Depression aid

Fiona French, in her letter of 24 July, states that she is deeply dismayed at Jim Duffy’s

view that depression can be the result of a chemical imbalance. I am equally dismayed at Ms French’s outright dismissal of such a view and her subsequent portrayal of SSRI medication as, at best, placebic and at worst, harmful and addictive. I’m sorry if Ms French has had a bad experience with SSRIS but I would like to redress the balance.

As with most drugs, SSRIS work better for some people than others. Severe anxiety, depression and the impact of trauma take many forms. Some people are able to benefit from talking therapies, others respond to mindfulness and other holistic options. For others, however, the strength of their anxiety and depression is crippling – and medication is a necessity. Sometimes short-term use is enough to raise mood and therefore enable alternative therapies, others need longer-term chemical help.

It has been well documented that some people have reacted very badly to SSRIS, but it is less well known that, for others, this medication has transformed their lives. If carefully prescribed and monitored it should become clear as to whether or not this medication is right for an individual.

I am one of the many thousands who have benefited enormously from SSRIS and I regularly meet other people, both professionally and socially, for whom this medication has been vital. We discuss it openly and I can assure Mr Duffy that we feel no shame in the fact that we have needed this chemical help – any more than a person with diabetes would be ashamed of taking insulin. MAUREEN MORRISON

York Place, Edinburgh