THE DEPRESSION

Back pain is currently considered the ailment of the 20th century. It was almost normal to have back pain. In the 21st century, depression may have taken the top spot among illnesses. Feeling depressed will become ordinary, the new ailment of the century; everyone will have to manage their life and work while dealing with their depression. Antidepressants will take their place in the small medicine cabinet at home, next to painkillers and anti-inflammatories.

Perhaps there will be prevention of depression based on family background and even social context (unemployment, job loss, etc.). Researchers will strive to discover new preventive molecules for potential depressive states.

What will become of psychiatrists, who are on the verge of extinction, will they still exist? Handling depression will no longer be their exclusive domain. At best, they will become experts sought after in complex cases. Indeed, the trivialization of depressive states may be treated by general practitioners with some success.

However, new types of psychotherapists will undoubtedly emerge. It will be a luxury, a whim, a trend. One must pay to heal, pay for someone else's time. There may be therapies transmitted on cable or satellite channels that millions of depressed viewers will watch alone in their armchairs, cyber therapies on the internet, thalassotherapy stays or thermal treatments specific to depression, but not reimbursed because depression would cost society too much.

Thus, the wealthier individuals will be able to afford the luxury of therapy, while others will be left with the option of suicide. Suicide will then become a death like any other.

Depression will no longer be the panacea of psychiatry; psychiatric hospitals will no longer receive such costly pathologies relative to the time of caregivers, who will be reduced to a bare minimum. Nevertheless, this pathology will become normalized in our society.

We will no longer dramatize the state of depression; maybe we won't feel guilty about it anymore, and we won't hide it.

Perhaps we will see the emergence of new services, such as architects, landscapers, decorators, and anti-depression stylists. Going to a psychiatrist will then be considered outdated and tacky. Everything related to anti-depression will be a safe bet and a sound investment in 2023.

However, in this society constantly in pursuit of profit, will we still have time to be depressed?