Is depression a natural reaction to an insane world?

[Unbeliever]

This is a thought I have been pondering for a while.

The default to view depression as "something wrong", or a "brain chemical imbalance" or as "a disease" or something that "needs to be fixed" or requires "medication" or "therapy" appears to be the most common response of practically everyone. 

From doctors, to psychiatrists, to therapists, to the general population, to the depressed individuals themselves... the universal belief appears to be that "the person needs to get help".

But what if... the living in depressed state is correct? What if it isn't an "imbalance" or isn't something "wrong"? What if being depressed is the only natural state to be in for an intelligent, empathetic, compassionate, informed, thinking individual to exist in the current state of our world?

What if to NOT be depressed about is the true indication of mental sickness?

I'm not saying that being depressed is fun in any way... most people on this forum would be well aware that it sucks. But that is not what I'm saying. 

What I mean is... could existing in a state of depression be completely natural for someone living in a place where so many things are obviously terrible... both on a personal level and in the world as a whole?

My reasons for this perspective are numerous. Far too many to write in only 2500 words. But basically...

The real world is an extremely depressing place for any person that cares at all about anything outside of themselves.

Eg. If you care about animals... the reality is many beautiful species are already lost forever, many others are so close to the verge of extinction that even if everyone worldwide decided to do everything they could to save them... they would still be lost. At home there are people that still buy people animals as christmas gifts, refuse to desex their pets, the massive amount of pets put down in pounds annually. There is backyard animal cruelty, the dog racing industry using live bait, shooting race horses with legs, women's hormonal treatments for menapause, the meat industry, birds choking on our plastic half a world away, overfishing. The list goes on and on.

It is reality and it is depressing. Care about animals and feeling "depressed" about it IS correct. And that is one tiny subject in a plethora of subjects.

3 billion people in starving poverty, the water wars, religious fanatics, corrupt governments, womens rights violations, slavery, wars, child rape, etc etc

It's the people that are not depressed that worry me.

[Peppermintbach]

Hi,

Just quickly...sorry I won't take up much more space on this thread.

Sara- I'm glad to know. I would rather know than not know. Thank you for letting us know (even if I wasn't the intended audience) xoxo

Quirky- life is weird, hey? Timely coincidences.

Back to the main topic now...

Loving thoughts,

Pepper xoxo

[Just Sara]

Actually it is relevant...

I could be your next door neighbour or clear across the world, yet helpless is helpless, there's naught anyone can do.

Is depression a natural response to what's happening in the world or to me? I guess it's no different to war or mass exodus from war. People watching, people involved, it's the same the world over. I believe feeling/being/believing helpless and hopeless is the cause of depression. Basically...

When hope is lost...

However, hope springs eternal. I may lose my right hand, so I'll type left handed. My hand's a tool, not the brains of the outfit.

That's all...

Sara xo

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Sara,

Beautifully said. I admire your spirit. Hope is indeed eternal 🙂 Keep hope alive.

Much love,

Pepper xoxo

[ElDiablo]

Interesting insight from everyone. "Not sure if everything sucks because I'm depressed, or I'm depressed because everything sucks" - Futurama

I've had my share of bad experiences, and somehow still manage to rack more and more to the point something inside me broke and had enough. I've come to a point where I'm just evading everything and everyone. I don't want the carrot or the stick, the so-called 'normal' person's life (cycle). I am sad because I am, I don't need to think to be sad anymore, as I am sadness. I'm not in pursuit of happiness, yet I am mostly content with what little I have.

I just feel like having a dog and a little shed by the volcano and the sea. #remembers the Mexican fisherman story

[blondguy]

Hey Eldiablo

Great post! As well as a great quote from Futurama too

"Not sure if everything sucks because I'm depressed, or I'm depressed because everything sucks" - Futurama"

Just my humble opinion....the world isnt insane...its beautiful....

Depression is no different to a physical illness as its partially chemically based anyway

My kind thoughts

Paul

[Scotchpom]

Life IS inescapable, so why waste your time being depressed.

I agree with everyone here, even those that disagree with each other.

The world is sick, I've always had the elatedly happy opinion that humanity was a race of self serving parasites, a plague and a blight on this beautiful planet we live upon.

Now I cringe with distaste when I hear the term "human nature" as being described as an individuals capability to commit depravity.

It dehumanises and desensitises us, much the same way that economic and industrial progress devalues and destroys life.

I know as a human being what I am capable of ( I like to think so), I also know that it's (what I like to call) my humanity that's stops me, love of and compassion for life, leads me more towards forgiveness then down the self righteous path of vengeance. As much as I would like to and relish the thought. I have come to realise that negativity breeds negativity perspective and perception, gratitude reciprocates and fosters positive perception.

The Indian tale of the two wolves within us, good and evil in eternal struggle, the one you feed the most wins.

The rose coloured glasses work both ways, much the same as Plato's cave, we all associate with what tends to be agreeable with our own perspective and intention, we lose touch with the truth of reality. The mind sees what it chooses to believe, your perspective and perception are nothing more than your perspective and perception, and there are 7.5 billion different versions. Yours is but one...but it is yours, if you wish to believe in owning such things.

Your opinion of me has nothing to do with me, it is you that creates your opinion based on your perspective.

Reality is what it is no matter what you think.

You cannot affect a positive change from a negative perspective.

Depression is like a cloak, protection from the adverse affect of positivity, as a blanket is protection from the cold.

Depression suppresses (cloaks) your ability to feel hope, joy and happiness because inside you know that disappointment always follows, so you stay depressed, sheilding yourself from the effects of the positivity and happiness of others, your own positivity becomes the enemy.

