I've been wondering about this. A friend of mine who is married to a psychiatrist believes that some people are depressed because that is what they choose to believe.
I'm rather startled by this remark seeing as my fiance suffers from Bipolar disorder and it is nearly impossible to maintain a good mood if the anti-deppressants are not taken.
I also have a friend who goes on and off the pills according to her mood. So this leaves me confused....
Is it really an illness or is it a wrong state of mind
Nah. it's a state of economy we are entering right now. ![]()
Can be either.
Chronic depression is a disorder.
Both. You can definitely increase the severity of depression by irrational thinking. Some people who are depressed are almost catatonic, and I don't think this is simply due to bad thought patterns. The brain is a physical structure with electrical and chemical functions.
Jon Allan wrote:
I've been wondering about this. A friend of mine who is married to a psychiatrist believes that some people are depressed because that is what they choose to believe.
I'm rather startled by this remark seeing as my fiance suffers from Bipolar disorder and it is nearly impossible to maintain a good mood if the anti-deppressants are not taken.
I also have a friend who goes on and off the pills according to her mood. So this leaves me confused....
Is it really an illness or is it a wrong state of mind
And going on and off pills can lead to some serious problems.
Jon Allan wrote:
I've been wondering about this. A friend of mine who is married to a psychiatrist believes that some people are depressed because that is what they choose to believe.
I'm rather startled by this remark seeing as my fiance suffers from Bipolar disorder and it is nearly impossible to maintain a good mood if the anti-deppressants are not taken.
I also have a friend who goes on and off the pills according to her mood. So this leaves me confused....
Is it really an illness or is it a wrong state of mind
I believe there are many kinds of depression and yes, there are people who are depressed for no other reason than that is what they choose to be. These are generally people who are lacking a form of hope for their future, or who see everything in a negative light. If you ask me, I think ALL people have suffered this sort of depression at one point in their lives. I know I have. But being that it was a state of mind depression, it was easy to snap out of it and start seeing the light again.
Having said that however, there are also many types of depression that are chemical, hormonal, environmental, hereditary, etc. There is no way to generalize depression.
I think it can be either, it all depends on the person
Depression is the leading cause of human suffering in the world. Just thought I'd throw that in.
Thanx for the rensponse guys!
Now i feel less confused about this.
I have another question though.
Is it true that a pregnant woman isnt allowed to take anti-depressants?
Jon Allan wrote:
Thanx for the rensponse guys!
Now i feel less confused about this.
I have another question though.
Is it true that a pregnant woman isnt allowed to take anti-depressants?
Its true that it is not studied enough to know what kind of effect they could have on the baby. but that is like all drugs of any types. ethically, no woman would ever want to be experimented on while pregnant, so there is a real lack of evidence of what meds can do to unborn babies.
Having said that, a doctor will have to weigh the implications of taking or not taking the medication. It is commonly referred to as 'the lesser of two evils'. Since "mothers" safety is first and foremost, the doctor will make a decision based on what he thinks themother needs to be safe and healthy. hope this helps.
My wife was diagnosed as Bi-Polar years ago, she does not take any pills and never seems to be any different to me, So I don't know.
Misha wrote:
Nah. it's a state of economy we are entering right now.
Yes, Misha. But is it necessarily a bad thing?
Until you've lived in it, you'll never truly understand it. You can over come it but you need to be very motivated and many who suffer don't have that motivation. Its hard work everyday. Some days are hard, getting out of bed, showering, etc. Somedays are easier. My main focus is never to allow myself to go backward. I know the signs when I'm starting to slip & take action before the depression gets bad.
Jon Allan wrote:
I've been wondering about this. A friend of mine who is married to a psychiatrist believes that some people are depressed because that is what they choose to believe.
I'm rather startled by this remark seeing as my fiance suffers from Bipolar disorder and it is nearly impossible to maintain a good mood if the anti-deppressants are not taken.
I also have a friend who goes on and off the pills according to her mood. So this leaves me confused....
Is it really an illness or is it a wrong state of mind
It is overwhelming...it can not be categorized...but it is very serious. Like all ailments and each person's own existence...Their "Depression" experience is unique to them.
Careful with it...it is no game...it is very real. If the person chooses to believe a certain way and can not find a way out of it...what difference does it make "how" it is categorized?
It can still be an ailment to them...a very sick and debilitating one, too. (Especially...Over a long period of time).
