Is depression fake?

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I think FB meme depression is garbage because it is highly reliant on recognizing the sufferer as a victim that can't do anything but wallow in their own situation of their own making. There is a real depression, bipolar, and it is not fun to watch and the person is not just shitposting for attention on FB. It goes way beyond that and I hate how larpers have no idea of or respect for actual mental illness.
 
There's three types as far as I can tell:

1) Clinical depression (Robin Willians types; brain is fucked up)

2) Circumstantial depression (disabled/disfigured/traumatized; could be treated to some degree in some cases),

3) Misdiagnosed "depression" (other problems and sadness which is mistaken for depression)

There's also the usual attention seekers, you could lump them into a subcategory of #3, I guess.

The first type is the worst off, in that I think it's essentially untreatable outside of constant care, though their depression is often hidden on top of that. Since you might not even know they're depressed you can't even consider trying to help them. They're often unable to ask for help and then deteriorate, turning to addiction and can kill themselves.

The second type is sometimes treatable but only theoretically, and even if possible, the help they need can't be "prescribed" by a doctor. If a dude lost his dick in an accident no pill will help him, but if he's terribly hideous he technically could be helped (if he hit the lottery lol). If someone had a traumatic experience, especially a childhood one, that's something difficult to work through. All these situations can lead to addiction and suicide too.

Last type just requires a proper diagnosis. Can't treat something before that.
 
Bonesjones said:
Bad food, lack of exercise, malnutrition, overload of stress, lack of sunlight. It's a lot of incremental shit that adds up to make people idiot zombies coasting through life. Add on constant stress from the internet and news that people can't get away from ontop.
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I don't think the mechanics of depression are understood very well. For example, I knew a guy who was depressed, and despite being on anti-depressants, nothing really changed for him. When the opioid crisis hit however he was getting opioid painkillers over the counter, and he said the difference was night and day. He said he felt like his young self again, he could do things, he could enjoy things. He was even thinking about getting back into the workforce. Then the governments cracked down on the pharma companies and instantly he reverted back to his old self.
 
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depression is like a period of stress test how fast someone can bounce off the rock bottom. treating it requires overdue personality changes, may it be health choices, habits, behaviour. meds can help you cope at the bottom like any other drug but eventually you've to claw your way up
and yes some people crack because things get heated beyond their control and they can't look beyond the fog. not their fault, it is what it is
 
I think depression today stems mostly from a lack of any meaningful pursuit in life. Up until the 1900s, you had to absolutely bust your ass just to survive, and a lot of it was directly impactful to the self, the family, or the community. Now what? It's clout and money. If you have no reason to persevere through adversity, you will never experience the satisfaction of overcoming it. Even overcoming the mood disorder isn't enough because it's immaterial. What the fuck are you pursuing that has any tangible value at all? Your wage is a representation of how much time you spent lining someone else's pockets through your efforts and through taxation. I choose to work with my hands and build because at least I can say I produced something of true real world value, and I can receive the gratification of doing so.

Industrial Revolution and Its Consequences outlines surrogate activities and this is what I'm talking about. Ted uses it to explain the power and agency one must have in one's own life, and how modern society lacks the structure to support that growth. This is what I'm referring to if you'd like to better understand my take.

Depression is absolutely real. Suicide rates are not discussed nearly enough (or even well recorded), and i don't think that pretenders make up a significant portion of the increase in rates of reported or diagnosed depression. The world has gone from being natural to unnatural to artificial and we're well on our way to something entirely else. Society and industry has overshot what is appropriate and right for humanity on the individual scale, only taking into account statistics and numbers as we moved forward.

SSRIs are abused and overprescribed, however, and it is the case that anyone who can fulfill a satisfactory set of criteria can overcome most symptoms and difficulties without any pharmaceutical approaches whatsoever. The difficulty lies in creating a life that contains enough of the true human necessities in an increasingly hyperreal world, and society needs people to function at a base level with minimal effort, hence the dumpage of SSRIs on everyone for feeling even a little upset for a while.
theshitposter said:
treating it requires overdue personality changes
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Never heard it this way but it's certainly a very valuable perspective to have. I agree.
Basic Blonde Boy said:
I believe there is real depression. People suffering from trauma or loss are pretty understandable in being unable to function.

