Why does everyone "suffer from depression" these days?

[BradM]

Seems there is no shortage of people with issues these days. I just wonder what there is to be so depressed about. Is this a new wave of chemically imbalanced humans, or as a society are we becoming so lazy and/or bored we just create psychological issues?

Curious minds want proof, link and examples.

[Sly]

I think that one of the sources as a lot of people have too much idle time and too many options. Too much idle time makes you bored and you start thinking about things you shouldn't be thinking of. Too many options creates "analysis paralysis" and people freak out with all of the stuff they "have to do." These are pretty much on opposite ends of the spectrum from each other. People need to find balance.

[BradM]

Originally Posted by Sly

I think that one of the sources as a lot of people have too much idle time and too many options. Too much idle time makes you bored and you start thinking about things you shouldn't be thinking of. Too many options creates "analysis paralysis" and people freak out with all of the stuff they "have to do." These are pretty much on opposite ends of the spectrum from each other. People need to find balance.

That is a very interesting point. I can certainly see how that could happen!

[seeandsee]

Originally Posted by BradM

Seems there is no shortage of people with issues these days. I just wonder what there is to be so depressed about. Is this a new wave of chemically imbalanced humans, or as a society are we becoming so lazy and/or bored we just create psychological issues?

Curious minds want proof, link and examples.

because $$$ is gone

[MetaMan]

Everyone takes life to seriously. to many many people are caught up in media hype and what life should be.

people are spoon fed and have no need to be responsible for their own actions. alot of people look to gain exterior things to make them happy rather than look gain "interior" things that make them happy.

no one is honest about who they are or what they really want. this in turn makes them feel like they have to lie to themselves to get through life.

to many people are afraid to deal with their own emotions.

the list goes on...

[Semi-Retired-Dave]

Originally Posted by BradM

Seems there is no shortage of people with issues these days. I just wonder what there is to be so depressed about. Is this a new wave of chemically imbalanced humans, or as a society are we becoming so lazy and/or bored we just create psychological issues?

Curious minds want proof, link and examples.

It could be a new Niche

[Holly]

1. drug companies
2. commercials
3. doctor incentives

[madawgz]

people get depressed in the winter

[CarlosTheGaucho]

Real depression and the "modern" depression are two totally different things.

[baddog]

I don't.

Originally Posted by Holly

1. drug companies
2. commercials
3. doctor incentives

Long time.

[tiger]

lack of good diet, sleep and exercise
focusing your life on things that are unimportant
not having a job you love
unrealistic expectations

[will76]

Originally Posted by BradM

Seems there is no shortage of people with issues these days. I just wonder what there is to be so depressed about. Is this a new wave of chemically imbalanced humans, or as a society are we becoming so lazy and/or bored we just create psychological issues?

Curious minds want proof, link and examples.

Everyone as in all americans (not just everyone here).... I would say it is because the majority of the people don't have the ability to spend money like they are use to. We are a spending society. Most spend more than they make (credit). With people being laid off of work, they have no income coming in so they can't spend. A lot of people had their cc limits reduced, they are maxed out. A lot of people lost the equity in their home, so they can't borrow against it.... very little money to spend. When people can't go blow money on crap like vacations, nice t.v's, fancy cars, etc... they typically get depressed.

[Mutt]

drug companies and doctors in cahoots - there is no doubt real clinical depression, where people for absolutely no real reason are completely unable to function, exists. definitely a medical disorder still not fully understood. but the vast majority of depression that gets diagnosed today - just lazy doctors eager to diagnose a complaining patient with something and of course the drug companies are the benificiary when the lazy doctor writes out a script for the popular anti-depressant of the month.

why are more people complaining and thinking they are depressed - high unrealistic expectations that they can't meet - creates anxiety and depression. we are a sick culture and getting sicker and weaker mentally all the time.

none of these popular mental illnesses that we have today, clinical depression, anxiety disorder, ADD - there are no laboratory tests for them. Psychiatrists create and name these illnesses, according to a group of symptoms they decide on make up the illness.

They all exist but are waaaaaaaaaaaaay over diagnosed - most people who get diagnosed with them are just not well adjusted people for whatever reason, they have no real brain chemisty problem.

[billywatson]

I was thinking why everyone suffers from ADD, too.

And have you guys noticed how many times a commercial from a drug company comes up on TV now?

[Sly]

Originally Posted by billywatson

I was thinking why everyone suffers from ADD, too.

And have you guys noticed how many times a commercial from a drug company comes up on TV now?

And have you noticed that practically every drug commercial says the same exact thing due to the disclaimers? It's pretty funny.

