Thread: Is Everybody Depressed?

Originally Posted by Black_Eagle

What?

I got it...

Actually, I did not intend any pun. I really wanted to know why he posted that.

Just get on with it and it will be all okay...

Originally Posted by Black_Eagle

Actually, I did not intend any pun. I really wanted to know why he posted that.

Originally Posted by WakataDreamer

Thank you, I appreciate it ^^

Threads are much better when they don't devolve into religious/other religious/pantheistic/univerSalistic/atheist/etc flamewars

We're all human, and we're all on a discussion board, that's all that matters



NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

What, you don't get it? He's all happy that I'm not turning this into a big religion debate, but then you interject with a demand for sources, which would otherwise derail the thread and turn it into a big debate. It's funny...

I only paid attention to the OP.

For the record, I'm not questioning the merit of the claim that theists are happier than atheists. I only wish to see the statistics so that I may have more information as I try to figure out why it might be.

Originally Posted by Black_Eagle

I only paid attention to the OP.

For the record, I'm not questioning the merit of the claim that theists are happier than atheists. I only wish to see the statistics so that I may have more information as I try to figure out why it might be.

Alright, here it is:



I read it from a special edition from Time magazine that I bought because it looked so fascinating. The claim is in the last section called "Healing", in the article "The Biology of Belief". The opening summary really caught my attention:

Atheists and believers may argue about religion, but one thing seems clear: having faith can improve your health. The next debate is inevitable: Why?

(By Jeffrey Kluger)

There are lots of little statistics sprinkled about in it, including some mentions of positive thinking and placebos. I'm too tired to read the whole article right now, but I recommend the entire magazine because all the sections in it are pretty intriguing.


PS, I'm not really depressed anymore. I've just started college, I'm a few days into it, and now I FINALLY have a tangible purpose in life and something I can do right now, not just hoping that sometime in the future I'll be able to do something about my life's purpose. The people are all amazing, helpful, and teach that a positive attitude is everything, so that just leaks into my life too. I've stopped taking my anti-depressants after ramping them down for about a week.

Originally Posted by DeeryTheDeer

PS, I'm not really depressed anymore. I've just started college, I'm a few days into it, and now I FINALLY have a tangible purpose in life and something I can do right now, not just hoping that sometime in the future I'll be able to do something about my life's purpose. The people are all amazing, helpful, and teach that a positive attitude is everything, so that just leaks into my life too. I've stopped taking my anti-depressants after ramping them down for about a week.

Woo! Congrats! Here's a "Yay, you got better soon!" hug.

I know exactly the feelings you describe in your first post. I've always had a history of depression, usually in bursts. I'll feel depressed for 2 weeks then be fine for 2 weeks.

I think I've helped assuage the pain by going to school. Learning is one of the few things I actually take pleasure in and feel good about, and it took me a while to come to this realization.

I often do still feel numb, cynical, and unimpressed by everything, but for a very good reason. Humans have created a world where unintelligent and unimpressive behaviour is rewarded. All you need to do is watch the news, take a look at our exploititave corporations most of us are so proud of, or watch MTV. Our society is full of uninformed, unimaginative people that only want to be entertained. Personally I can't stand hearing people talk about these superficial, insecure actresses from Hollywood, or talk about their favourite football teams. That type of stuff doesn't impress me, and often makes me feel sad that this is what we've come to.

Before making the decision to go back to school, I was one of those lazy people with no interesting interests. I find that even though I live in a disgusting culture, learning about it helps to free myself. I've found out that I don't need to be a product of my culture, because culture is fragile. It's not fixed. If one redesigns their own set of beliefs and interests they might find something they find pleasurable.

Anyway, this is how I've managed to slip out of cyclical depression. By learning, forming opinions, observing, sorting information, and redesigning my standards and sets of beliefs. Maybe one can relate.

Originally Posted by Mario92

Woo! Congrats! Here's a "Yay, you got better soon!" hug.

Soon? Um, I don't call my getting better "soon". It's been more like 4 years coming. 2 years of being medicated for depression, roughly. But thanks for the kind congrats.

