circumstances of her childhood and parenting, her personal chemistry, genetics, personal choices, lack of reliance and grit, or the cubed root of all these factors. She lays it out, but doesn't stake any claims, or even hunches.

Anxiety and depression--both on the rise, and with many meds offered as fixes-- what does this say about the times we live in? Which is the healthier response? Is the world we created driving us all crazy?