Is our society depressing?

Question

It seems like a lot of people are depressed these days and the World Health Organization says it is going to overtake heart disease as the number one disability. Is it all chemical imbalances as psychiatrists claim or is something in our modern society depressing to a lot of people - which then causes chemical imbalance?

Answer 1

"Is it all chemical imbalances as psychiatrists claim or is something in our modern society depressing to a lot of people - which then causes chemical imbalance?"

It is both, but you are correct in your point.

Depression is itself a chemical imbalance in terms of what goes on in the brain. And some folks are more prone to this than others, just like some people are more prone to heart attacks or cancers, this sort of thing can run in families on occasion. But...

The truth is, like a lot of cancers, depression has mainly *external* causes courtesy of living an emotionally unhealthy life. And we don't really have any say or choices in the matter which makes things *worse* not better. Breaking this down:

--As others have mentioned, some people are worn down by life. They are abused as kids; isolated and made fun of and bullied as teenagers; they lose bad jobs after good ones as adults; and then they get mocked and abused some more as old people, if they are so "lucky" to live so long. And sometimes, it isn't even a life-long thing, sometimes it just takes the untimely, senseless death of a parent or husband or wife or child...for a *lot* of people who don't have all the money or friends in the world, life is just one big miserable grind.

And folks tell them they need to "work it out" and "seek help", never mind that this "help" costs money, and that for the most part, the *competent* people in the field *Refuse* to work with the poorest, most down-on-their-luck clients with no money. Or that conversely, the mental health services that are *there* for low-income folks are more about pushing *workbooks* and keeping folks "stable" (read: dependent on the system versus getting *better* and being *Done* with it).

No, never mind that. The aware and halfway "kind" people out there know this is an illness and that folks need to "get help" even if said "help" is hard to get (3-6 month waiting lists, arbitrary screening processes, etc.) and/or not about getting you *well again*. They're ignorant of the situation but God Bless them, at least they mean well.

They make up the *minority* in America. Most folks are of the Rich Man's opinion that "depression is just laziness" or "depression is a flaw of character"....it makes me want to puke is what it does. They carry on this opinion and withhold funds and expertise from social programs they *don't like* just so they can be *cheap* about it and maintain a Permanent, Dependent Underclass....they don't care to be confused by science or *facts*, oh heavens no.

So....once you start to fall into depression, you really *don't* get much help. Sorry to say it, but it's true, you need a *ton* of money and/or friends to stand more than half a chance against this thing.

--And then there is our lack of say in the matter. In addition to people really *refusing to care* one bit about the folks in society who have fallen on hard times, there *is* the fact that a lot of folks with *any* sort of serious mental illness do lose their jobs, end up on welfare, end up destitute if not homeless, end up not having resources *or* choices in their lives.

Meaning. Control is lost. Look it up, do a search on "Depression" and "Locus of Control". Simply put, if you feel you have no control over or say in your destiny at all whatsoever, if you are made to feel time and again by society that you have no place here, and that nobody's going to give you *one* fair chance here...it will make you more prone to depression and/or suicide. Nobody likes to be a victim.

Nobody likes to be a victim and to just *endlessly* suck it down and take it. It is not a healthy way for man or beast to live. Nobody wants to be known as The Dog Who Gets Beat, ok?

So yeah....simply put. If people weren't so *savagely* stigmatized over this by employers (still! Most HMO driven "healthcare" plans *refuse* to cover One Red Cent of psychiatric services, not even meds!), landlords and other authority figures (police officers being trained to just *zap* folks with tasers and shoot them with guns if they seem "emotionally disturbed" versus learning how to de-escalate things verbally), it might help a little. But no, folks have to nearly *criminalize* depression courtesy of the poverty and social isolation it brings.

And.....if folks were given more choices and more hope for the future so that they didn't get their noses rubbed in *victimhood*, things would be better.

I hope this helps, sorry to go on so. -_- Thank you for your time!

