How natural is depression?

[white knight]

Why does mental illness exist? One answer could be it is a form of natural selection. All animals evolve. But I wonder sometimes if our ills or parts of them might not have come from our traumatised childhood caused by bad people or genetics.

One theory was that man used to protect his family from other people or predators. While stirring his broth, if he was more alert that what was a common level of alertness, he would be more likely to be aware of another caveman sneaking up behind him to steal his stew or hurt his family. This ultra alert frame of mind developed into ADHD as we know it.

Depression with its very high percentage of people suffering it, has eluded the medical profession. However one could argue- in the many hundreds of thousands of years that man has roamed the earth, stress of modern life, diets including soft drinks and high sugar, lack of bonding of people within communities and the almighty dollar that forces us to perform more than ever before, has evolved only within the last few generations…the computer a major contributor only in the last generation alone!! Yet we hop onto that computer train or be left behind.

Stress can be a major contributor. Stress- meaning- “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.” Which in my language, how I feel about it is burnout from taking on activities in excess of what I can cope with. Is that natural? I think it is. We are born with limits…we cant all cope with life. We have our limits and then that's it! Some have high limits, some not so high.

Narcissists is another example. The need for power over others might have developed within small towns where no one led the people. An opportunist would rise up and in the early days conquer all challengers. Saddam Hussain did this to any rival at all during his reign as did other tyrants. It wasn’t and isn’t acceptable but is it natural? In a world where the strongest survive – yes it must be as it has happened from the beginning of time.

And so when suffering depression, blame should never be levelled in the sufferers direction. Therefore you should not experience guilt either for guilt comes from blame. Tell that to some!

One can justifiably be at fault when you know you have an illness and you are in denial or you abandon treatment/medication when diagnosis has been confirmed. For then others around you suffer also. That isn’t natural, its inconsiderate. It's a choice

Tony WK

[JessF]

This is a thread that potentially could go on for ever... depression is a natural thing, but so are many things that are not 'good'. Eat the wrong plant and it'll kill you, but it's natural!

Where does it come from? I think every single person will have a different answer for this, which is why the psychological profession exists. It's why these forums are filled with page upon page of life stories and situations, infinite variations on similar themes.

It's funny, you look at the keys on a piano, or the strings on a guitar, and wonder how is it that so many different songs and pieces of music have been written or composed over hundreds, thousands of years from just those basic building blocks, and yet it continues.

Depression is so very personal, and yet it affects us all.

[white knight]

Hi JessF

I suppose, presume even, that many of us get some level of comfort to find the origins of something. I know I did find a lot of comfort in finding out 95% that my mother has a disorder likely Chronic BPD or Narcissistic ways. I knew there was something wrong but nothing came close until I read extracts of the book "walking on egg shells"...that hit the nail on the head. And her in denial leaves me little choice but to guess her issues thus releasing myself from much of the self blame.

Parents of ADHD children who feel their child is so abnormal might find comfort as to the reasons their son is so energetic.

But yes, you're right, its unique to all of us. The "not normal", a "nutter", is wrong on so many fronts because we are what we are and therefore we are "natural" as we are. Falling into the boundaries of what many see as normal is simply, I think, boundaries that the masses fall into, not everyone. The ones outside the boundaries that have been poorly classed for thousands of years simply for being different or impaired are normal too just less in number.

Tony WK

[JessF]

Oh I agree, the finding out why is often very important, because the uncertainty, the not knowing, is a great source of anxiety. It has always been for me, in many areas of life.

Sometimes the problem is, though, that you can't ever definitively get to the bottom of it. Or the answer is not satisfying. And I wonder whether the long-term solution is more along the lines of learning to live with and accept uncertainty.

[white knight]

"Accepting uncertainty"

Yes!! so true. Some things in life we have no control over, this could be one, the origin of your illness.

So finding out the origin is important possible/not possible

Finding out if your illness is diagnosable yes/no

Seeking if you can be prescribes medication for such illness yes/no

Trial to find out if medication is compatible with you yes/no

Finding out if therapy sessions are appropriate and of value

And if there is room for thoughts that some things just are not treatable or you could accept your quirky ways as a thing that cannot be challenged and are best left present but not give them more attention than they are worthy.

If you know what I mean.? It could be opening a can of worms in some cases. Blowing things out of proportion. Things that need time to mend or maturity.

Tony WK