Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Depression

As I read through these discussions, I feel overwhelmed and sad. It is heartbreaking to read the pain and suffering we are all going through. I have been doing battle with major depression since the age of 13. I am 55 now, so I can easily relate to most here. I feel the absolute truth in what people are saying. I come here  to learn how other people cope, what they have tried, not tried, and why. But I have questions.

How did we as a group of depressed individuals get to be so huge in number? Why are there so many of us? This in itself is depressing. Are the Drs. treating us depressed too? Depression in all of its forms seems to be pandemic. Is there any discussion about this?
16 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
you guys are right on about the discussion of causes............my depression comes in uncontrollable waves of sadness.  Then I make a decision if I'm going to explore and wallow or get out by doing something outside of myself.  I usually choose the former.  I take Lexapro 30 mg.  It has a panic relief component.  But to say that the medicine controls my depression is hard to say.  Tried other medicine but most was not tolerable.  How did we make it without medicine before?  We drank.  We took benzos.  We lived in flight and avoidance.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I would agree 100%

Depression and anxiety dissorder have reached pandemic proportions in the last decade.

Not just in the United States, but many other places like Europe and Australia are reporting record numbers also.

Unfortunaty most Govenments and Health organizations are reluctant to admit just how out of control the problem has gotten.

I don't think it's the medication to blame. I think it's the fact that AD medications are WAY over prescribed to many people that have good situational resons to be down and depressed.

Medications like SSRI's, SNRI's, Tri-cyclics and other AD meds never were designed to be prescribed or taken by individuals with solid reasons for feeling or being depressed.

Now days, a man goes to his doctor and tells him he is stressed because he is going thru a Devorce. What does the doctor do? He prescribes the person an antidepression medication in a heartbeat. Never mind that this mans brain is not actually suffering from a true mental and chemical major depression.

The results can often be disastorus for the patient.

I honestly beleive that if you take powerful AD medications and DO NOT really have a true mentally depressed brain, that they can cause real Major depression over time.

People play around with these meds like their poping Pez candy and they are nothing to fool around with, UNLESS your really are suffering from a Major Depressive dissorder or Bi-polar dissorder.

I don't have high blood pressure.....You know what would happen to me if everyday I took high blood pressure medication? It could kill me!

I was at a party last week and I over hear this group talking about what AD meds they are on! Like it was Popular or a fad or something! None of them suffer any real major severe form of depression. They take it for the lift, and because their family doctor (NOT a real psychiatrist) has prescribed it to them.

My Psychiatrist once told me that Major Depression and Bi-polar dissorder are the MOST over diagnosed conditions on Earth. Reason being is that most of the times it is regular MD's and family doctors that write these prescriptons with absolutly no real knowledge of human Psychiatry!

It's like asking a Pediatrist to perform a triple heart by-pass for you.

So that's my theroy on why this is now a run away pandemic. Our doctors have created it by prescribing AD meds to patients that are not really suffering from severe depression.

The Drug companies are more than happy to let this continue un regulated.

In my oppinion, I think it should be against FDA law for any Doctor that is not also a Psychiatrist to prescribe psycotropic medications. That right there would eliminate the problem all together.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks, I shall look it up.

:-)
Helpful - 0
322138 tn?1306243134
yea, n its actually a great one, did fairly well also...  if u decide to watch the film then what i told u is a bit of a spoiler but not much...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
From my understanding, most research is based on finding new medications to treat depression and not really to find the cause of it. In reality they might already have a cure but the world is corrupted and pharmaceutical companies would lose millions of dollars if we didnt need anti-depressants so these companies usually pay the researchers to keep quiet about it. I hope that this is not too contraversial, its just my opinion.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal

Is this a film?  It sounds interesting.
Helpful - 0
322138 tn?1306243134
have you seen the 'the village' by night shyamalan, its on the very same subject-abandoning modern society and going n living in a village isolated from the world- i like it a lot...
Helpful - 0
322138 tn?1306243134
interesting thread, i was wondering about the same thing, thnx for starting it
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You're right Ray about people still finding something to complain about even in a society which would understand and be supportive of depression. We're thinking human beings and as such, we will always disagree on some points. I was just daydreaming about a society that understood that its members had depression of all kinds, that it is a real disease, and that like everyone else, we do have strengths as well as weaknesses.

I am hoping that by exchanging ideas here that we can find something that is in common enough among us that we could point to as being the biggest contributing factor, or factors, to the most recognized forms of depression. Maybe even get it to be recognized as something like diabetes. Maybe there is an as of yet unknown protein, hormone, or other chemical our bodies don't produce at all, or something environmental that causes our bodies to destroy those hormones or chemicals.

I realize I sound like I'm reaching, and I am. Depression hurts, the pain is real. I should know, as I know you do. I spent three years inside when agorophobia had me by the throat. I've been in, around and through all of the symptoms of major depression, and at my age, I know I have this to look forward to for the rest of my life. Unless a discovery is made, and that might depend on all of us comparing notes.

If this is just too weird, I do understand. And you may, like I do, get tired very easily. I'm tired now. If there is any serious research going on and any of you know about it, maybe we could form a group from medhelp to be involved in the study.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You're right Ray about people still finding something to complain about even in a society which would understand and be supportive of depression. We're thinking human beings and as such, we will always disagree on some points. I was just daydreaming about a society that understood that its members had depression of all kinds, that it is a real disease, and that like everyone else, we do have strengths as well as weaknesses.

