Sadowsky, Jonathan (2022). El imperio de la depresión. Una nueva historia. Alianza Editorial

Abstract

Depression has become an empire that has colonized the world from the West and displaces other languages that give meaning to deep anguish in different cultures. The book offers a global history of this affliction, from ancient melancholy to the present, by tracing its multiple meanings, treatments and personal memories to understand the expansion and prominence it acquires in our days. This story also addresses the social dimensions of depression and shows that being part of disadvantaged, oppressed, stigmatized or persecuted groups increases the chances of suffering from it. Based on a historicalapproach that uses interdisciplinary conceptual tools, the work questions commonplaces, false dilemmas, philosophical dogmas without empirical support and unilateral views on depression. It also provides a complex vision of an ancient and growing disease thatcontains, at the same time, medical, social, political, cultural aspects and about which there is still much to know.