I almost forgot about this song. It is not good to stand on a planet along. I like it that a person can start All over. dj
On Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 8:33 AM, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > A beautiful and brave post- thank you, Francis. > > It is interesting to think of my mother and her peers who were so > tight-lipped about this subject and "airing the family dirty linens"- > she went shopping and shopping and shopping! They eventually paid for > their repression with ill-health. > > The sacrament of Confession wasn't such a bad idea to unload ones sins > and begin anew. > > I have dabbled only to find the sentence(s) that propelled action or > change. I dislike any rx and alcohol took a dislike to me. > > Modern life has enough leisure to allow us the luxury/hell of self- > analysis. I think we live in a self-help glut of books and experts. > Advice is cheap. > > On Mar 3, 12:11 pm, frantheman <[email protected]> wrote: > > Starting with Lehrer's article and going on with some excellent > > thoughtful contributions here, this thread has the potential to become > > something very good. > > > > I believe that a danger in dealing with the subject of "depression" is > > that there are many different modes of melancholy, many different > > causes and, consequently. many different ways of treating/dealing with/ > > living with/learning from/transcending it. > > > > There's evidence for neuro-biochemical foundations for particular > > depressive states, having generally (much simplified here!) to do with > > the neurotransmitter serotonin. This is the level at which many of the > > current pharmaceutical "treatments" kick in. The question which can > > often be asked is whether a chemical club ameliorates a particular > > symptomatic which is actually a signal for something else. In a > > society which believes in quick fixes, the immediate recourse to pills > > is prevelant and, I suspect, frequently shortsighted. > > > > That said, I know that chronic, deep depression is something awful and > > - ultimately - pathological. In such cases, medication may be > > absolutely necessary. The inability to have any experience of joy in > > life over a longer period is for me the best definition of hell I can > > come up with (and I don't need any supernatural categories for it). To > > experience one's life as continuously completely dreary and futile, to > > feel that the effort of just getting out of bed at some stage of the > > day takes more energy than one has available, to see one's own > > existence as a uselessly complicating factor for others so that the > > whole world would be better if one simply ceased to exist ... I've > > been there. I never want to go back there. I've known many others who > > have suffered terribly, and one of my best friends killed himself > > because - after many years, and all sorts of treatments and therapies > > - he just couldn't stand it any more. > > > > I came out of that particular horror - with some pharmaceutical help, > > but more fundamentally because I got the professional support > > necessary to look at the contradictions within myself, to realise how > > I had self-limited the options and possibilites in fact open to me > > and, in my particular case, because I learned to recognise, accept, > > embrace and integrate some darker parts of my personality. So for me, > > in the end, through all the suffering and pain, it was an occasion of > > growth. > > > > As in so many things, in the case of fundamental mental/psychological > > states, we are constantly tempted to look for simple definitions and > > easy remedies. But, as Oscar Wilde once observed, "the truth is rarely > > pure and never simple." > > > > Francis > > > > On 3 Mrz., 00:01, 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]<minds-eye%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en. > > -- 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]. 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