Originally Posted by SpecialInterests

I know exactly the feelings you describe in your first post. I've always had a history of depression, usually in bursts. I'll feel depressed for 2 weeks then be fine for 2 weeks.

I think I've helped assuage the pain by going to school. Learning is one of the few things I actually take pleasure in and feel good about, and it took me a while to come to this realization.

I often do still feel numb, cynical, and unimpressed by everything, but for a very good reason. Humans have created a world where unintelligent and unimpressive behaviour is rewarded. All you need to do is watch the news, take a look at our exploititave corporations most of us are so proud of, or watch MTV. Our society is full of uninformed, unimaginative people that only want to be entertained. Personally I can't stand hearing people talk about these superficial, insecure actresses from Hollywood, or talk about their favourite football teams. That type of stuff doesn't impress me, and often makes me feel sad that this is what we've come to.

Before making the decision to go back to school, I was one of those lazy people with no interesting interests. I find that even though I live in a disgusting culture, learning about it helps to free myself. I've found out that I don't need to be a product of my culture, because culture is fragile. It's not fixed. If one redesigns their own set of beliefs and interests they might find something they find pleasurable.

Anyway, this is how I've managed to slip out of cyclical depression. By learning, forming opinions, observing, sorting information, and redesigning my standards and sets of beliefs. Maybe one can relate.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I think it's better, though, to focus on the positive of humanity and realize that nothing is static, and we all still have a TON of potential as human beings. As long as you believe that, it turns out to be true. It has been true in the past. That's what I'm starting/trying to believe.

I'm late to this thread, but the title really grabbed me.

And your most recent post in this thread [especially the part about nothing being static] really brought a smile to my face. So thank you for that.

When I was in the worst stages of my own depression, it seemed like a revelation to me to realize just that. It's sounds simple, but it's deceptively easy to overlook sometimes...especially when the mind has become accustomed to prolonged depression. Even the simple reinforcement of your own ability to remain proactive can be a huge help. Vigilance is key. I know it was for me, anyway.

And I don't know if this means anything or not, but just a thought on your OP:

Originally Posted by DeeryTheDeer

what then, once I'm totally better?

Another thing that helped me, at least, was to not focus on that "some day, in the hypothetical future" when everything is 100% better. That usually brings more anxiety. You know? Taking one day at a time, and the striving to make just that one day more enjoyable and meaningful for yourself...it turns into a positive pattern before you know it.

And as for being able to share that positivity with others? When you're able to do so, that only increases your own happiness, I've found.

Regardless, I'm glad to hear things are going better for you. Everyone deserves that. And I hope for that reason you continue on your upward trend.

After being low for a long time, it is sometimes easy to go nowhere but up.

Sometimes (Actually, alot lately) I've had that "can't be bothered" way of thinking. I'll think of things to do, even work myself up enough to do them, then when or if I start, I end up getting bored. It's like I'm bored of everything on Earth. I'm bored of the people, the things they find interesting, and even the things I find interesting.

I can't even play video games now without getting bored and turning them off. I used to love playing video games. They'd steal my sleep and even my social life away from me. What the hell happened? As an aspiring film maker, I need to watch films, both good and bad, to study their approach and intentions much deeper than the average viewer. I can't do this, and even if I'm enjoying a film, I can't help but tell myself that I'm bored. It's not like I've got anything better to do. Why the hell do I do this?

Whenever I get invited out, I decline, because I see everybody around me as generic, faceless neanderthals chasing the smallest of ambitions.

I still have that determined mentality, but the fact that when (not if, when) I get to the top, I'll be more alone that I am now. What good is fortune if you've got no one to share it with?

I've also had some sickening mentality that I can't stop. Just today I imagined a scenario in my head where I neglected my loving mother for weeks on end, and watched her become more and more sad from a third person perspective, all the while, I'd just continue to neglect her. Why would I think of doing that? I love my mother, and yet I can't stop myself from imagining these cruel things. It makes me hate myself, and disgusts me.