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qwerty68 · Apr 29, 2016, 02:52 AM

I have always wondered about that. When I first got diagnosed in 95, it was much easier to get to see MH professionals and now everyone seems booked up even though the number of providers have skyrocketed.

I would never tell anyone what they feel is manufactured by societal pressures or whatever but I have known people that when they hear of some new condition they never heard about before, they magically have it within a month. You also have big pharma pushing psych drugs like crazy, including giving SNRI's as pain medication which is ludicrous in my opinion. I used to be on those and they did nothing for my severe headaches.

I don't know if it is society causing it. Things have definitely changed socially and not for the better but it feels like an easy answer. Hereditary and environmental factors could easily be bigger factors than societal changes. It is a shame he had no data to back up his theories. It is truly interesting.

Quote:

People who feel passion for their work and friends and love their families and partners don't become depressed as often as the population at large. People who are in touch with their spirit and enjoy a sense of community don't incline toward depression. People who maintain a sense of wonder and awe don't become depressed. Depression isn't the enemy. It's simply a warning sign that we're not on the right path. Our disconnection and folly pursuits of happiness may have much to do with this.

I feel a lot of that and yet am hopelessly depressed. That is a very dangerous and naive quote that makes assumptions that are demonstrably untrue. Depression, as with other mental illness is not simply because we took a wrong turn in life.

It is true that people who were or are abused or have suffered a loss have depression at higher rates. That doesn't explain all of us and it doesn't change anything for those poor souls. I have never been abused and have never lost anyone close to me yet here I am 20+ years of depression with zero relief and next to no chance to beat it. I was very successful, confident and happy and it came out of nowhere and hasn't relented and now I suck and am a total loser.

It is a good article for people who actually have a cause for their depression. But I found it simplistic and condescending.

Maybe the current approach isn't working and there are better solutions for everyone but this sounds like it has the potential to trigger the law of unintended consequences.

What I fear is the pendulum will swing the other way leaving many mentally ill people out in the cold. All it takes is a DSM revision and you suddenly aren't mentally ill. That isn't just my paranoia talking, the current anti-opioid push is bearing this out, lots of people in legitimate pain are being denied the drugs they need just to survive, all in the name of stopping abusers. I hope those doctors feel proud of themselves, I have read reports of people in chronic pain now have to hit the streets to get much more dangerous drugs just to survive.

I was on darvocet for 4 years straight in the late 90's, that drug is banned now because it was causing heart attacks or something and I would hate to go back to opioids. Although, I learned that I don't get addicted to things. Stopped it cold turkey without issue and was taking it 3 times a day for all those years. I take Fiorocet for my headaches which is a barbiturate and so far not on the radar for denying people prescriptions. It works great and no buzzy/fuzzy feeling like narcotics so I am happy about that.

Sorry for the long post. That article was simultaneously informative and a trigger for my nerd rage. Thanks for posting it, seriously. I like education and reading differing viewpoints.