Just last week...I heard over the radio a statistic of how many people are actually healed by anti-depressants...the figure is very low...if indeed people inflicted with depression are even healed by meds. I would doubt that anyone is healed through medication alone...period. (Some of those meds have been determined to be worse for the problem...than the problem...addiction to the med, suicidal thoughts, and hallucinations...have all been attributed to anti-depressants!)
However...to some degree...certain types of "Depression" can be cured with an overhaul of your mindset...but the person needs help or a boost to get to that level of being able to beat the depression...and then they need to be actually free of it completely... because the symptoms/mood will return most assuredly...as snow returns every winter to the mountains! They can not beat this thing on their own...otherwise they would have done it already. Bear in mind...they could have a chemical imbalance, something making their body sick...and I personally believe heredity plays a big role in "Depression".
You could be a reassuring voice to her and even may help aid her through bouts of depression with a "positive" upbeat approach to your world (although she does not need to depend on your "positive approach to your world"" to soak into her to feel better)...but you should read up on depression and the Bipolar Disorder to be aware of what it can do and all the symptoms. Make sure that you yourself don't go down this long and slippery slope...in the course of trying to help your fiance'. There's nothing worse than two depressed people together!
Trust me...Depression is nothing to take lightly...the good news is a person can overcome it with the "right" forms of treatment...which I personally believe must be tailored to them uniquely. For some it might be counseling...some it might be experiencing grief that they have bottled up...some it might be a more advanced condition...that needs highly specialized care...some might snap out of it with the proper train of thought that is re-trained into their thinking...some might be coupled with anxiety...Maybe a wrong was committed against them that brought it on...or they did something they can't forgive themselves for. Do some of these sound like weak excuses for depression? I highly doubt they do...to someone feeling the signs of depression...and they can't figure out why.
But Surely...I believe all signs of lengthy depression must be treated somehow...before someone goes down an even longer road of depression...and ultimately decides that later on...they would be better off being relieved of the burden...or in other words..."Dead"! Sorry to ramble on like this...but I had a few minutes to write...and I believe "Depression" is very bad...and underestimated as to its affect...obviously, from my own experience with it.
Don't worry about me turning this into a Hub...for anyone that reads it...I am copying it down to do just that...someday...
Jon Allan wrote:
Thanx for the rensponse guys!
Now i feel less confused about this.
I have another question though.
Is it true that a pregnant woman isnt allowed to take anti-depressants?
There are a few antidepressants that are considered ok during pregnancy, but it also depends how serious the depression is and what trimester the pregnancy is in. I think the main one prescribed in pregnancy is amitriptyline.
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthin … sants.aspx
Misha wrote:
Nah. it's a state of economy we are entering right now.
economic depression as Karl Marx would say hehehe...It is not the consciuosness which determines the being, it is the being which determines the consciuosness.....
Depression is an illness like any other and should be treated as such. There's no 'snapping out of it'. Once the mind/brain is deprived of serotonin levels for so long due to problems, emotions, loss, or other things, it affects the whole body. It's like the brain uses it all up. Then it can't reproduce the serotonin fast enough so the result is depression. That's when anti-depressants like Prozac, Cymbalta, and Zoloft can benefit. It keeps the levels of serotonin to a more normal level. It's fascinating.....
I have depression. I thought I was going crazy and I was making everybody around me crazy. It affected me mentally and physically and I was really to stuborn to listen. It wasn't me! Well it was and once I got treatment I've felt and acted alot better. I was amazed how two pills aday could change my whole out look. I still get mad just not as bad or as long. I still have good days and not so good days but it's just not as overwhelming.
Jon Allan wrote:
I've been wondering about this. A friend of mine who is married to a psychiatrist believes that some people are depressed because that is what they choose to believe.
I'm rather startled by this remark seeing as my fiance suffers from Bipolar disorder and it is nearly impossible to maintain a good mood if the anti-deppressants are not taken.
I also have a friend who goes on and off the pills according to her mood. So this leaves me confused....
Is it really an illness or is it a wrong state of mind
well some love misery, want other to be in it with them?
guess her observation may have merrit for some, not all.
My snap, standard answer is that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Think about it. Why else would anti-depressants work? They correct the imbalances of some neurotransmitters.
However, I also know some people who have become depressed and were diagnosed with clinical depression due to a bad experience, such as a death. My depressions were never triggered by an event, but I've been told that my depression is largely chemical and it does run in my family. Apparently, some people can develop clinical depression after something bad happens like a death in the family or so forth, but I am not sure how that progresses from normal grief or feeling "depressed" to clinical depression which has physical and cognitive symptoms. Anyone know how that happens?

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