Probably one of the most debilitating aspects of depression is the implication that it is a bad thing in need of treatment. It is most likely just the obverse condition of exuberance, which one would not expect to be engaged in full throttle at all times. If there is cause for the lapse then we might consider it a natural remedy, a coping mechanism. I've often slept away several days and emerged like a hard drive that's gone through the series of file scans and defragmentation. The only notion of being depressed comes from the outside world defining it as such, they sell drugs that way. Sadness is normal and a part of our reverence to things gone by or a loss of anything important. We've been sold on joy and happiness to the point of not recognizing that being down is as necessary. We can't spend all our time in the awake state, we have to sleep, rest and rejuvenate, reorganize. This is the primary function of depression and of course I think it needs a new name. We've been pushed out of our bio rhythms for so long by social systems that we forget that being down is simply natural. There is no longer any time to be down because we are in a constant state of motion, one that dictates we operate routinely and function in a robotic way. The world is noise.
On Mar 2, 5:01 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > One of the most challenging aspects of studying depression is the vast > amount of contradiction in the literature. Virtually every claim comes > with a contradictory claim, which is also supported by evidence. I > tend to believe this confusion will persist until our definitions of > depression become more precise, so that intense sadness and > paralyzing, chronic, suicidal despair are no longer lumped together in > the same psychiatric category. (Lehrer) > > I've been 'depressed' since middle teenage, with some bouts of > clinical depression, partly associated with trauma. I've had some > periods I'd call madness, and though I have never done anything > 'serious' have found myself out of control at times in some sort of > desperate way. I can claim some fairly good achievements in such > periods, but mostly they are debilitating rather than manic periods. > I'm coming out of difficult times at the moment and am almost > 'champing at the bit', but really screwed by being physically crook. > I'm about to force myself to write and 'get straight' and just > beginning to feel it will work. Lehrer may help - the blog is good. > > On 2 Mar, 01:41, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hi Rigsby, > > Slip and I have been tangentially discussing this in the Robert > > Thurman post. We both want to digest it and come back here for > > discussion. Very interesting. > > > On 28 Feb, 03:00, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I meant to respond sooner Riggers, but was too depressed! True > > > sadly! There is little not to be depressed about in contemplation of > > > the human condition. I would like to believe that a world more > > > engaged with truth and knowledge would help prevent this, but know > > > many people who don't want to contemplate reality because it is too > > > painful. > > > > On 27 Feb, 13:18, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > "Depression's Upside" By Jonah Lehrer > > > > http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/magazine/28depression-t.html -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.
