Analysis Of To Know Depression By Kay Redfield Jamison

When trying to determine the cause of suicide, most people are going to conclude that the cause was something such as stress, marital problems, or unemployment. Usually there are more complicated reasons that can be the cause for suicide. In her article “To know Depression,” Kay Redfield Jamison discusses mental illnesses and how they contribute to suicide. Jamison believes that by treating the mental illness, this can aid in the prevention of suicides. Jamison, a professor in psychiatry and a sufferer of bipolar disorder, knows firsthand how dangerous mental illnesses can be. Even though some words are not clearly defined, through the use of the Barton example, her description of depression, medical knowledge, and personal experience, Jamison

conveys her message that the most important risk factor for suicides are mental illnesses.
Jamison begins the article by discussing the death of Ralph Barton.

She says that Ralph Barton was a famous artist in the 1920s and he chose to kill himself. Jamison uses this example to try and get an emotional response from the reader. Jamison knows that the reader will try to sympathize with Barton because he seemed to be living a good life and still chose to take his own life. She uses the phrases from the suicide note that he left behind in order to try and highlight the symptoms that Barton was feeling. Barton wrote that he was battling a kind of sadness that turned into “definite symptoms of manic-depressive insanity”; this is supposed to show that Barton suffered from depression. Jamison states that suicide can be attributed to everyday problems such as work, money, marital problems, but the most important risk factors that should be considered are mental illnesses; especially depression and bipolar

disorder.
The author tries her best and describe suicidal depression for those who do not know what suicidal depression is.

Jamison admits even before trying to define depression, that there are no words that could possibly even come close to truly describe suicidal depression. In her attempt, Jamison uses words like “agitated horror,” “no hope,” and “no nothing.” She uses these words in an attempt to make the reader understand how someone with depression feels like. Jamison hopes that the reader can see the problems that this mental illness can cause. With the expectation that the reader has an understanding of the feelings people suffer with depression, Jamison can now move on to the next part of her argument, where she stresses the importance of correctly treating mental illnesses. Jamison states that there are many professionals that can treat depression. These professionals vary from doctors trained in psychology and psychiatry to doctors that are trained in gynecology. Even social workers can treat depression and there is where the problem lies. Jamison knows that with different levels of “competence,” there can be many diagnoses. Here she uses her knowledge of mental illness to describe some of the methods that can be used to treat them. The examples she uses are lithium, psychotherapy, and ECT. She states that lithium has proven to work for people with mood disorder such as bipolar disorder, but it is not used as much as it should be. Psychotherapy works but many

doctors rather pitch medications that do not work. Electroconvulsive therapy works for the treatment of suicidal depression, but since it is not a painless treatment, doctors do not recommend it. Jamison uses these treatments to illustrate the many methods there are in trying to cure mental illness, and explains that these treatments can be used incorrectly and be the cause for suicide. Emphasizing these treatments as potential life savers, Jamison shows that the mental illnesses should be considered very dangerous for people suffering with them. She knows that some of these treatments are not easy for patients to handle, but in order to prevent suicide, it has to be done. This helps add to her argument of the importance of viewing mental illnesses as the largest risk factor in suicides.
One of the reasons Jamison can talk about this subject, besides the fact that she has multiple degrees in psychiatry, is the fact that she has suffered through suicidal depression herself. This allows for her readers to see that she can empathize with anyone that is suffering with suicidal depression. If the reader does not feel like she is knowledgeable about the subject, by telling the reader that she has suffered through it herself, Jamison gives the reader some authority over the subject.
This article was written for the general public, but there were a couple things that should have been elaborated on. Throughout the article, Jamison kept the language formal, but easy for the reader to understand. Jamison did not use medical terms that most people could not understand, but instead chose to use simple terms that most readers would be familiar with. Some of the terms that she used, such as lithium and ECT, should have been described in better detail for those who do not know what either one is. By not elaborating on either one, Jamison has the possibility of confusing her readers in that part of the article. This will pose a problem in that the reader might not be able to comprehend the significance that the treatments have and thus weaken her main argument.
Jamison understands that a patient suffering from a mental illness, especially if it is from depression and bipolar disorder, is more at risk for suicide. She uses the Barton suicide to bring the reader in by appealing to the emotional side and in order to show the dangers that mental illnesses can possess. Jamison does her best to describe depression in a manner so that the reader can attempt to understand why these individuals would consider committing suicide. Through this, she shows the dangers from lack of treatment can be thus showing the risk factor mental illnesses can be. Even though Jamison did not clearly define a couple words, she wrote clearly enough so that the general public can understand the claim she is trying to make. Through these methods, Jamison is able to convince the reader that mental illnesses are an important risk factor for potential suicides.