Why is depression and anxiety so common these days?

Question

Is it just that we have found new terms for and legitimised diagnoses of things which previously would have been quietly written off as 'nerves'? Or is life in fact a whole rotten shedload more cr*p?

Smith, you utterly unspeakable sixth-former, it's 3.30am.

Answer 1

I think it's three fold. First, life is more hectic and faster paced. This pace of life distances us from each other. Humans are social creatures. We need social interaction, to feel needed and to feel loved. This becomes harder the more we try to cram into our lives.

Second, as psychology grows, we learn more about the brain, its chemicals and how they are influenced by the environment. So we are better able to classify something as depression.

Last, depression is the sickness 'du jour'. People are stressed and want a quick fix. So they look for medication to fix what a change in lifestyle would do by itself. This de-ligitimizes the pain felt by those with true depression.

Answer 2

All of the above are true!

But........

For a lot of women I think, personally, its "The Pill" causing it (I know men don't have that excuse!)

Think how many women are on it - all those hormones messed around with. Originally I was on Dianette (prescribed initially for acne whem I was 17 but I was on it for years), which actually has "mild depression" mentioned as a side effect. Mild my ar*e!! I was suicidal, paranoid, took an overdose. Doctor put me on anti-D's without ever questioning any other medication I might have been on. I changed from Dianette to Yasmin not long after that but again, possible side effects include depression. I ended up on an even higher dosage of Anti-Ds, again the doctor didn't question things. I never made the connection until I stopped taking the pill and felt like a totally different person within 8 weeks (I stopped taking the anti-depressants at the same time).

There was an article in The Guardian in May about Dianette but I'm personally convinvced it could equally apply to other types of the pill too.

Check out....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,1769935,00.html

Answer 3

I think there is the same amount of those. But back in the day, less women worked outside the home, so when they were anxious or whatever, the docs would give 'em vitamin V (Valium). Now that more women work outside the home, there may be more stress. And then that stress is passed on to the kids. Then dad drinks, and mom drinks, and the kids drink, until everyone drinks and smokes pot. Then everyone gets depressed, and the ones that don't drink and smoke pot and take Vitamin V get anxious and stressed because everyone around them is anxious and stressed because they drink and smoke pot and take vitamin V, and then everyone's a mess and everyone needs a diagnosis. And then there is some loser sitting in for Letterman one night, and the whole nation goes postal.

Love, Jack

Answer 4

I think you might have something there. When I was a kid I never knew anyone with bulemia, anorexia or anything like cutting or any other crazy activity. Today, there is a diagnosis for everything and it seems like hormones have gotten a bad rap: depression, anxiety and such. Then again, life isn't what it use to be. We have succeeded in making daily life so complicated and money oriented; using media as a marker for a normal life, if there is such a thing. This was a great question and I'll ponder it a while longer! Thanks for asking!

Answer 5

The pressure is a hell of a lot more.
More population, less resources and a more unforgiving society.
eg. Do you own your house ? Will you ever have it payed off ? Will you keep your job long enough not to lose your house ? If you lose your house or job, do you have options ?...........

For most people, one wrong step could lead to disaster.
Welcome to the rat-race.

Oh yeah, and have you seen the news lately.

OK so your not depressed.
So what do you do? Drink, Smoke, Dope, Porn ?

No ? .... just naturally happy. Then your body is producing too much dopamine or you are very active and very lucky.

Oh, by the way I'm not depressed, by I can sympathise with those who are. Nobody would choose the society we have to deal with.

Answer 6

pressure from everywhere 2 b someone beautiful like in the magazines n in hollywood.

pressure from society 2 b in a job, a good career

pressure 2 be doing well n sometimes being somethin that u dont really want 2 be.

its all about pressure i think. n high expectations from everyone else and from yourself.
people can b very hard on themselves, thru wanting 2 look good or okay 2 others.

i know i became depressed partly due 2 these reasons. it is an extremely common mental illness. and of course anxiety often comes hand in hand with it. it is called the "common cold" of mental illnesses.

The fact that mental illnesses r so taboo doenst help either. It means, that depression n anxiety will escalate as people r ashemd, scared or dont know wat 2 do 2 get help.
But it is so common. people shouldnt b scared!!

Answer 7

I agree with a lot of the answers above reagarding how life is more stressfull these days so I won't repeat it. One thing I'd like to add is that we live in a society dictated by fear. There is so much fear shoved down our throats by the news, media, goverment, etc.... it sickens me. I don't watch the news on tv or read the newspaper, it's about time this country took a step back and focused on what's really important; family, community, kindness - we would all be a lot calmer.

Answer 8

Probably a combination of what was previously known as 'nerves' or 'touched' and the way our society functions. Depression and anxiety and other mental disorders do not seem so prevelant in other societies like they do in the US.

But I don't think things are any worse than they ever were.

Answer 9

We live in the society of immediate gratification (applies to food, sex, material possessions). People do not know how to control their desires, separate their needs from their wants. We want things bad and we want them now and if we don't get them, it sets off a cascade of events in our brains that leads to more anxiety and depression. Also, the main focus is always self. When we make an effort to occupy our time with serving other people, the symptoms of anxiety and depression tend to melt away.

Answer 10

i personally think that it is just something that people have always suffered from but before it was a "suck it up and get over it" thing. Now because there are all these treatment people become dependant on the idea that they can help. I mean, i'm no doctor, but i think it is a mindset that people have to pull themselves out of. I was really depresed a while back but i pulled my self out without meds.