Isn't it true that everyone has depression?

Question

Everyone gets depressed one time or another,meaning every1 has experienced depression,It's so common,I don't think you can call it an illness anymore.I think that depression,should be redefined as someone who's down all the time as opposed to some of the time.I don't think you really have depression.If tommorow things are great and your happy.
I think depression,should be defined to people with all the time pessimistic personalities,even if good things happen.I get to thinking that depression is a word being thrown around,there is a difference between sad and depressed,sad is temporary,and will probably be gone by tommorow.Depression,is the the reason people have to take Zoloft.If everyone who said they were depressed,but were really just sad,had been diagnosed with depression,99 % of the populus would be taking Zoloft.I guess what I'm looking for is precision of language,depression is used more commonly than the word emo,and just like the word emo,90% of the time it is misused.

Answer 1

Depression is an emotion; one of 6-8 basic emotions that you are born with. It is there in your psyche as a God given or evolved attribute. The reason I think it is there as a negative emotion (like fear and anger) is to signal one to change course in what they are experiencing; the present situation is not one for your best interest. Type "emotions" and specifically "depression" into Yahoo! web search for a "ton" of links on these subjects. Wikipedia has good summaries.

The idea that depression is a chemical imbalance or an illness is not supported by the scientific evidence: I cite in support of this the following link.

http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get=document&doi=10.1371/journal.pm...

This article, by Jeffery R. Lacasse and Johnathan Leo is entitled "Serotonin and depression: A Disconnect between the Advertisements and the Scientific Literature."

They say in their essay, "To our knowledge there is not a single peer reviewed article that can be accurately cited to directly support claims of serotonin deficiency, in any mental disorder, while there are many articles that present counter evidence." They go on to say DSM_IV TR, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, "...does not list serotonin as a cause of any mental disorder."

So it is probably true as they observe that the depression epidemic seems to be a fad brought on by Pharmecutical Advertising and word of mouth. As you observe it is natural so everyone has it. There are reasons not to depend on Medications for depression and anxiety. One is that you don't change course as the depressed signal demands. You just try to mask your suffering.

Good luck in your relations, good mental health, peace and Love!

Answer 2

Okay, then. Big difference between the clinical term "depression" and the casual term. You bring up the word "emo." That has no medical meaning---It's a teenage term to refer to someone who wears black and acts depressed. If you ask a doctor about being "emo", he won't be able to help you---There's no medical meaning.
Everyone feels depressed at times. There's no denying that---I've felt depressed myself. It's common. What you're talking about is clinical depression, and it's important to recognize the difference.
Clinical depression is caused by the chemicals in your brain going haywire. People with clinical depression cannot control it, except with medication---They feel down and hurt all the time, with no reason. It doesn't matter how well things are going; they'll feel bad about it, and it's not their fault. This is much different from a simple depressed feeling, which is likely to be cleared up when things get better.
It's vitally important to understand the difference between the medical terms and the common terms. Everyone feels depressed, but not everyone has clinical depression. Hope this helps with your understanding.

Answer 3

There are degrees of depression. Yes, everyone does feel depressed sometimes. But some of us have it to a greater degree than others. And it doesn't mean you are down all the time--even the most depressed person in the world still has their good days. You're seriously exaggerating the misuse of the word and belittling a very serious problem, which, clearly, you've not experienced.

Answer 4

If "tomorrow" you are happy, you are right, that is not the illness of depression. But people use the word synonymously with unhappy, or down, these days. It doesn't mean they have been diagnosed with depression by a professional. If they knew what real depression felt like, perhaps they wouldn't use the word so lightly.

Answer 5

Yes, it is often misused. But this way of thinking is what keeps the stigma from being removed from mental illnesses. There are a good amount of people who really are very depressed, who have a true mental illness.

Answer 6

everyone experiences "depression" because it is a temporary feeling like excitement or nervousness. Clinical depression is the biological condition involving chemicals in the brain which requires medication and therapy. Do your research before you make off the wall assertions.

Answer 7

Depressed as opposed to clinical depression.

Answer 8

are you depressed because you have an ugly face, this is a serious question