A DOSE OF SCIENCE
The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth – Irving Kirsch
So. From Poe and porn, to placebos and the legend that is Professor Irving Kirsch!
I feel somewhat apprehensive writing up my reflections on this book... That’s because Professor Kirsch is Kev’s hypnosis hero.
Kirsch is a leading researcher on placebo, and originated response expectancy theory. If you’re not familiar with Kirsch and his work, Kev published his ‘lost’ 2011 ‘change | phenomena’ hypnosis conference lecture in November last year, which you can watch – for free – here.
I’m biased, but I agree with Kev that it’s “one of the most important hypnosis lectures that you’re ever going to see”.
I’ve become passionate about science and academia in hypnosis and ‘hypnotherapy’ in recent years. But I’m increasingly conscious that my career in editorial, public relations and marketing-communications has trained me to misconstrue and misrepresent science. I zero in on half-remembered takeaways and headlines, and struggle to contextualise facts and stats. An ambition for this project is to get better at reading the science and research.
However, this is not my first time at the lockdown rodeo, folks!
I wanted to avoid repeating my previous mistake of OD’ing on ‘hard’ science and academia. In summer 2018, I broke my leg; I spent eight weeks non-weight-bearing in my London flat, mostly on my own. I asked Kev to bring me his most cherished academic hypno tomes to keep me occupied.
Alas, my attempt to read all 791 pages of The Oxford Handbook of Hypnosis Theory, Research, and Practice ended in drug-and-pain-addled failure.
This seems has put me off reading science for myself… I basically make Kev my Pythia for any papers or lectures I need interpreted!
Hence easing myself back in now via Kirsch’s popular science book, The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth.
In this book, Kirsch does, indeed, “explode” the myth of antidepressants – he: argues that antidepressants are, in fact, powerful active placebos; demonstrates why the ‘chemical imbalance’ theory is wrong; and lifts the lid on the pharmaceuticals industry.
It’s a fantastic and informative read. I’ll leave it at that; this is a sensitive subject and I wouldn’t want to unwittingly suggest something to those struggling with depression and/or to practitioners.
Kirsch is a hero for writing this book... And for resetting my ‘TL;DR’ hiccup with The Oxford Handbook!
I hereby pledge to tackle all Kev’s academic hypno tomes this time around…
