Is depression an acquired part of our circle of emotions as humans or is it a choice by our generic nature?

Question

Hello!!

I have been around people that have been depressed almost their entire life. It seems that no matter what these people do they still get depressed.

In other cases, I have seen people that get "times or moments" of depression but they cope with it and they get out of that state. Though it happens frequently, they still manage to keep going with their lives.

So this makes me ask, do you think that every human has to encounter some degree of depression at some point in their lives because it is our nature or do you think that we take depression as a choice due to the enviroment, people or other causes?

Take care.

Answer 1

Depression seems to be a learned response to the environment. DNA can determine or set the groundwork for chemical imbalances which appear with depression, but Infants seldom are diagnosed as depressed.

Depression, like most so called "negative emotions" seems to be emotion mixed with thoughts and memories. It is probably the inability to process the "negative memories" that causes some people to stay in a constant state of depression.

Repressed, suppressed and ignored emotions tend to fester in the human unconscious mind. These are often tag for memories that the person is trying to forget. People who have the ability to express their emotions honestly and openly seldom become depressed (again, children as an example). The unconscious will continually attempt to get these back to the surface awareness.

Depression might be a learned choice. It seems to be socially acceptable in current Western Culture, especially since it is often treated with drugs (somebody has got to make money from this, right?).

It should be noted the Christian Mystics, Zen Masters, most Shaman and Buddhist Monks, who tend to have discipline minds, are seldom depressed. This is true no matter what their genetic code says or what their social background.

Answer 2

Depression is a very serious and real disease. It has nothing to do with "character" or "weakness". Do NOT confuse depression with temporary sadness; depression is far more than sadness.
Depression is most clearly defined as "irrational cognitive thinking". This is a very serious disease, and should not be taken lightly. And it is very real and very painful; so much so that you may end up as a suicide. That is how powerful depression can be. Everyone know the symptoms: helplessness and hopelessness, lack of motivation, loss of appetite to the point of starving yourself, and serious thoughts of suicide. Plus more. The cure lies in your recognition of the irrational thought processes going on inside your brain. But the cure is not easy, and takes a long time. My best advice? Read the book: "Feeling Good; The New Mood Therapy" circa 1980, in paperback. Sorry, can't find the book to provide you with the author's name. It not only defines and describes depression, but it gives you 10 steps to follow to get out of depression. Just read the first 50 pages carefully, then practice what he says. Any good bookstore should be able to look up this book on there computer just by using the title. This book saved my life, where everything else failed.

Answer 3

Everybody has different coping skills, thus making us respond to situations differently. A person's upbringing can and does contribute to whether a person develops healthy ways of coping with issues throughout life. This does not mean anyone is crap out of luck because our upbringing is different than another person who does not suffer depression, but rather an opportunity to learn how to cope with the different situations handed to us throughout life.

Depression is not only a chemical imbalance, but it is genetic as well. This is a fact that is supported by various studies of levels of serotonin in the brain. Every brain is different, but if you are born into a family that is susceptible to depression, it is sorta like putting your brain on a xerox scanner (that is the only way I can think to word it).

Answer 4

In my own experience, I believe that "depression" is not an emotion or feeling, but rather more of a state of mind or way of being. It can be a result of an imbalance of endorphins in our brains which may require chemical or another form of intervention such as therapy, and sometimes be only an imbalance of what we integrate into our mind, body, and soul, from our environment such as the food we eat, or the stress we allow ourselves to experience. Our emotions, such as feeling happy or sad, anger or joy, are daily triggered by chemical transactions in our brains. We can choose to ignore them, react to them as we ourselves have taught ourselves to do, or we can recognize and honor them by telling ourselves "Thank you, mind, for sharing that thought or feeling" and then move on. I am not implying here that any one response is "better" than another. I do imply that there is always an opportunity to choose. Each of my own experiences of depression in my life have come to completion when I was able to recognize and embrace them and then seek ways to transform them from life-threatening to life-affirming. Yes, we all must all encounter these depressed states sometime in our lives as it, indeed, is a human condition. It is healthy to be able to transform them ourselves or with the support of others, but not wrong that, if by some chance of genetic coding, we require intervention not of our own choosing. I also believe that we should always be grateful for having had the experience, no matter what.

Answer 5

i think it truly is a chemical imbalance. There are times when nothing depressing going on in my life and for some reason i just feel depressed. Humans are so intelligent now they can put reason behind there feelings.

Answer 6

Depression from a medical point of view, has a multifactorial origin. Your genes might predispose you to depression or other mental illness and if the environment gives the right trigger then it manifests.

Answer 7

Depression is a product of the environment that one lives.

Answer 8

Depression can have various causes.

Answer 9

Depression is an advanced case of being self-absorbed. we all get bummed out when we don't get our way or the world does not cater to us.
Most of us move on and get past the feeling. Others don't. They dwell on it and pout.....