I am hoping that by exchanging ideas here that we can find something that is in common enough among us that we could point to as being the biggest contributing factor, or factors, to the most recognized forms of depression. Maybe even get it to be recognized as something like diabetes. Maybe there is an as of yet unknown protein, hormone, or other chemical our bodies don't produce at all, or something environmental that causes our bodies to destroy those hormones or chemicals.

I realize I sound like I'm reaching, and I am. Depression hurts, the pain is real. I should know, as I know you do. I spent three years inside when agorophobia had me by the throat. I've been in, around and through all of the symptoms of major depression, and at my age, I know I have this to look forward to for the rest of my life. Unless a discovery is made, and that might depend on all of us comparing notes.

If this is just too weird, I do understand. And you may, like I do, get tired very easily. I'm tired now. If there is any serious research going on and any of you know about it, maybe we could form a group from medhelp to be involved in the study.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal

I don't agree that those with confidence are less likely to get depression. It does depend on what type of depression we are discussing I suppose.  In my case it was years of depression that then caused a drop of confidence because I had been indoors for so long isolating myself that I felt anxious at returning to the big outdoors.

There is (in my mind anyway) depression which is caused due to a chemical imbalance in the brain.  Then there is reactionary depression - ie, depression caused as a reaction to a trauma/bad experience.

I think unhappiness is a form of depression in itself -

Just my thoughts ..
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
yes, we would have a better chance if put in a different environment. bad childhoods can mess us up pretty bad. the thing about a utopia is that people would still find something to complain about and we really cant appreciate the good without the bad. I wonder if we can teach depression  by being depressed around our kids, or is it really genetic for those who have a family history of it.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I know, it's frustrating trying to get to the why of why there are so many depressed individuals nowdays. If we could though, something good could come from it.

A lot of it is a society pressure. But don't we have brain to body chemistry issues? I don't know for sure, and appreciate any information you can give.

I wonder why we stay in these environments. As a species, the theory is we're supposed to adapt, but that's not what's happening. Sometimes I daydream about being in a village of like-minded people who farmed and raised animals, and did other things to live without the permeating sickness of societal pressures.

I know there's no such thing as Utopia, or perfect health either. I was born "with something wrong with me" as my mother, father, and grandparents have told me. But would I have had a better chance if my environment had been different? Would any of us?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I think alot of people confuse unhappiness with depression. when things arent perfect its depressing but is not true depression. too many are quickly misdiagnosed and alot of people think that there is such a thing as a happy pill that will take it all away.  now for the truly depressed i think that its not such a taboo to talk about as it was years ago, i think  more people are seeking medical help for it as its not seen as a sign of weakness anymore. so i dont know that there is an epidemic or that its just always been this way but they didnt know much about it back in the day. im really interested to know what others think about this subject because it really is an interesting question.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello,

I would say there are three things to blame for there being so much depression:


As bulldozer said, society is one of them;

Most of those who I've talked to and are depressed (and also my self), are insecure because of society. But this generally refers to those with poor confidence and bad self esteem. As confidence and self esteem has a BIG part of how society effects us. Those with allot of confidence and a good self esteem, wouldn't really care if someone called them names, normally they would go as far as fighting back, verbally, sometimes wouldn't be effected if it got physical. Where as if someone with poor confidence was called a name, we would just either run away, or try hardest to ignor/repress it. Which in turn is stressful and thus causing depression, anxiety and many other problems.


Environment;

Say you have a poor, low paid job, with loads of hours. And you just hate it. Home life is a mess, a loved one has died. Of course you're going to be depressed, this is a part of acceptance, and because you've basically just "given up" on everything. The fact that you've given up, means that you have a negative attitude towards allot of things. And it's just a huge factor.


The fact that depression has many things that can cause it:

Now saying that, it does depend on who you are. As I've said above, if you're a confident person, you're not going to get depressed as easy. But still allot of things can cause depression.
Death, illness, drugs, confidence, social life, self esteem, fears, poor diet, stress, lack of excersize, poor sex life..... Goes on and on the list is never ending.

But it really does depend on who you are, e.g. some people are fine with no sex in their life, some people couldnt live without sex and can get very depressed after just a month without it.

But then each of these has little sub heading also. E.g. sex and excersize can be addictive, because of the Endorphines hormone that is released from them. This hormone can actually be addictive, and can frustrate people.


I know the arguement is huge as to what causes depression and why so many people are depressed. My main points are that it depends on who you are, your confidence, how many different things cause depression and your environment.

Thanks, this is pretty interesting.

- John -
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
This could become a very interesting discussion.

My view of it all is that depression is the symptom of today's society.  There are so many pressures nowadays, an expectation of how we should all be which is not how nature built us to be.

I would elaborate but have to feed my children - lest they complain!!

Looking forward to others views on this subject
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Depression Community

Top Mood Disorders Answerers
Avatar universal
Arlington, VA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
15 signs that it’s more than just the blues
Discover the common symptoms of and treatment options for depression.
We've got five strategies to foster happiness in your everyday life.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.