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Depression lies

wilwheaton.net

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Re: Depression lies

#81

Post by msfd »

diffeomorph wrote: post #14
huggah wrote: post #2

We have an incredible capacity for denial and self-deception. For years, I would periodically drop into severe depression; I would stop sleeping, stop eating, stop answering my phone or email. I wouldn't leave my room for weeks on end; on a few occasions I was so successfully reclusive that people worried that I disappeared or died called the police to investigate. A few times I almost did die; I think the biggest re…

I had the same problem. My depression had been latent since early HS but it really manifested when I began college, and my grades were horrible as a result despite having been a model student until then(well, until the last year of HS; college only hastened its development). I'm 29 and I've since gotten treatment but the effect on my professional development has been incredibly damaging. It's less a stumble out of th…

I would say "Maybe".

Maybe they have better lives, or maybe they are (or will be) depressed like you were.

The point is, you don't know, so enjoy you live, I think you deserve it.

Re: Depression lies

#82

Post by paraschopra »

orangeduck wrote: post #79
paraschopra wrote: post #72

What I'm not able to reconcile is if the despair and anxiety resulting from nihilism is something that should be treated . I'm a staunch believer in existential nihilism (and hence believe life is inherently purposeless and pointless), so time to time it gives a sharp tinge of sadness on the lines of _why am I existing at all_. It's not a suicidal feeling, but very close to it. I have (rightly, so) convinced myself o…

Ultimately nihilism is non-prescriptive as to how you should behave or feel. Under nihilism you can very easily turn "Why Bother?" into "Why Not?", or "Why do I exist?" into "Why would I not exist?" - because all are meaningless questions. At least this is how I deal with the fatalist aspect. Live you life as you would "normally", take the actions you think are best and do what gives you emotional fulfilment. Nihilis…

It's not that a man secretly wants meaning but the facts deny any such thing. I guess evolution has programmed the man to seek meaning (from a psychological point of view). So no matter what intellectually he believes in, there would be a certain push to crave for that meaning that in reality doesn't exist. Thus the despair on the helplessness of situation.

I know using medication or treatment I can block that craving for meaning (lack of which ultimately causes despair), but I'm just unsure right now whether such a thing should be done.

Re: Depression lies

#83

Post by paraschopra »

mquander wrote: post #77
paraschopra wrote: post #72

What I'm not able to reconcile is if the despair and anxiety resulting from nihilism is something that should be treated . I'm a staunch believer in existential nihilism (and hence believe life is inherently purposeless and pointless), so time to time it gives a sharp tinge of sadness on the lines of _why am I existing at all_. It's not a suicidal feeling, but very close to it. I have (rightly, so) convinced myself o…

Your despair and anxiety don't result from your philosophical beliefs, which should be trivially obvious since lots of people share your beliefs and do not regularly suffer from despair and anxiety. You can feel how you please, but you aren't being faced with the binary choice of "believe X and be sad" or "disbelieve X and be happy." You also have the choice of "change whatever weird thing in your head correlates a b…

Interesting point. That is precisely what I fear: if I fix the unhappiness would my philosophical beliefs get diluted. Maybe that won't be the case, but I don't know that right now.

There may be Nihilists out there who are very happy and never feel any despair, and that's what I'm after too. Nihilism definitely doesn't mean you should be unhappy. In fact, in light of no meaning, the sole purpose should be to seek happiness (why would anyone want unhappiness). But it's just bit difficult for me to feel blissful and happy all the time in spite of the full awareness that it's pointless after all. Occasional despair is inevitable from Nihilism, won't you agree?

Re: Depression lies

#84

Post by rubashov »

I thought I was depressed and anxious for almost two years. It turned out I just had a chronic sinus infection.

I'm suspicious that a lot of what gets considered as psychiatric problems are really physical health problems. Anecdotally, a lot of people switch to a nutrient dense diet and cut out potential allergens and wind up feeling all better.

Re: Depression lies

#85

Post by jcfrei »

huggah wrote: post #78
jhuckestein wrote: post #11

one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year This is something that frightens me. What is a "diagnosable mental disorder"? I'm willing to bet this statement was far from true 50 or a 100 years ago. Not because I think people got more depressed or anxious, but rather because we're looking harder to "diagnose" things. I think there's a big danger, especially in psychological afflictions,…

I am quite confident that mental disorders are not just more diagnosed, but also more common than they used to be. I don't know what all the causes are, but I suspect that it is somewhat akin to the "obesity epidemic" and that it has many factors of debatable relevance. There are social and environmental factors that are causing profound differences in disease rates; there's no reason to suspect that mental diseases…

absolutely agree. I believe that our body and especially our minds aren't prepared for the kind of lifestyle we're living today and that puts a strain on our mental sanity. especially the lack of physical activity I believe can have a seriously negative effect on your body, because you lack the release of dopamines and endorphines. furthermore I you're a frequent HN, reddit or similiar reader, the information overload might cause confusion and disorientation (in terms of mental goals) and also lead to depression. You're also more prone to lose touch with your body when all you're focused on is your work or the computer, you might just need a certain minimal level of social interaction to stay happy. I think it's wrong to believe that with enough will power you can work all day in front of the computer. it will eventually run you down, you'll become less productive and as a result less happy.

