The purpose of Depression

[Jugglin_Strugglin]

Today I read an interesting article: 'Psychologists find the purpose of depression'. In summary:

"""Several researchers have advanced the argument that depression can serve a possibly positive purpose in the lens of evolution. In some circumstances, it may be yielding of insights & personal meaning.

Depression may be an adaption for analysing complex problems. The physiological symptoms suggest an evolutionary design- to pull us away from normal life so we can focus on understanding & solving underlying problems that triggered.

The meanings people derive from different experiences depends not on the amount that they've suffered but the extent of the reflection -or meaning-making. So logically, if the job of a depressive episode is to figure out what's gone awry, what emotional knots need untangling, what attachment patterns need to be identified, then ADs are an incomplete treatment. (Analogy: analgesics can't heal a broken ankle without a cast) Healing of depression needs not just an alleviation of symptoms but a reworking of psychological patterns. CBT etc may work cos they tap into &accelerate the processes that have already evolved to occur over a longer time frame.

Depression is a space for reflection. A journey into the underworld where the adventurer is to go through the door.. ..immerse in the wound...and exit from the previous life through it.

While disengagement from emotionality characterises depression, engagement with one's inner world looks to be the way out: You exit through the wound."""

At first, I found this viewpoint somewhat comforting. It is evolution. It is human nature. It is natural. It is healthy. I hope it helps some here to make sense of why they are feeling down,& to better overcome it.

But with more thought, for me it is nothing new. I reflected on this long ago & I believe it to be true. It may be possible for some people & some circumstances, eg dealing with & acceptance in grief. Events can't be changed, but we move on.

But what if the triggers are just surviving in day to day life & cannot be changed. We might understand &have no more knots to untangle. No amount of positive thinking or reflection & acceptance can change some circumstances (triggers) that we must continue to deal with in order stay on the rollercoaster of life. It might be a reason that we are never 'cured' of depression& can be prone to recurrent bouts. It could also account for 'treatment resistant depression'that can last for decades.

Lee

[MarkJT]

Lee, a very interesting post that the pros and cons could be well debated for a very long time.

Personally, I am thankful that i went on the journey that i did (PTSD, depression and anxiety). It has opened my eyes to a whole new world, game me a heap of insight and knowledge and allowed me to be a better version of myself (not completed yet, still a work in progress!!).

I tend to agree with it but at the same time, if i rewind a few years when i was in the hurt locker, i'd be saying nope, don't like this because I was in the midst of it.

There is also the fact that mine was triggered by my PTSD and not in a "natural" sense, does that change how this study looks? Hmmm...much to be thought about!

I think it will depend on where you are on the mental health spectrum to either agree or disagree with it but sure is an interesting topic!

Mark.

[Croix]

Dear Lee~

Um. Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything (RAH)

There must be some truth in depression having purpose:

In art; Tolstoy, Bai Juyi, van Gogh (with or without surplus ear) span different countries, cultures and eras.

In understanding; Sure, When I was right down the only people I could tolerate talking to were those who had been on the same train.

In evolution; I'm not sure. Perhaps the wider the gene pool (including depressive types) then the more viable permutations that are possible. Like Mark above, mine came from an external source, so at most it would have been an inbuilt potential.

Isolation to untangle personal or life's verities; I cannot say I have more insight into those now. It was just a ghastly experience where my thoughts were skewed towards the black. I blush to admit I'm an intellectual lightweight and for me the meaning of life is still 42.

As for wanting to change one's experiences and 'cut out' the unpleasant bits, I suppose if one has achieved a reasonably balanced state then would not wish to alter the components that contributed to it, even if the price was only marginal livable at the time. I am what I am, in part because of depression, plus much more. Can't go back anyway until Total Recall becomes a consumer item.

I guess all aspects of human existence do have value or effect, that value or effect being more hard-won in some cases than others.

Incidentally Sartre thinks along similar lines to the ones you outlined above, holding that depression is a self deception which needs to be overcome to reach understanding - so you are in v good company.

Croix (who like most walruses has difficulties with philosophical concepts - and fish, they are both slippery)

P.S. My apologies for not taking your post as seriously as it deserves - my limitations showing -C

[Elsie77]

"Purpose for depression " just sounds like another version of "everything happens for a reason" to me. Clinical depression is characterised as such when day to day life becomes impossible to handle. When our reaction to not being able to find our shoes is a huge catastrophe. No amount of self reflection is going to make us feel better about how we will protect our feet when we walk out the door! I lost 10 years of life because of my depression and am still struggling to stay afloat. CBT did save me. Saying I am a better, more enlightened person because of the self reflection I have had to go through to get out of depression may make me feel better but i can't see how that would aid the survival of the species. Sounds like psychologist mumbo jumbo from people who have not experienced real depression. This concept has me thinking though. Sounds like an interesting article. Thanks for posting🙂 (forgive me if I'm not making sense tonight it's because I'm very tired, teary, walking through mud and feeling a bit mental) 😐

[white knight]

Hi, thanks for this thread.

Some years ago a prof Gray in Sydney addtessed a forum made up of family members if childten with adhd.

He explained that adhd was naturally developed, the ultra alert aspect, for the purposes of self protection.

In caveman days a hunter has his food being cooked. He must be aware of protecting his catch, his family and his possessions. Hence adhd was born in some.

Yes, as mentioned there is a reason for everything. A spare ture around my gut ...l havent solved that one.

Tony WK