A recent article at Sciam.com discusses the possible overdiagnosis of Major Depression. I agree with the authors that this diagnosis seems to be applied to normal reactions to typical life stressors; the loss of health, the loss of a job, the loss of a relationship.
We seem to be a culture afraid of feeling our feelings. We also seem to have been indoctrinated with the belief that we should always be happy. This is simply not true. Normal human beings living normal lives have normal mood swings and one of them includes grief and sadness. By diagnosing someone struggling with real ife problems as having depression we are saying they are dysfunctional in some way and in need of treatment. They may be told they have a "chemical imbalance" that they will have for the rest of their lives and placed on mediications they are expected to stay on for the rest of their lives. All of this because they are expressing normal grief.
Life cannot always be full of hearts and roses. We cannot always be happy. Life has its ups and downs, laughter and sorrows, fears and tears.
I would like to thank David Ray at his blog Dare to Dream for sharing this article.