You become your own worst enemy.

So yes, I believe that depression is a result of the state of the world we HAVE LIVED in.

But I've also come to realise that being depressed helps nothing and no one, least of all yourself.

It's entirely up to you to change,to do what you can.

[Scotchpom]

It's time to make humanity something to be proud of, not use it as an excuse for the depravity of individuals.

[Scotchpom]

We are bombarded with negativity and manipulation, the news, media, advertising and entertainment industry all use your sympathetic and empathetic compassionate nature to provoke an emotional response, to inspire(?) an emotional attatchment to themselves and the products they sell, musical lyrics inspire love and passion while the videos inspire lust and promote promiscuity and sexuality.

News is dramatised to elicit emotional response and connection.

Negativity demoralises and disempowered people, as individuals and communal.

Positivity empowers people and is just as infectious and contagious.

They bombard you with negativity to keep you where they think you belong, depressed, suppressed, disempowered, suffering and struggling, financially and emotionally.

The very same way that the western world has dominated and spread its influence and eradicated most indigenous cultures. Destroying the culture from within by demoralising its significance and self identity.

The same way childhood spirit is broken by parents and society, authority, obedience, reward based behavioural control, neglect and abuse, self belief is discouraged distorted and broken, a demoralised child with a mind full of doubt is easier to control than a free spirited self believer, and because freedom doesn't keep the economic ball rolling productively, lining the pockets of those who profit from your distorted depressive perception.

When one learns to close their eyes and ears to what they are hearing and seeing and they learn to listen internally to what really matters, developing a sense of spirituality (I am not a religious person by any means, but I am learning to be a spirited spiritual one), learning to have faith and belief in oneself and their integrity, realising and recognising the immorality of the nature of our self serving and self deprecating lifestyle.

Its a depressing realisation, but it beats living in and with the depression, if you realise and recognise that you can beat it you may just find a way to do so.

It's also an awakening to the truth of reality.

You can see the wolf for what he is, nothing more than a sheep disguised as a wolf disguised and hiding amongst sheep, and it is up to you to show the others how to expose and defeat the deviant pretender.

The more time you spend looking at screens and believing in the truth of the words and thoughts of others the more disconnected you will become from reality and the more distorted your perception will be.

[Just Sara]

Hey and welcome Scotchpom; (My uncle would have a pink fit if he saw me using 'Scotch' instead of 'Scottish'. lol)

Your posts are amazingly accurate and enlightening. Why haven't I seen you here before? As I'm experiencing some personal drama at present, I'd like to put a positive spin on your words if that's ok.

We have choice; therefore we have empowerment. I know the world seems like a poo hole, and the powers that be seem 'above' anything or anyone, but my voice isn't for sale and desires nothing more than to be heard.

If I choose to ignore your words, there's naught you can do; same with my post. Yet I have read it and replied. You are heard, validated and, have impressed upon me your very passionate and powerful sentiments.

No, we can't change those who don't want to change, but we can offer options that defeat nonsense that's pouring out of our screens as long as we don't give up.

I can choose not to pay for items or services that claim to be invaluable or quality, when in fact they're not. I can grow my own food and eat a healthy diet created by mother earth instead of so-called food that's produced in a lab or an overcrowded farm.

As individuals, one by one we can make ripples. As a collective ripples turn to waves and so on; that's empowerment. Voices of 'the people' cannot be downplayed if we speak loud enough and for long enough. As that wave gains momentum, we can't be ignored any longer; just like a tidal wave.

Giving up is our biggest enemy; being defeatist or apathetic won't serve our cause.

Everything you've written is correct, but what of its opposite? The positive people, services, items that promote survival, the simple life and self empowerment. I'm one of those people, doing what I can to make a difference.

Join me and smile...

Sara x

[Unbeliever]

Wow, I went away and the thread continued.

I do apologise for disappearing for so long, the last few "interpretations" (or more accurately misinterpretations) of what I wrote irked me sufficently to make me retreat back into silence.

I am however very pleased to have read many of the responses since I was last here... there are some really interesting thoughts and perceptions here. My initial motivation was to have a conversation about whether the standard accepted view of depression is actually accurate or not and if not why not.

(On a side note... nobody should worry ever about "derailing" this thread. It exists simply to inspire conversation and to get people to think about depression and lasting sadness in ways that is rarely discussed. Plus... since once of the themes I brought up was empathy, (or a lack of it) "derailing" in order to show empathy towards other contributers would be rather hypocritical).

... And reading that someone joined this website purely after reading this thread just to contribute is probably the best result I could possibly have hoped for (for reasons I will detail in the post after this one).

Just to clear up a few things mentioned in the thread. I was surprised to read that the perspective I brought up was translated into being "black and white" as it actually annoys me that the current universal interpretation of depression is...

If you are depressed all the time, that is bad, you are ill, something is wrong with you that must be fixed via any means possible because you are flawed and mentally sick.

And...

If you are happy all the time, that is good, you are well, nothing is wrong with you and keep doing exactly what you are doing because you are perfectly mentally healthy.

THAT is as pretty much as "black and white" as I can imagine.

If anything what I was trying to do was add a splash of colour to the currently rigid "mental health" landscape. and hopefully start a conversation about possible alternative perspectives.

Interestingly, in days long gone by, it was common place to have alternative discussions and opinions among intellectuals about the origins and reasons behind "mental afflictions" which quite honestly is entirely absent for anyone going through depression in the modern era. You could be forgiven for thinking that psychiatrists and pharmacutical companies have depression all neatly tied up in a box with a red ribbon bow.

As usual, the 2500 word limit is "limiting". I will continue the post below.