Do we have a depression illness epidemic?

[JudoThrowFiasco]

I don't think depression is a new phenomenon caused by the rigors of modern society -- it's just a more acceptable form of illness so more people come out and admit to it.

Pretty sure the stresses of life in the Alaskan wilderness trumps that of the modern metropolis -- it's just that mental health is becoming more of a mainstream notion.

There has always been a 3rd option in a stress situation -- people think it is fight or flight, but mental paralysis has always been there. Depressed people are usually people who get overly caught up in their stresses, feeling trapped in them.

The liberal dispensing of drugs to dull the sensation is a mixed blessing -- it allows people to function while mentally paralyzed but never gets to addressing their issues.

 

[mike sherry]

if you arent exercising and regularly getting laid you probably should be depressed


most depression now a days is people feeling entitled to feeling happier than they currently do

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

“We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war… our Great Depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off.”

-Kenny Florian

 

[HunterSdVa29]

No, people are jist raised to be entitled and then reality sets in once adulthood hits

Its a sobering blow to many to realize "wait, im not special?"

 

[panamaican]

I don't think depression is a new phenomenon caused by the rigors of modern society -- it's just a more acceptable form of illness so more people come out and admit to it.

Pretty sure the stresses of life in the Alaskan wilderness trumps that of the modern metropolis -- it's just that mental health is becoming more of a mainstream notion.

There has always been a 3rd option in a stress situation -- people think it is fight or flight, but mental paralysis has always been there. Depressed people are usually people who get overly caught up in their stresses, feeling trapped in them.

The liberal dispensing of drugs to dull the sensation is a mixed blessing -- it allows people to function while mentally paralyzed but never gets to addressing their issues.

I don't disagree but when you expect your life to be short, tough and brutal then experiencing a short, tough, and brutal life is less likely to make you depressed. It's expecting the bed of roses and then waking up in the Alaskan wilderness that I think has changed.

Of course, part of it is that we now diagnose it far more than in the past and we medicate it more than in the past. But we also expect our lives to be better/easier more than in the past too.

There are some interesting takes on the changing expectations of customer service that can be looked at as a parallel. For example: Customers now expect near immediate delivery on almost everything. But 100 years ago, they would have waited a month for a bolt of fabric and then waited another month for the dress to be sown. They would wait for fruit to be in season...now they expect everything all year round.

It's a small example but when the expectation is "immediate or near immediate", even a reasonable wait can seem a disappointment. Too many such disappointments...

I do agree that the modern era lets people get caught up in their stresses without addressing the underlying issues but I also think we have created more stresses/issues by increasing the expectation that things will be better than they really are.

 

[Ice That Jaw]

I like how people didn't think depression existed 60'years ago.

Just no one knew or cared really. It's better people recognize this and help the people who are suffering from it.

Well, thats what they say about autism anyway.

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

I don't disagree but when you expect your life to be short, tough and brutal then experiencing a short, tough, and brutal life is less likely to make you depressed. It's expecting the bed of roses and then waking up in the Alaskan wilderness that I think has changed.

Of course, part of it is that we now diagnose it far more than in the past and we medicate it more than in the past. But we also expect our lives to be better/easier more than in the past too.

There are some interesting takes on the changing expectations of customer service that can be looked at as a parallel. For example: Customers now expect near immediate delivery on almost everything. But 100 years ago, they would have waited a month for a bolt of fabric and then waited another month for the dress to be sown. They would wait for fruit to be in season...now they expect everything all year round.

It's a small example but when the expectation is "immediate or near immediate", even a reasonable wait can seem a disappointment. Too many such disappointments...

I do agree that the modern era lets people get caught up in their stresses without addressing the underlying issues but I also think we have created more stresses/issues by increasing the expectation that things will be better than they really are.

I see your point about societal expectations playing a factor in more people being diagnosed with depression -- i just think the fact that people feel more comfortable with bringing their illness to light is the main cause of increased numbers (which is a good thing because at least people are talking about it more)

Im just sure it was as prevalent years ago, and around different landscapes of the world -- just different catalysts that trigger it. There definelty is a sense in the US that people never expect anything bad is going to happen to them; while other parts of the world are much more aware of just how bad life can get.

But, depression symptoms such as loss of appetite or motivation can be seen as evolutionary traits from not having enough food to last a winter and conservation of energy - shows stress triggers that lead to depression have been with us for a while.

I think its more increases in population and more socially acceptable to come out with it that are increasing the numbers at this rate.

 

[Bargey]

It's fucking common. I just went to the funeral of another friend 24 yrs old. That's 3 friends in 5 years all from suicide resulting from depression (and other factors).

 

[Burning Hammer]

No, kids are believing more and more dumb shit because we reinforce that their feelings matter. I realized in about 7th grade my feelings dont matter to anyone else unless they gave a shit about me. For some reasons kids think others should actually give a single shit about their stupid opinions. Even my opinions were stupid at that age, but those who cared about me would discuss them with me and I didn't expect people who barely knew me to give a shit.

 

[freaky]

This is what happens when you enable mentally ill people (transgender). We need to find the cause. Why are so many people depressed. Why are there so many people born with the "wrong body". Why so many mentally illl?