[woj]

viagra and similar drugs probably fall into the same category... I doubt so many people actually have wood problems...

[Agent 488]

because life can be depressing.

[CaptainHowdy]

Seems like money isn't feeling their (our) constitutive void...

[kada]

i might be wrong.. but i think its cos the world got smaller. Media, internet and all the bullshit are causin problems in peeps lives.. back in the days, information was limited, so people's eyes werent too opened to all the crap.. this made their life simpler and much barerable compared to this day in age.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Sly

And have you noticed that practically every drug commercial says the same exact thing due to the disclaimers? It's pretty funny.

I would rather have the Ailment they are advertising, than the side effects they list. I am thinking it must be an upsell for future problems.

[digitaldivas]

Originally Posted by BradM

Seems there is no shortage of people with issues these days. I just wonder what there is to be so depressed about. Is this a new wave of chemically imbalanced humans, or as a society are we becoming so lazy and/or bored we just create psychological issues?

Curious minds want proof, link and examples.

i think it's a little bit of both, actually

[AFSC]

Adderall baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Agent 488]

what people slave and fuck over each other all day long doesn't fill their void. pretty simple.

[Darkland]

Because most people are a bunch of pussies and just like porn slingers to the horny, there is a business set up to provide these people with what they "think" they need. They are called Doctors and Pharmaceutical companies. They want you fucked up and on their drugs, even if it is their drugs that are fucking you up so they can give you different drugs.

All those fucked up drug commercials you see on TV? They aren't there to help you, they are there to get you hooked and making them money.

There ARE real conditions that require treatment, BUT the amount of so called effected individuals are grossly misdiagnosed/self diagnosed or like I said... pussies. Oh noes... I'm having a panic attack... Oh noes... my life sucks, I'm depressed. Here's an idea... MAN UP and get your shit together. Quit medicating the symptoms of your problem, CURE the problem with self management and coping skills or techniques. You're not helpless so stop acting like it and stop rationalizing your behavior by hiding behind a disease, mental or otherwise.

You think people were acting this pathetic 50 years ago? Where did all the real men go? Do they even make them anymore? People have seriously lost touch with reality.

[Herb Kornfield]

Life is a series of ups and downs. Not every day will be awesome and not every day will suck balls ... you have to take the average and hopefully, its all good.

Life is what YOU decide to make it. Not what it decides for you....

It is very hard work and never easy ...but when it all comes together ... It's the best.

[Sly]

Originally Posted by Herb Kornfield

Life is a series of ups and downs. Not every day will be awesome and not every day will suck balls ... you have to take the average and hopefully, its all good.

Life is what YOU decide to make it. Not what it decides for you....

It is very hard work and never easy ...but when it all comes together ... It's the best.

Live for the clicks.

[MetaMan]

Originally Posted by Darkland

Because most people are a bunch of pussies and just like porn slingers to the horny, there is a business set up to provide these people with what they "think" they need. They are called Doctors and Pharmaceutical companies. They want you fucked up and on their drugs, even if it is their drugs that are fucking you up so they can give you different drugs.

All those fucked up drug commercials you see on TV? They aren't there to help you, they are there to get you hooked and making them money.

There ARE real conditions that require treatment, BUT the amount of so called effected individuals are grossly misdiagnosed/self diagnosed or like I said... pussies. Oh noes... I'm having a panic attack... Oh noes... my life sucks, I'm depressed. Here's an idea... MAN UP and get your shit together. Quit medicating the symptoms of your problem, CURE the problem with self management and coping skills or techniques. You're not helpless so stop acting like it and stop rationalizing your behavior by hiding behind a disease, mental or otherwise.

You think people were acting this pathetic 50 years ago? Where did all the real men go? Do they even make them anymore? People have seriously lost touch with reality.

great post!

same with little brats these days. the kid throws a few snowballs and they dope them up on drugs for "acting up".

or if your kid is doing bad in school they always give them some clinical term for it. MAYBE just MAYBE your kid is an IDIOT.

a lot of it has to do with bullshit psychologists.

[dav3]

good thing there is a cvs and walgreens on every frikin corner so people can get their meds that they think they need... meanwhile, we could be growing our OWN anti-depressants in our own backyards, but apparently it's somehow logical to outlaw a fucking plant.

[Semi-Retired-Dave]

Originally Posted by Darkland

Because most people are a bunch of pussies and just like porn slingers to the horny, there is a business set up to provide these people with what they "think" they need. They are called Doctors and Pharmaceutical companies. They want you fucked up and on their drugs, even if it is their drugs that are fucking you up so they can give you different drugs.