Re: Depression lies

#86

Post by sillysaurus »

rubashov wrote: post #84

I thought I was depressed and anxious for almost two years. It turned out I just had a chronic sinus infection. I'm suspicious that a lot of what gets considered as psychiatric problems are really physical health problems. Anecdotally, a lot of people switch to a nutrient dense diet and cut out potential allergens and wind up feeling all better.

How did you treat it?

Re: Depression lies

#87

Post by lepacheco »

rubashov wrote: post #84

I thought I was depressed and anxious for almost two years. It turned out I just had a chronic sinus infection. I'm suspicious that a lot of what gets considered as psychiatric problems are really physical health problems. Anecdotally, a lot of people switch to a nutrient dense diet and cut out potential allergens and wind up feeling all better.

I also have some anxiety problems and from time to time my sinusitis shows up. What do you mean you just had a chronic sinus infection (instead of anxiety/depression)? What kind of symptoms are you talking about? This might be relevant to me...

Re: Depression lies

#88

Post by lusr »

kahawe wrote: post #57
lusr wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely. I haven't seen anybody mention David Burns' book "Feeling Good" but it probably saved my life from a descent into insanity. It's my "bible" now. I knew something was completely and absolutely wrong with my self-destructive thought patterns but didn't understand what until I learned about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). A sad observation: everytime I encounter a struggling friend with dysfunctional tho…

I do think it is great you take the time to help them like that; I also think this isn't something you should be doing, basically taking them through a "mini therapy". Now, granted, the line between "I just wanted to cheer them up" and "I showed them CBT" can be blurry but as soon as you take it onto yourself to actively make them better, I'd say you are strolling down a path you shouldn't. The main reason being I do…

Whilst I agree it's dangerous to attempt offering people therapy when you don't have the qualifications to back it up, I think you're conflating therapy with helping depressed individuals to recognize their condition so that they may seek therapy.

Believe me I have no desire to rescue people. Been there, tried that. However, part of the problem with people who are depressed is that they don't realise they are depressed. So when you see somebody struggling with dysfunctional thinking you have 3 options:

1. Pretend you have no additional information that can help them and hope they find the appropriate resources themselves.

2. Decide that (1) is unethical and suggest appropriate resources that may help them.

3. If (2) didn't work the last time, acknowledge that sometimes depressed individuals can be either unaware or in denial of the seriousness of their condition. Since you can't force them to seek help, you have the option of asking them the very same questions CBT taught you to ask yourself in the situation. At this point the person hopefully sees the value in what you're doing and is more convinced in the value of your suggestions in (2). At no point do you take it upon yourself to perform therapy.

CBT is based on the idea that we're ultimately rational creatures but sometimes we're not aware of all the factors influencing our cognition. While you ought to have training if you are attempting to perform therapy, you don't need a professional training to point out dysfunctional thinking in someone and point them in the direction of professionals who can perform therapy.

Re: Depression lies

#89

Post by expralitemonk »

We live in a society where mental problems are considered to be a spiritual problem, not a medical one. The brain is an organ and organs malfunction. I think the younger people see this and are more likely to get the help and medication they need. It seems to be the +60 year olds who will go to their priest instead of their doctor.

Re: Depression lies

#90

Post by mfceo »

before doing anything that this guy auggests, listen up :

Leave the meds behind. meds are the last resport. you have to try everything else before doing what this guy did and let go of your supernatural expectancies from yourself. Work less, eat better, sleep more, enjoy your life more, stress less, change your life, live healthier, enjoy enough daylight, and first make sure that you are not infact surrounded by assholes & idiots. Try sports, fall in love, try dietary suplements, vitamins, make some major life changes, stop smoking, stop drinking, stop making yourself depressed all the time. Once you ealize that you are the admin here and that it is you that has to take control of yourself and maintain the system. Meds are the absolutely last resort. This guy for sure didnt try out all those above meantioned natural techniques, but went the easy and unhealthier way. Now there is one more pilled up dude out there that i will have to compete with. Although i do try to live my life the healthiest way i can afford and cut all other bs aside, i do find it sometimes difficult to compete agains all these people on meds as they don't have to deal with as much humane feelings anymore but can act out, in the worst case, their over the top happy personalities and don't feel like normal humans do, dont sence when to stop smiling etc. but yeah, if it really was the last choice for this dude, then i'm happy that this guy is happy again. For all i know this might be just one more of those 'talks' from big pharma companies about the benefits of mood enhancers and anti depressants. Anybody out there coping with depression, hang in there, you dont want to cloud your judgement with a bunch of pills. instead thry ALL natural ways to stay happy and focused. Own yourself.

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