 

[Toastytoy]

THe article in the OP touches on many of the salient points. As a society, we've created a significant number of pressures that previous generations probably never dealt with. Not because those scenarios didn't exist but because they were weighted differently.

Becoming a parent has opened my eyes to some of this. The constant subtle jockeying for superior social position and the unspoken expectation that our kids must all grow up, make a ton of money and change the world. And if they don't - we've failed as parents and they've failed as humans.

Even after the kids grow up and move out on their own, the weight of those expectations will burden them.

That's not to say previous generations didn't worry about some of this. But a generation ago, going to college was a success and not going wasn't necessarily a failure. Now? Going is the minimum. Failing to go is failing at life.

A generation ago, making enough to feed your family wand keep a roof over their heads was enough. Anything beyond that was great but you didn't measure yourself primarily by that outcome. Now? Less than $50k means you're a genetic failure. And falling outside of the top 1% (As 99% of us must) is just proof we're underachieving our "potential".

Of course people are depressed. Our expectations are impossible to achieve except for the very few. And that's before you factor in the concept of luck and people's relationship with it.

I'm finding it hard to relate. I think you are looking at the way you were brought up and extrapolating it onto the us as a whole. in my neighborhood getting a skilled job, staying out of jail, being responsible and having a nice family is plenty enough to "succeed" at life.

 

[Don Quixote]

I think the media: televisions, books magazines, portray a false sense of reality of what a good of life is. People try to emulate this, and when their life is not up to par with this fantasy world, this opens the door to depression, and anxiety, self loathing.

 

[Deleted member 196663]

I like how people didn't think depression existed 60'years ago.

Just no one knew or cared really. It's better people recognize this and help the people who are suffering from it.

Kind of a strawman argument. No one is suggesting it didn't exist back then. The question is if it has now become an epidemic due to whatever factors.

 

[Space]

Some people out there are legitimately depressed; i.e. everyone around has died, they have an incurable cancer, they've messed up their life with drugs and alcohol, etc.

Most people are just a bunch of babies though.

 

[Simian Raticus]

Pretty sure the stresses of life in the Alaskan wilderness trumps that of the modern metropolis -- it's just that mental health is becoming more of a mainstream

There's also the argument that people actually lead happier lives when they're free to focus on more basic and primitive types of stress i.e. stuff that directly contributes to the ability to survive, and that the complexities of modern life are causing people to become neurotic and self loathing.

Personally i think it's probably a combination of that and lifestyles that are also physically unhealthy manifesting in psychological imbalance.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

I think I may be sick. I am constantly dwelling on past events. I have never been through anything traumatic through. Only negative socializing issues, like getting rejected, missed opportunities for great sex with really hawt chick that is just way way above my level, not taking certain social opportunities because I was anxious, or just times I wish I was more aggressive in a social gathering.

 

[panamaican]

I'm finding it hard to relate. I think you are looking at the way you were brought up and extrapolating it onto the us as a whole. in my neighborhood getting a skilled job, staying out of jail, being responsible and having a nice family is plenty enough to "succeed" at life.

I'm just using it as an example. In other walks of life, standards such as how quickly things can be done have changed. How much we should expect from our products has increased. These are changes that extend across the board.

You might not relate to my specific example, that's fair. So, let me try a few others. In the past, women saw entering the workforce as succeeding. Now, that's the minimum level of success in the workplace for them. Aspiring to be a nurse has changed into aspiring to be the doctor. There's nothing wrong with the higher expectation but it is harder to achieve and fewer of them will get there.

On the relationship side of life, people now expect more perfection from their partners. In some areas, this is good since they will leave bad relationships but, on the other side, they're also more likely to reject relationship options for reasons that people would have worked through in the past. And quality relationships are one of the ways to reduce the risk of depression. If people are expecting a type of relationship that is unrealistic, they will have fewer relationships overall.

So, my first example is probably too me specific but if you look at many aspects of society, the expectations that we have for our lives today leave far less room for error.

 

[ripskater]

It's fucking common. I just went to the funeral of another friend 24 yrs old. That's 3 friends in 5 years all from suicide resulting from depression (and other factors).

Sorry to hear that man.

 

[Prefect]

No. We are just talking/open to mentla illness more, thankfully.

I think obesity, inactivity, and food hormones and chemicals will someday be shown to be strong causes of depression. That isn't to discount naturally occurring clinical depression.

 

[Prefect]

It's because human beings are social creatures that need family and community. That is the greatest foundation for mental stability.

We've kind of lost our way in that regard, and now we self-medicate. Anti-depressant use, getting a pet, alcohol/drug use, etc.

Give me a farm in the middle of no where, here I can grow my own food and only have to deal with stupidity in small doses. I like socializing but so much of it is pointless babble that takes away from me thinking about things or daydreaming. There is too much shit in people's lives. Everyone should have time to daydream or contemplate things. You want to know why all those letters soldiers sent back during he Civil War sound like they were all written by rhode scholars? They were written by someone that spent all day thinking about what he wanted to communicate to his family.