All those fucked up drug commercials you see on TV? They aren't there to help you, they are there to get you hooked and making them money.

There ARE real conditions that require treatment, BUT the amount of so called effected individuals are grossly misdiagnosed/self diagnosed or like I said... pussies. Oh noes... I'm having a panic attack... Oh noes... my life sucks, I'm depressed. Here's an idea... MAN UP and get your shit together. Quit medicating the symptoms of your problem, CURE the problem with self management and coping skills or techniques. You're not helpless so stop acting like it and stop rationalizing your behavior by hiding behind a disease, mental or otherwise.

You think people were acting this pathetic 50 years ago? Where did all the real men go? Do they even make them anymore? People have seriously lost touch with reality.

Very well said. You should do seminars with that attitude and make millions. Keep up the positivity.

[MrKinkade]

just when I have to come to thailand and shoot for the DWB

[moeloubani]

well make someone take out a loan that takes 30 years to pay for a house, a loan that takes 10 years to pay for a car, credit cards that charge them 25% interest, $75k student loans, then slowly increase prices and rates on them so that they're little more than robots that take care of themselves and make money for the bank and whoever they work for - the rest of the money goes to sustaining life

throw in constant fear tactics by the government to keep people scared and you have zombies, depressed zombies at that

thats why

[HandballJim]

I am sure various reasons, but these days I bet it is because of financial problems.

[kane]

To me there are two types of depression.

1. real depression which is a medical condition where people have a chemical imbalance.
2. being in a funk and being depressed, sometimes long term, about it.

I think those that are in category #1 have always been around, but it wasn't until recent years that we knew how to diagnose them and until recently it was kind of taboo to talk about that kind of stuff.

Those that are in category #2 I think are easy prey for pharmaceutical companies. They are depressed about their life and are sitting around one night and see an ad for a medicine so they go it. It doesn't help the problem, it just puts them in a zombie like state so they care less about it.

[fatfoo]

I am depressed because for more than 10 years every second person I meet tells me, "Fuck off and die" or something along those lines.

[PersianKitty]

We were just talking about this earlier tonight.

I feel some people.. (not the majority by any means).. are looking for a label so that they have an excuse for some of their actions or lack of actions. Once these label-seekers have what they want in the form of a 'diagnosis' they often use it to their advantage anytime things aren't going their way.

[PenisFace]

If I eat fast food all day long instead of cooking real meals, I get depressed the next day. Perhaps all the shit that's in food these days causes depression? Because of my depression that follows eating poorly, I pretty much only eat healthy. Also, people get depressed during the winter (unless you live in a place where there's only 1 season, aka, southern californa and its warn weather 24/7).

Also, people who are fat or out of shape are also always depressed, because they look and feel like shit.

But yeah, expectations about what life is and should be are a big cause i thinks. OH no I'm a truck driver makin 22 bucks an hour what a failure i am!!!! No, not really. If the concept of the american dream didn't exist, I think people wouldn't be so depressed about their "miserable failure" of a life.

[Angry Jew Cat - Banned for Life]

Originally Posted by BradM

Seems there is no shortage of people with issues these days. I just wonder what there is to be so depressed about. Is this a new wave of chemically imbalanced humans, or as a society are we becoming so lazy and/or bored we just create psychological issues?

Curious minds want proof, link and examples.

If you cram too many rats into a cage, what starts to happen?

[Jakke PNG]

I blame MTV and shows like 'my sweet 16' (or whatever that is where spoiled brats get what they want)..and kids these days want that too, when reality hits they turn EMO.

[Sarah_Jayne]

Mine was sparked by something pretty real but I think the roots were in my brain even before then. I think people probably did have just as many depressions before but they weren't diagnosed. They either killed themselves or lived through it in mental anguish without telling anybody.

Most people I have known that have been through a real depression would never wish it upon another living soul and stop doing that leisurely tossing around of 'oh, I am so depressed'.

[Raf1]

young people today have never really been through any serious shit the older generations had to. For example if you were born at the beginning of the last century, you'd have gone through World War I, then the great depression, then World War II and so on.

[kane]

Originally Posted by Sarah_MaxCash

Mine was sparked by something pretty real but I think the roots were in my brain even before then. I think people probably did have just as many depressions before but they weren't diagnosed. They either killed themselves or lived through it in mental anguish without telling anybody.

Most people I have known that have been through a real depression would never wish it upon another living soul and stop doing that leisurely tossing around of 'oh, I am so depressed'.

