Slip, I too agree that depression is ‘normal’ in the sense that it is the common human experience. I also agree that drugs are not indicated unless one wishes to use them.
Beyond this truth though, and without wishing to be evangelical like many here are, I do strongly suggest that there are antidotes to the vast majority of depressive manifestations. These antidotes are in fact little more than a better understanding of what we are and what our processes are along with our purpose. On Mar 3, 12:49 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > 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- Hide > > > > > quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- 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.