The issue with depression now is that a good chunk of it is just doomerism or a lacking of satisfaction in life. Times are shitty, and many depressed folk are likely just stressed and feel unfulfilled in how their life currently is. The answer is to work to do better and improve, but also to understand that life will be shit. Sometimes you just can't form good relationships for reasons out of your control, as it takes two and many will probably be too caught up in their own lives to lend time to you. Stress from school/work is also something you just need to learn to get through as sometimes things don't get better and you need to work through the shit to get to better places. I think depression is just a symptom of people giving up. Many of the suffering are young and were told about how x chapter of your life was the fun one before factors changed and things got shitty, leading to people feeling behind and like they are doing something wrong. With Covid, things probably got worse as people were isolated and years were swept away, which for many young, were critical ones such as high school or college.
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In combination with this advice, realising that what you're experiencing will also take time to process and that you are going to be in gray areas while you sort yourself out.
 
Absolutely not; call me when you're too far down the black pit of despair to even put food in your mouth and I'll help you eat your words

It is absolutely possible to do most things right (have a steady job, exercise regularly, meditate, have a healthy diet, have friends, study) and nonetheless get into a state where you can barely move or eat and you just want to die. It irritates me when people who only got into such a state after making stupid fucking decisions or withdrawing from addictive drugs assume that only other people who do dumb things get depressed.

I get MATI about how people on this website assume they know what's best for lolcows. You fucking don't. It's perfectly possible that even if they followed all your Sensible Life Advice for them to a T and then some, they'd still be just as miserable as they are, or even more miserable.
 
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Shawtysm said:
I get MATI about how people on this website assume they know what's best for lolcows. You fucking don't. It's perfectly possible that even if they followed all your Sensible Life Advice for them to a T and then some, they'd still be just as miserable as they are, or even more miserable.
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That because most of said lolcows likely have a personality disorder and not depression.
 
Shawtysm said:
I get MATI about how people on this website assume they know what's best for lolcows. You fucking don't. It's perfectly possible that even if they followed all your Sensible Life Advice for them to a T and then some, they'd still be just as miserable as they are, or even more miserable.
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Please be advised that while most Kiwi's are not doctors, many are retarded.
Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact™
Jetpack Himmler said:
That because most of said lolcows likely have a personality disorder and not depression.
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And that is because most personality disorders are comorbid with depression. It turns out when you have a disorder that fundamentally makes it incredibly difficult to cope with living in neurotypical society you tend to not be very happy.
 
Shawtysm said:
It is absolutely possible to do most things right (have a steady job, exercise regularly, meditate, have a healthy diet, have friends, study) and nonetheless get into a state where you can barely move or eat and you just want to die. It irritates me when people who only got into such a state after making stupid fucking decisions or withdrawing from addictive drugs assume that only other people who do dumb things get depressed
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obviously everyone knows what's good for them. advices are all free. the problem is the lack of inclination to do the right thing
 
Jetpack Himmler said:
Speaking as someone who was diagnosed with depression and generalized anxiety, I believe it to be real. Some people fake it because, as @DumbDude42 says, victimhood comes with status in today's identity-obsessed culture. However, I see some people who simply do not want to put the work in to improve their situation. Partly because they do not want to lose their status, but I suspect much of it has to do with laziness and that they have grown too comfortable in their misery. It is hard work to change a mindset and I have fallen off the wagon more than once, but I found it worth it because things are often not was bad as they appear to be. Some people want to believe that there is a magical pill to make it disappear or validation from like-minded people will improve their lot.

And yes, I do take medication, but it is part of a routine that includes exercise and mindfulness.
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Appreciate your honesty my dude. I was pretty much in the same boat, and I myself know that depression is very much real but has been abused as a means for attention whores and bums to justify their actions, or lack thereof.

Take for instance my grandmother, who was recently forced into retirement due to COVID. The lack of social interaction due to no longer working shattered her confidence and resolve. Once a woman who had no problem going to church events on the weekends and taking care of herself now struggles to find the energy to cook healthy food for herself and get physical movement in - something that will only make her aging so much more harder on her body. We were at one point able to get her on anti-depressants and they worked for a little while, but lost effectiveness and we still fight a battle to keep her in a healthy state of mind and body. I find this to be real, painful depression. It is greatly improved when she is with company and my family does all it can to provide her with the social stimulation she needs, though getting her to do it herself is an uphill battle.

