Peter Kramer is a psychiatrist, author, and faculty member at Brown Medical School. He argues that depression should not be seen as heroic and that medical treatment is necessary. He also explores the idea of cosmetic psychopharmacology but does not advocate for it. Kramer advocates for psychotherapy and believes that prescriptions for behavioral medications should be within the purview of psychiatry. He has also written a novel, Spectacular Happiness.
Peter Kramer is a licensed and practicing psychiatrist best known for his work on the subject of depression. He is currently on the faculty at Brown Medical School, and while he writes prolifically and lectures frequently around the country, he also continues to treat and evaluate patients. Many of his books, Listening to Prozac from 1993 and Against Depression from 2005, are seen as very interesting interpretations of the field of pharmacology and depression, and how this area is viewed by society as a whole.
One of Dr. Peter Kramer’s main arguments, especially in his book Against Depression, is that depression is somehow seen in a heroic light. He argues that suffering from depression is no more heroic than suffering from kidney disease and that struggling to “endure” in such a condition is ridiculous when there are medical treatments that can help cure the condition. A variety of factors can contribute to patients not wanting to take “drugs.” They may be stoic in the face of pain, think drugs are the easy way out, or they may see depression as a type of battle they can win. Some even argue that depressive states are the genius behind many artists and that removing such depression would have caused the loss of this art.
What Peter Kramer counters is that he sees depression as something like a stroke and that there is now medical evidence that the condition doesn’t improve the brain, but instead damages it. It is not, in Kramer’s opinion, a “noble” metaphysical disease that somehow imparts particular knowledge to the sufferer. Withstanding treatment for some kind of mental or spiritual gain attributed to depression has become common due to how society has elevated it, and from the medical literature, Kramer argues that there are no benefits to be gained from treatment failure.
While many find Peter Kramer’s arguments intensely persuasive, others are alarmed by his suggestion that treating “healthy” people could have positive results. For example, in Listening to Prozac Kramer entertains the notion of cosmetic psychopharmacology, the idea of using drugs in healthy people to produce certain desirable traits such as sociability and cheerfulness. It should be understood that Kramer does not approve of this method, he merely entertains it, but to critics, the whole subject of treating people who do not require medication is considered drug abuse. So why not use cocaine because it makes you happy, or drink more wine because you have more fun when you do? However, Kramer does not argue that it should be done, and instead simply examines the possibility that it could be done.
Kramer maintains an active blog on his books and topics in psychiatry, where his views are more fleshed out. In a New York Times article, he finds fault with most general practitioners prescribing drugs because it takes time to decide which drugs will be most effective at treating the disease and to follow up with patients to make sure they are compliant with drugs and responding desirably to what they are taking. This view is shared by many psychiatrists, who believe that prescriptions for antidepressants and other behavioral medications are rightfully within the purview of psychiatry. Additionally, Kramer consistently advocates psychotherapy as an important and essential part of treating mental illness
Peter Kramer has also ventured into the world of fiction. His novel Spectacular Happiness represents an extraordinary and unpredictable timing in its release. The novel’s main character is an eco-terrorist, and the book was published a month before the 9/9 attacks. Given the occupation of the central character, it has not enjoyed much popularity. Despite this, Kramer plans to write more fiction.
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