Quote:
Originally Posted by Teen Idle
I am not at all feeling well, but I'd like to say I have a chemical imbalance due to my genetics. My immediate family is prone to mental illness. Especially on my mothers side. I have had blood tests done, brain scans. All show a lack of activity in the areas of the brain that are affected most by depression. That is scientific logic. I am depressed because I am genetically predispositioned to these illnesses. Does that mean I was born depressed and anxious? No. But there were events in my life that triggered these reactions.
How does one escape death? I am an apathetic atheist (as in I don't really put much thought into religion, I respect others religions, but I see no point in it myself) so it's hard for me to fathom this idea. I am not asking to be rude, which I know it seems like. I am curious to see what you're saying and to understand it more.
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The genetic explanation in the end lends into the nature vs nurture debate. There is no clear answer based on science so far which can conclusively prove one as a deciding factor. We know that both have strong influence. It's true that you can have a genetic predisposition for something, however that does not mean that you are cursed to suffer from that your whole life. B.F. Skinner, a famous psychologist (and atheist btw), came up with what is known as behaviorism. The idea that behavior can be learned. So in other words, despite your genetic predisposition, your brain can be made to learn to become more active in those areas, by constant use and activation of those areas of course. So I think it is only worsening your depression that you think you have to live with it and bear with it your entire life. Try to overcome it! I'm not saying it's easy, and not trying to deny your suffering. But I'm trying to get you to see that you don't have to keep being depressed your whole life, and you should look for a way to solve your problem.
I myself am not a religious person. One must not be a religious person to believe in God or the soul, or anything else. The reason why I disagree with atheism is because it utterly fails to explain human awareness. Your whole biology says a lot, but the only thing that it doesn't say is that you should be aware of your experiences. For example a robot can be programmed to pull back his hand if the temperature of his hand reaches a certain point. Likewise, you pull back your hand if you put it inside the fire where it reaches a certain temperature. The difference between you and the robot is that you KNOW that you are doing this, while the robot is unaware. In other words you are alive, and the robot is not, despite being able to behave in the same way.
As for solutions to depression. You can look into the effects of meditation on the brain. It has been shown to activate certain regions of the brain. Also look into the effects of physical exercise on the brain. That too has been shown to activate certain regions. And just so you know, meditation, and even prayer, don't have to be religious. In the sense that they don't have to follow a certain dogma. You don't have to listen to a certain someone about how to pray, what to say, etc. that's what I mean. I hope I managed to be of some help!