I agree. My mom has depression pretty badly. She is about to turn 70 and she only really started getting good treatment for it about 6-7 years ago. When she was diagnosed the doctor told her she had probably been suffering it her entire life, but she didn't know it. She had some pretty horrible things happen to her when she was a child and only recently has come to realize that they aren't her fault. That has helped her a lot, but she still has a lot of bad days. She is on medicine now and after finding the right one she is doing a lot better.

She is one of the strongest people I have ever known. My parents divorced when I was 5 and she raised my brother and myself on her own by working two jobs and busting her ass. It was pretty intense when she told me recently that for most of my life she had thought seriously about killing herself, but didn't because she didn't want to leave me and my brother alone.

She had told me time and again that she is so thankful that she didn't pass the depression on to me.

[kane]

Originally Posted by PenisFace

If I eat fast food all day long instead of cooking real meals, I get depressed the next day. Perhaps all the shit that's in food these days causes depression? Because of my depression that follows eating poorly, I pretty much only eat healthy. Also, people get depressed during the winter (unless you live in a place where there's only 1 season, aka, southern californa and its warn weather 24/7).

Also, people who are fat or out of shape are also always depressed, because they look and feel like shit.

But yeah, expectations about what life is and should be are a big cause i thinks. OH no I'm a truck driver makin 22 bucks an hour what a failure i am!!!! No, not really. If the concept of the american dream didn't exist, I think people wouldn't be so depressed about their "miserable failure" of a life.

I think there are two types of depression. There is that which you bring on yourself (by making your own life miserable or hating your life and not being willing to change it etc) and there is an actual medical condition. If you have what you bring on yourself you can do something about it by changing your life, diet, job etc and come out of your funk. If it is medical, you need real help and maybe medication or it is just going to get worse and worse and even if you change your life the relief that might give you will only be temporary.

[Mike Nyce]

people just need something to complain about and cause drama in their lives

[Farang]

get a stripper gf, develop a coke habit and kiss depression bye bye

[Sarah_Jayne]

Originally Posted by kane

I agree. My mom has depression pretty badly. She is about to turn 70 and she only really started getting good treatment for it about 6-7 years ago. When she was diagnosed the doctor told her she had probably been suffering it her entire life, but she didn't know it. She had some pretty horrible things happen to her when she was a child and only recently has come to realize that they aren't her fault. That has helped her a lot, but she still has a lot of bad days. She is on medicine now and after finding the right one she is doing a lot better.

She is one of the strongest people I have ever known. My parents divorced when I was 5 and she raised my brother and myself on her own by working two jobs and busting her ass. It was pretty intense when she told me recently that for most of my life she had thought seriously about killing herself, but didn't because she didn't want to leave me and my brother alone.

She had told me time and again that she is so thankful that she didn't pass the depression on to me.

Since I have had treatment, I have gone back over my life and recognized that my mother has had depression issues all her life too. Luckily, as I was noticing it so were her doctors and she has also had treatment. There is a genetic element to it so do watch yourself.

I am hardly the worst case and once I actually dealt with it properly I can now usually control it naturally and just look out for triggers. I never reached the suicidal level and don't think that I could but I did get very paralysed by fear and anxiety which more or less kept me from living for a year. I am by no means over it and have to fight anxiety a lot but, like I said, I try to avoid triggers and then I am okay.

It took me SO long to go get help because I was afraid of the stigma and the 'depression isn't real....man up!' talk. Then, I finally couldn't take the inside of my own brain any longer (I did hide it well from other people though) and went to see my doctor. Her first response was, 'Sarah, I suffer from depression too' and she talked me through how you can be a 'normal' person and have such issues. In other words, killed the stigma for me.

The fact is that 1 out of 4 people have some sort of mental health issue. Obviously, these are in varying degrees. It is just that people don't walk about it. Perhaps now we are just talking about it more.

Do I think some people hype up their issues? Sure. Do I think that some people throw around terms like 'I am depressed' and don't actually understand what a real depression is until it hits them? Certainly. Do I think drug companies are too eager to have people popping pills for every shaky moment in life? Totally but there are times when people really need drugs to help and then the stigma often stops them using them.

[ajrocks]

Mostly because of tube sites I think.

[Mutt]

wasn't there just a new study out that concluded that anti-depressant medications are no better than a placebo?

think i saw it linked here on GFY

[femdomdestiny]

because of low sales in february.

[Holly]

Originally Posted by baddog

I don't.



Long time.

No see!!

[Iron Fist]

I just masturbate... seems to solve pretty much every problem.