Also in the “Washington Post,” I was delighted to see the following letter to the editor regarding the Laura Zigman essay on depression I excerpted in my “The Moment She Cried Uncle” post (to read the whole essay, click here) because I also was uncomfortable with the author’s choice of words when she said that taking antidepressants was “the easy way out” (in quote marks, but still).
Here is what Altha J. Stewart, MD, President of the American Psychiatric Foundation in Arlington, Virginia wrote:

I commend Laura Zigman for her open and honest account of her battle with depression [“Coping Outside the Box,” July 10]. She captures the experience of so many who struggle not only against depression but also against the stigma associated with its treatment. While her article is well-intentioned, I fear her description of antidepressan use as “the easy way out” reinforces the stigma around this disease. Clinical depression, like any other serious illness, requires serious treatment. We would never consider chemotherapy or insulin injections as the “easy way out” when treating cancer or diabetes.
The American Psychiatric Foundation is a founding member of the Depression Is Real Coalition (www.DepressionIsReal.org), a group of medical, advocacy and civic groups dedicated to educating the public about depression. Treatments such as antidepressants or psychotherapy can make the difference between life and death. Zigman’s eloquent story underscores the reality that hope and recovery is possible.