My understand is that a dog's psychology is that of a pack animal, and that the stress of being put alone in a room every night is the stress of being separated from "the pack." Being separated from the pack equals the looming threat of death—to a greater or lesser extent—for a pack animal.
What this whole scenario illustrates is that the dog's suffering depression was due not to any chemical imbalance but to it being in an environment radically unsuited to its deep-seated psychology. So, the dog's case, I would argue, is a case of anti-depressants being over-prescribed. The people were being cruel to the dog. They should have stopped being cruel.
I'm writing all this because the dog's owners were on anti-depressants too, presumably to ameliorate their suffering. Perhaps they've created just as bad an environment for themselves as they have for the dog. Is it better for them to have the medication or to suffer? I say, that may be a false alternative.
I was treating the dog as an analogy for us, or maybe for children - in environments that aren't particularly suited for us having good mental health, etc. And the giving the dog antidepressants as an analogy for a prescription. If it's a literal dog then yeah.
What this whole scenario illustrates is that the dog's suffering depression was due not to any chemical imbalance but to it being in an environment radically unsuited to its deep-seated psychology. So, the dog's case, I would argue, is a case of anti-depressants being over-prescribed. The people were being cruel to the dog. They should have stopped being cruel.
I'm writing all this because the dog's owners were on anti-depressants too, presumably to ameliorate their suffering. Perhaps they've created just as bad an environment for themselves as they have for the dog. Is it better for them to have the medication or to suffer? I say, that may be a false alternative.