Why On Gods Green Earth Are We All So Depressed???

Dear Passive,

I have to say right now that life happens, and we can either try to overcome what comes our way, or we can just let situations overtake us.

No matter either way isn't easy, but the holidays are almost always worse for seasonal depression, and with that comes a rash of suicides, shootings etc, etc,

There is no good answer, but the man in Nebraska had a couple bad things happen in his life that just pushed him over the edge, and he wanted to be remembered, was he in his right mind, probably not, were the warnings there, yes.....everything that I have read puts him in a mental facility that he either bluffed his way out of (not hard to do)--or his insurance ran out, or they thought he had stabilized, no matter he wasn't, and I think now that people will take things way more seriously.

Mooch

I wish I did know what's going on, especially with our young people! Look how many young people have gone on shooting rampages like yesterday's mall shooting or those at Columbine and Virginia Tech. I know parents have to take some responsibility but I don't think that's the whole answer. You mention how so many people are on anti-depressants and it's been said anti-depressants sometimes cause teens and young adult to commit suicide - something which makes no sense to me, aren't they supposed to treat depression not make it worse? All I know is either I wasn't paying attention or this sort of thing simply didn't happen when I was very young. I don't mean just the mass murders, I mean depression among young people in general. Could it be the processed foods we eat or the types of medication people take these days? Ot is it just that society and life in general today has gotten to be that depressing today? I sure didn't give you any answers, just more questions!
Annie

I have no pat answers about this. I don't think there is a person alive that hasn't gone through a depressive period. For some of use it's just a phase and we can pick ourselves up from depression. This actually happened to me many years ago. I don't know what triggered it, but I didn't want to get out of bed, hardly ate, was like a zombie..this lasted maybe a few months, but then it was like a light dawned in me, like, hey, I don't like this, I'm not getting anywhere this way, and managed to snap out of it. My doctor actually gave me an anti-depressant, Sinequan..I took it about two days and threw the da$m things out..it made me feel worse. For others though, it's not so easy to "snap" out of it...clinical depression can be a chemical thing in the brain and sometimes anti-depressants can help. They also think that this kind of depression is hereditary--a genetic thing going on there. As far as the killings that recently occurred by Robert Hawkings..he was taking anti-depressants...and unfortunately, younger people, especially children really shouldn't take such meds as it can lead to psychotic, and violent behavior

Now I also don't want to sound like a Pollyanna...but a lot has to do with mind-set. Anyone, and I mean anyone can get out of depression by how they think. Like I said when a person is in that dismal dark depression it can be so hard to see anything positive in one's life...but one has to start somewhere and one great way to feel better is to think of all the things one can be grateful about...we so often take things for granted. We complain about what isn't going right in our lives--we dwell on the negatives, so like yeesh, is it any wonder we feel depressed? We might complain for lack of money and that our home we live in sucks....BUT, hey, at least one has a roof over their head and not homeless. I try to make a list everyday of what I'm grateful for and it can completely change one's way of feeling about themselves and there lives. Now for a person who is depressed, the act of SOMEHOW keeping busy, doing something, rather than just sitting like a lump and feeling sorry for oneself is the way to go in my mind. Now of course it's hard to do. I do happen to know someone who IS going through a very rough time and is very depressed, but she is dealing with a very personal loss in a way, as her husband isn't doing so well, and it's only a matter of time before he passes on...so that kind of depression is natural..He's been going through a long lingering illness which is sometimes harder to deal with cause one can feel helpless watching a loved one slowly in a way dying before them. It might almost be a blessing if he did pass on soon, and might be a release for her. I told her I'd be there for her if she needed to vent. And that is another thing..sometimes just talking things out with someone can help...

I've borrowed (stolen) this quote from a reply by 4monsters4me in another discussion:

"People who are severely depressed are near crazy. I know since I am one of them. When I am really down things that are easy seem hard, stuff that normal people would think is crazy makes perfect sense to me. Everything is backwards and doesn't make sense. I will tell myself I am ugly and don't deserve to live and that my family is better off without me and it all makes perfect sense to me and I wish I was dead. Obviously that stuff isn't true and my family needs me but when I'm depressed, common sense takes a vacation. It is scary."

What she describes is the first part of a nervous breakdown. The psychotic break comes when a severely depressed person ACTS on these feelings. No one can talk themselves out of this. The person is so sick, so crazy, that only a good therapist can lead them out of it. Anti-depressants can help, but as my hubby's shrink says: the pills can't do it all.

