Article Reflection: Chemical Imbalance

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Article Reflection: Chemical Imbalance
Goldhill's article presents the term "chemical imbalance" as a product of a tentative scientific hypothesis seeking to provide an empirical understanding of depression. The origin of the term is best understood through the evaluation of the evolution of depression since it was introduced during Hippocrates' period as melancholia to the current time when the disorder is described as depression. Since the foundation of medicine two millennia ago, professionals have struggled to reconcile psychological symptoms and malfunctions of the human brain. Initially, Hippocrates used the humor-based notion to link mental illness with biological malfunctions. This notion was advanced by phrenologists in the 19th century who tried to make a connection between the shape of the human skull and psychological tendencies. The phrenologists' argument was highly flawed and did not last long. As Goldhill asserts, the emphasis on brain malfunction as the basis of psychiatric disorder was reenergized in the 1960s when political conservatism was at odds with the notion of a social issue impacting men...