Is money invariably linked with depression

Depression is a double edged sword. There is the depression that comes from the inability to deal with the problems of life that leads to frustration and eventually depression. The term depression also means a stalled and sluggish economy with high unemployment, lack of financial resources, poverty, disease and misery. It is often stated that an abundance money can either bring happiness or a lack of it can bring misery. This is true only if a person has no other way of dealing with everyday necessity and problems than with money. So, money is not necessarily invariably linked with depression, either in the case of people or economies.

Money is an universal commodity, that takes the place of real commodities that people desire, such as food, clothes, shelter or other things that we all want in life. As such money is a "stand in" that raises our economy from a mere state of barter. Money as a fetish can take the abstract or virtual form of any other commodity. As an abstract or virtual commodity, it readily transforms into anything we desire in an immediate sense limited only by the availability of the real commodity that we seek and value. No waiting for the right barter exchange is required. We can have what we want immediately; provided we have the money, the virtual commodity that can be exchanged for the real.

This is where economic depression comes. When we lack the virtual commodity that is held in trust by a community, then we have no access to a real commodity. Lacking the virtual commodity, we are impoverished for want of the real. If we let it, without seeking alternatives, we can become depressed over a lack of the virtual commodity. Thus personal depression is linked to economic depression. A bear market and a slow economy means that the economy is depressed; with a lot of unemployment, hunger, homelessness and disease among people who have nothing to exchange except their own labour as a commodity in exchange for the universal commodity; money. Seeing no alternative, this creates much misery and personal depression. A bull economy means better times for all and this acts as a mask causing forgetfulness as we seek out more and more money.

But the lack of money does not have to mean personal depression, even with the economy in a depression. What then must we do. Depending on who you are, there are several resources. You can learn to find wild food so that you don't starve in lean times. There are resources to learn on line or at the local library. Some people throw themselves on the mercy of charity with the degradation that entails. No one likes to be beholden to others; it is a psychological reality. You do not have to do this with the right knowledge. Go back in history and you will find that all of our ancestors got by without money at all.

It is amazing what people throw out. With a little hunting, you can furnish an entire house with anything you may require. Some of it may need fixing, but there are resources available for that too. Some people even end up creating a business out of recycled items that others toss out. The extra proceeds can be used to pay rent.

In a depressed economy, one may end up losing the house and there has been a huge amount of this in 2008 starting with the sub prime mortgage crisis early in the year that lead to bank failures and stock market gyrations later. The loss of the house is a huge source of depression as it often splits families, even in the "family values" mindset established under the Reagan era. In such a circumstance, a lifetime of scrimping and saving to pay down the mortgage simply translated means that the bank got the money and the house and you got the street due to a default on a mortgage payment! The cards are definitely stacked against long term investment in this case. It is best not to buy such a huge investment in uncertain times. It is better to rent. If you end up on the street, at least there are two considerations. The bank didn't take your money and if the landlord loses the house or apartment, the landlord's loss will be far greater.

As for TV's, cars and all the paraphernalia of civilized existence, our ancestors got along fine without all of it not so long ago. They entertained one another and walked. Being connected to others and walking isn't such a bad idea. It'll help you overcome alienation from others, lift your spirits and improve your fitness. So again, money is not necessarily linked with depression, at least not personally. Economically it is a different matter entirely as capitalism relies heavily on trading and selling of commodities. Failures in this sector in any area always threatens a depressed economy. There are those who always escape, making billions in rising or falling economies.

Collectively, we need not keep placing faith in lying politicians of all stripes who serve only the bosses behind the scene who call the shots. They do not represent the people anyway! Collectively we can shift to a planned economy instead of one that depends on the chaos of the markets and banks that seek ever greater profits at the expense of everything and everyone else. This will require knowledge on the part of the people and full participation of everyone. You can't rely on others to run your affairs; they will only run it for their advantage. Seek out the truth and it will set you free!