Answer 2

Well i think you hear more about depression now adays cause of the time. Once you would not darn to go and say you were depressed, and seek help. Now more and more people are seeking help. If you watch the news, and read the newspaper, that is enough to depress you right there, or gas price. Not all people have a chemical imbalance. So no i would not say that all the psychiatrists are saying it is from an imbalance in the brain. There are people that have been abused really badly, and need to let that out, and work on those problems. There are people that have be stuffing every bad thing that has happen to them , and now without warning it has come out, and they need to work on that. At one time you did not hear all of the bad news or about disfuctional familys, now you hear about it all the time. It is the same as it was back in the 20's-50's and so forth, except back then they just locked them away or keapt them hide in the house, so no one would know. The ones that were abused by being hit in the head all the time, yes they could have a chemical imbalance.

Answer 3

Society/Life is only depressing if you think its depressing. Theres good and bad in everything. Whether or not a person chooses to see the good, determines whether they think the world is a depressing place. However, the media doesn't help the situation much, by broadcasting the darker side of things.

Just about everyone feels depressed at some point in their life. This temporary depressed feeling is different from an actual mood disorder. Many many people do suffer from depression, but not all of these cases are due to a chemical imbalance.

Answer 4

I don't think every depressed person has a chemical imbalance (then again, we'll never know all the repercussions of all the chem trails, pesticides, plastics and petrol by-products). As LadyofAThousandFaces said, depression has been around since time imemorial, but now we are able to reach out and talk about it more readily. That's not to say that the societal stigma of mental illness has been completely erased. We live in a world of irony. With the internet and computers and cell phones abound, we are immersed in a world wide network with people literally at our fingertips, yet we are more isolated than ever. We are more open with certain health issues, yet the cost of healthcare here in America is through the roof. We are adept at shoving our hurt and sadness deep inside where it festers and explodes in passive-aggressive thoughts and behaviors. We must engage our fears and demons openly, and realize that illness is simply part of being human.

Answer 5

Well, guys, I'm pretty far down the toilet, and I don't eat fast food, nor am I particularly superficial or materialistic. So those two theories are kinda out, unless I'm just different from everyone else...which I usually am. I think it's generally because people are just self-centered nowadays. Only doing things for yourself and never helping someone else out subconsciously promotes a worthless, empty feeling. I'm not a psychologist, but I'd be willing to bet. Also, lack of exercise, too much text messaging/television/Internet, excess general stress/anxiety, et cetera play a role, too. Then of course there are people who really do just have a chemical imbalance problem.

Answer 6

I think you are correct. It's not necessarily that a person is prone to depression. It's the things that a person encounters or suffers on a day to day basis that leads to depression. Look at the news..a lot of depressing reports daily. I have learned to overcome what I see and hear going on around me. If your mind is constantly attacked with depression, sadness, or bad thoughts it can lead to a chemical imbalance. I do think the WHO should try to do more to study depression, it's like people who experience it suffer in silence. Its easier for people to relate to physical disabilities instead of mental disabilities.

Answer 7

This is my opinion. We're involved in an endless war started by a president who is a moron, in which beautiful and noble young men and women are dying for no reason. Prices are going up and wages are going down, and true spirituality is being replaced by fanaticism and hucksterism. You have TV blaring consumerism at you 24 hours a day, and people caring more about idiots like Paris Hilton than the environment (which is in sad shape) or the situation in Darfur. I think any thinking person is saddened by our society and the sad shape it's in, and I think this has a hell of a lot to do with people being depressed.

Answer 8

I think there are numerous factors that contribute to depression. Everyday stress, single parenting, working to make ends meet, dealing with day to day life and problems, all of these lead to depression. Coping with chemical imbalance along with those factors make it even harder. Not to mention watching the news and hearing about all the awful things that are going on around us!

Answer 9

I think it's the isolation that's so common in society nowadays, combined with the pressure to live a 'perfect' life. In the past people didn't expect to "have everything", whereas nowadays you're a loser if your life doesn't go the way you want it to. We're led to expect too much. Also, people used to know their neighbors etc, people were friendlier to each other.

Oh, and not watching tv hasn't solved my depression yet, and I haven't owned a tv in years (actually, I never owned one but my parents did, but I moved out years ago).

Answer 10

I think the world in some respects is a depressing place to live in now......everywhere you go there are cell phones ringing and all kinds of noises going on that you used to never be bothered by.........it's hard to have peace and quiet anymore so no wonder more people are depressed........you just have to keep looking on the bright side though and keep going.....which is better than the alternative....don't you think so?