4monstersfor me has given us an excellent description of true severe depression which is very different from your garden variety blues. I call these the blacks. I couldn't get out from under them and needed to be in the hospital repeatedly.

I do want to warn folks that when you do have a depressive episode coming on you do tend to find other things to maintain your depression. You seek out depressing songs and movies and you tend to gravitate toward friends who are downers. Misery loves company is so SO true.

You can't just snap out of it. I think it would be justifiable homicide to kill anyone who is in your face with "just cheer up!" I know I would be much less depressed with my hands around their throat! One thing I learned from this all -- it feels much better to be homicidal than suicidal. Just don't ACT on it is all. It's ok to fantasize. LOL

But you can seek and get help for real if you need it -- even if it is the suicide prevention hotline. If you can baby yourself and be good to yourself and get extra rest it could help you drag yourself out of the slimy pit that is depression...if it is a temporary episode and isn't really severe.

I think much of the stigma is gone. People can now talk about it openly which makes it seem as if there is more depression, when it is about the same amount, but just out in the open.

But do try not to seek depressive stuff out. It is natural to do that, but it's not really healthy, ok?

Sending many good vibes your way!

lots of people get depressed for simple little reasons. but you can't blame them because people feel, think and react to situations differently. i believe that everyone is unique in their own way and everyone is special. so those who are depressed are probably going through some rough times in their life and they just come here to get help. that's all. give them a chance before their depression gets worst and you know what happens when it does.

Speaking about myself, I have been going through some of the worst times in my life over that last few years. That is because I am comparing these times to previous times. I have not been depressed about my life and my world. I cannot see any reason to feel this way. I have felt my share of sadness in my life and do not want to go back to it.

I am looking at my life as a journey and eventuallly I will become the person I want to be. I will have found what it is I am supposed to be doing in my life. That is where everything comes together to create a happy life. I feel like I will be there at some point.

I do not watch the news or engage in anything that could stir feelings of depression (if I can help it). I have my own feelings and ideas about being depressed and how to overcome it. I still belive that for most people it is a state of mind, and it is the result of current thinking. I would never take medications for depression. To me, that does not solve anything. I know there are many that are suffering from depression for any number of reasons. I can never know all the reasons behind someone elses' suffering or state of depression. But you all have my sympathy and compassion.

You made the perfect statement in your title. God's good green earth. I think you have to look at that and appreciate just what we have in the world. You can always find things to be upset about or be offended by, but in truth, there is much more beauty and pleasantness in the world. If your feelings and ideas are tied to the media in any way, you will be steered toward depression and feeling bad. That is their firmest most goal in the world, to spread depression in the name of selling products or getting ratings or more specifically getting your attention. Yuck.

Turn off the TV, radio and the rest of it and go out and look around. If you cannot see joy, peace and love, you are blind. If you are blind, then you can still think and feel joy for yourself. Life can never be perceived as being so bad that there is nothing on the other side. Quit worrying about things like global warming and war and murder and immerse yourself in things of goodness. Find and involve yourself in that what creates joy and happiness for you. As you become filled with joy, the world becomes a nicer and better place for all.

I am not speaking to you directly, Pam, just anyone lost in feelings of sadness. Quit blaming the outside world for making you feel bad. Take control of your inner world and create exactly the kind of life you desire to live. On God's good earth, what could possibly be the reason to go through life feeling depressed all the time? Is that the best way we can live?

Depression is an odd thing. It is so hard to pinpoint the best way to fix it. I know I naturally suffer from depression. It hits me often and usually for no reason. I can go all the way to the extreme of not wanting to live anymore. I am really against anti-depressiants, not because I think they are wrong for someone else, but because I don't want to go that route. So, I choose to deal with it on my own. Many think that counseling is the key, and I really don't think that it is for me. It is about daily adjusting my thinking. I am naturally inclined to think the worst. I don't think about the good things, and I never think something will work out...

However, most of us were taught to accept the bad, some even to dwell on it. We as a society have a "half full" theory when looking th the glass. We could always use more, and we never have enough to satisfy us.

I can't tell you why anyone else is depressed but I could write a book about my depression. For one thing it's hereditary and you can't fight that one. I've experienced a lot of losses that are very hard to deal with also. This is just a little bit of why I'm depressed.