Theater and Anti-Depression Therapy

theater and anti-depression therapy Theater-going may be an effective therapy in the fight against depression

While for many of us winter celebrations are times of joy, for many others, they are a reason to fall deeper into depression. A psychological disease that people have suffered from since times immemorial, depression seems to have gained significant ground in the modern times, probably because of the many challenges we are faced with these days. The situation is rather serious, because, according to the WHO, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting one in every six people. In Romania, one million cases of depression were reported in 2015 alone. As there are no other, more recent, statistics, we can only imagine its incidence. Still, although for many years Romanians were reluctant to talk openly about depression and to seek treatment, the situation seems to have changed lately, according to psychologist Flori-Ana Buzila:


"There is still reluctance in relation to this matter, but, at the same time, I have noticed that the psychologist has started to be more accepted as a social figure.  People seem to be more open towards psychiatrists, but even in such cases there is a lack of understanding, because many believe that only crazy individuals should resort to a psychiatrist. But it may happen that our brain gets into a state of unbalance that upsets our normal functioning, and proper medication may be the only way to come back to normal. Otherwise, we may just carry on our shoulders a disease that is perfectly curable, but which will get worse unless treated, affecting the quality of our life too."


Depression is characterized by symptoms that are common to other diseases as well, such as sadness, therefore a physician's diagnosis is of utmost importance. Still, it often happens that the very people who are affected by depression are not aware of what is happening to them. They just feel tired and unable to focus for a long period of time, and may also experience sleep disorders and loss of appetite. Here is Flori-Ana Buzila again:


"These symptoms may not disappear for more than two months. When reaching this point, we need to be responsible and ask for an assessment, for our own benefit, to see if depression is the cause, or to intervene and help a person dear to us who may experience such problems. Other symptoms include lack of concentration  and inability to make decisions that were easy to make before. Feelings of worthlessness, self-disparagement and guilt (I feel guilty for everything) may expand to contemplation of death and suicide, as a solution to escape this painful state. And this is where specialized intervention is needed, because it is quite clear that the person experiencing such feelings cannot help themselves." 


In order to help those affected by depression understand what is happening to them, and especially for the healthy ones to empathize with those who suffer,  theatre can be of help. Inspired from the experiment known as 'Schrodinger's Cat', conducted by the physicist Erwin Schrodinger to demonstrate the paradoxes of quantum mechanics, Alexa Bacanu wrote a play, with the same title, staged at Unteatru by Alexandru Berceanu. A cat is put into a box, together with a closed poison vial. If there is radiation  in the box, the vial gets broken and releases the poison that will kill the cat. According to quantum mechanics, if the box is sealed, until it is opened, the cat is both dead and alive. Here is Alexa Bacanu about the paradox of her own text:


"I have used Schrodinger's anecdote as a metaphor: when you're affected by depression or anxiety you are both alive and dead. We've tried to do something to bring this topic into the spotlight. It has also been sort of therapeutic for the artists involved in the project to get to understand these problems better."


In Romania, mental health problems are overlooked more than in other countries, says Alexa Bacanu. This reality has also been highlighted during the meetings of the focus groups used in the documentation stage. A theatre play can bring into the spotlight not only a topic that has been neglected, but also the sufferance that people around you or even yourself may experience, without being able to understand it very well. That is why, "Schrodinger's cat" is an invitation to empathy. Alexa Bacanu explains:


"Sometimes, healthy people have the tendency to minimize other people's suffering, if it's not obvious. Depression and anxiety are not obvious. They can have physical symptoms, but not necessarily in every case. The play is, indeed, an appeal to empathy. We hope it works. Also, it is important for the people fighting depression to understand that they are not alone and that it's not the end of the world, although it may seem like it. Truth is, the situation can be improved provided that people experiencing it ask for help."


The idea that theatre can be of help has proven to be correct, as  Alexa Bacanu told us:

"I was happy to see the play stirs laughter among the audience. We did not want to make spectators feel depressive, even though we talk about depression. We wanted the performance to be funny too. A number of people in the audience told me at the end of the play that they had lived some of the experiences presented. People think they are the only ones to experience certain things and they are ashamed to discuss them or to ask for help. So it's been a relief for many spectators to see that other people are going through the same thing and to understand that this condition can be cured."


Of course, theatre cannot replace treatment, but it can help us understand ourselves better, psychologist Flori-Ana Buzila says:

"Speaking strictly about theatre, its contribution to depression-related problems consist in raising awareness about it. If I see a play in which the characters behave or say things that are very familiar to me, if I know that certain characters suffer from depression or have symptoms of depression, then I understand I've been going through the same thing for quite some time. For this reason, theatre as an instrument of raising awareness about this problem has its role, but it does not treat the disease. So I must act responsibly and find the best treatment for myself."



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Publicat: 2018-12-19 13:07:00
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