On the other side of the coin, an individual in a social group I am a part of states he has been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. He is older than I and has no current employment and lives off SSI, even though in the past he did work a basic job at a grocery store. I do not know all that much about his circumstances other than when the depression or anxiety get to be too much, he pops a pill to make it go away. He has no want to work and has no direction in life and is able-bodied. I feel that his depression is questionable, as he does nothing to improve his quality of life but still wants things to get better without putting in hard work.

Personally I have found that changing my diet, losing weight and getting outside on the bicycle does wonders in keeping the blues away. But that's just my two cents.
 
Mega Man 2 Intro - NES said:
It's easier to advise other people on their problems than it is to fix your own.
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True. everyone knows that your abode should be clean. but when your life itself is messed up, you'll not even notice the trash around you or feel the urge to iron the shirt
Roxanne Wolf said:
Personally I have found that changing my diet, losing weight and getting outside on the bicycle does wonders in keeping the blues away.
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that's another common misconception. the solution isn't the activities themselves but the habit of continuous discovery and taking the things to new level. (bike club, targeted muscle exercises, discovering your ideal weight range and getting tailored clothes for that etc)
 
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There are two kinds of depression and they're very different. One is where you are sad for weeks or months, the other is a chemical imbalance. I hate that there is one term used for both.
 
I consider depression, as well as burnout, to be fake, and treatments for those to be a modern-day form of legalized quackery. It's as if society pushes for people to just give up and cry, instead of trying to do things to fix their situation.

This is even more apparent in Western countries, compared to totalitarian shitholes like China, North Korea, and Venezuela, in regards to the "giving up and cry" part.

Osmosis Jones said:
I think depression today stems mostly from a lack of any meaningful pursuit in life. Up until the 1900s, you had to absolutely bust your ass just to survive, and a lot of it was directly impactful to the self, the family, or the community. Now what? It's clout and money. If you have no reason to persevere through adversity, you will never experience the satisfaction of overcoming it. Even overcoming the mood disorder isn't enough because it's immaterial. What the fuck are you pursuing that has any tangible value at all? Your wage is a representation of how much time you spent lining someone else's pockets through your efforts and through taxation. I choose to work with my hands and build because at least I can say I produced something of true real world value, and I can receive the gratification of doing so.

Industrial Revolution and Its Consequences outlines surrogate activities and this is what I'm talking about. Ted uses it to explain the power and agency one must have in one's own life, and how modern society lacks the structure to support that growth. This is what I'm referring to if you'd like to better understand my take.
Click to expand...

That also comes to mind with the totalitarian shithole comparison that I mentioned, in that people in those countries at least always have something to do, even if it's forced, and under threats of getting executed for not complying with those said orders. And going back in the past, how would the depression levels in the Soviet Union compare to Western countries at that time, as well as today?
 
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Depression is real, it's not even exclusive to humans - we can even observe it in neglected animals in captivity.

I think the reason it's exploded in the last few decades is because most people are no longer feeling that they have any worth.
  • They work jobs they hate, where they don't produce or create anything of actual value, and they constantly have someone who does half as much work as them (yet gets paid twice as much) breathing down their neck telling them exactly what to do and when to do it.
  • They have no time to pursue hobbies that give them that meaning, since many people have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet.
  • A lot of them have no partners or are trapped in toxic relationships that make their lives worse.
  • They either have no partner to have kids with, or simply cannot afford to have a child, meaning they have no investment in the future. Even if they do have kids, they can barely spend any time with them due to working constantly.
A lot of people nowadays live a life akin to a dog that's fed and watered, but kept in a cramped cage in a dark cellar. They're hardly "living", more "existing".
 
It's fake and gay. You'll very rarely hear people in third world countries whining on how tough it is to go their day to day, since they face actual issues and don't have the luxury of crying about it.
It's just an excuse to justify lack of motivation and laziness. The more people use it, the easier it is for others to think it applies to them. If we go back to have people shamed for being faggots to saying they're depressed then suddenly a lot of people will be cured of it.
 
Depression is real, though like trans people, I don't think it is as prevalent as it seems. One of my good HS friends never showed signs of depression while others outside of our circle acted depressed; looking at you emo scene. We only realized after his death that he was depressed and confided in us through a text message.
 
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