Is depression a healthy reaction to a sick society?

Question

Depression is booming even amidst materially prospering populations. Although a human tragedy, this epidemic of depression is a boon for the economy, since consumer culture feeds off people's low self-esteem by encouraging self-indulgence and escapism, resulting in a vicious circle of increasing consumption and decreasing well-being.

I believe many depressive symptoms are a natural response of the mind to an unhealthy, unsustainable, diseased and generally distressed society. Many of those who dismiss it as being an 'illness' of the brain, are sadly mistaken, others cynically exploiting it for their own benefit. Among the chief causes are the priority given to the competitive money system which discourages healthy human relationships to the point where, starved of friendship, some people even question the validity of loving others.

"To demand that our children feel well in the world which we leave them is an insult to their dignity." Ivan Illich

Answer 1

this is a philosphy ? not a mental health one. depression is a reaction to stress not society

Answer 2

Depression is an unhealthy reaction to your own organism and mind. If you get depressed you're not going to hurt society or change the world, you will just hurt yourself.
Who said that was healthy???
Yes you're right in the fact that today's society has some guilt, but it also depends on the kind of person, and in your view of life, optimistic and pesimistic persons have to face frequently similar problems through life, but the only difference is in each group's personal view of the problem. If you're all the time seing the bad side in everything of course you'll get depressed.
But yes, today the people are becoming more and more materialist, and compulsive consumists, we are a society lead only by the thought of money, all the time (most of us, or many of us), and as a consequence many values have been lost. People exchange friendship and love for money and power, and when at some point we realize what we are doing, what we have become, then we just get depressed, and ask ourselves if this is real life.

Answer 3

Depression has been called the common cold of mental illness long before antidepressants were developed to treat it. Anytime there is a drug designed to treat a certain illness the number of diagnosis increases. Drug companies need to make money.

Society may also be to blame for depression. Studies show that we have fewer close friends that we had in the past. We are not as close with our neighbors. We move on average every 3-5 years. There are more single people than anytime in our history and many other factors that could result in more isolation that could lead to depression.

Depression is also a natural feeling, to the loss of a loved one, or any other of the many set-backs or difficulties we may encounter. So it is a normal response. When it becomes chronic is when it is seen as an illness.

Answer 4

depression has always been here, it just was not talked about or in the public eye as much as it is now. It could come from the way things are today in the world, i mean, how much good news do you hear, and everyone has problems, and sometimes they get out of control. So you see, it has been here, all along, just as a family secert, now people are saying they are depressed and getting help, which is a very good thing, so if you are depressed i would say go get help right now , so it don't haunt you for rest of your life.

Answer 5

I think you answered your own question. I like what you have to say and completely agree with you. While I do believe that depression can be caused by physical and chemical conditions within the body, I also believe that these conditions can be heavily influenced and exasperated by environmental conditions. I always try to remain optomistic and maintain a positive outlook on life but ir is extremely and incresingly difficulty in modern day society.

Answer 6

Wow! I think we were typing our questions at the same time. They are very similar. Yours, however, your thought process is far more encompasing and deserving of answers. Well thought and spoken! I believe your observations are correct.
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I believe that sadness and even a state of depression is a healthy reaction in that when something is not right, our body tells us through these responses, feelings, pain (emotional and physical) reactions to respond and make a change.

Instead of making the world a better place, we are drugging ourselves and dumbing ourselves down, putting ourselves to sleep so that we are not forced to admit that we as a society need to make change.

If a person can't feel pain, then they can't respond and pull away from what is hurting them, therefore the FEELING of PAIN is a healthy response to a negative influence and CAUSES a person to MAKE A CHANGE.

We need some sadness so that we can learn to eliminate those things in our lives that make us sad.

Answer 7

Depression symptoms in a sick society is normal.
But that differs from clinical depression which is not trreated by shopping etc. but by therapy and appropriate medication.

Answer 8

I like this question. I don't know the medical answer, but I do know that after reading the news, I often feel like not getting out of bed the next day.

Answer 9

I believe people at like total pigs, load up on crap like Krispy Kremes, Starbucks with syrup, sugary yogurt, fake microwaveable meals, salad dressing made of corn syrup, pasta and sauces made with more corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, fructose and artificial flavorings, frozen potato products with "seasoning" made up of MSG and more sugar, sucrose, fructose, glucose, dextrose, galactose, lactose, maltose, invert sugar, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, brown sugar, confectioner's sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, molasses, and beet sugar....
And wonder why their insulin levels are out of control, the adrenal glands are shot, and their moods are all over the page.
Then a doctor gives them a drug.

Answer 10

I have to be honest: I don't really know what you're talking about. But it probably was a good post. <_<