All over the world, millions of people suffer from depression.
Psychiatrists would define depression as a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason. A good friend showed great trust in me by confiding that she had been struggling with depression for many years and began listing off what she perceived were her shortcomings. As she gave her summation of how she was living a thoroughly unremarkable and entirely unsatisfactory life, I couldn't help but see the similarities of what all she had related to me. Unemployed, not attending school, barely able to attend church regularly, romantically stonewalled, and socially awkward. With each point she named specific examples of who out shined her and in what ways. My ultimate theory, and I told her thus, is that simply put depression is an overactive bout of jealousy. Jealous of the inability to conform and/or stand apart socially, jealous of others abundance of material goods that they take them for granted. Being, at least in my opinion, very similar I would suggest similar methods of con
quering depression as one would use to combat jealousy. Take these steps:
- Admit you have a problem, at least to yourself. Denying feelings leads not only to shame and guilt, but also to sadness, helplessness, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The traits depression patients most exhibit.
- Once you have admitted to your worldwide jealousy, start to fight back against it. They say the best revenge is living well and I know that when the chips are down you hate hearing that, but when your enemy is yourself, such a vengeance is mutually beneficial.
- The best way to eliminate jealousy, and by that I mean depression, is to take steps to attain what it is you desire. If even that is beyond you, take solace that you didn't spend time and resources on a fad that can only last so long.
I have always hoped that my little bits of philosophy add a bit of comfort to those who read it, but with this post the message is doubly so. The Declaration of Independence states that all are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. With that in mind, go live life, enjoy your freedom, and pursue some happiness.
quering depression as one would use to combat jealousy. Take these steps:
3 comments:
I want to point out that there's a possibility that the depression leads to jealousy. Jealous that others lives seem happy and no matter what one does, joy seems so fleeting that it's difficult to remember when you've felt it. Depression IS an actual problem. Ask anyone who has it. Especially those that didn't believe in it before they got it. For me, boredom leads to depression. Helplessness leads to depression. And depression does, yes, lead to jealousy. Everyone has problems, it's just difficult to see others problems when your depression is weighing in on you so hard that you're feeling smothered.
Robert, I think that you may be correct that in some cases depression is related to pride/jealousy. However, you should be careful not to overgeneralize your opinions. Lots of things can cause depression, just like lots of things can cause a headache. Also you shouldn't be watching R-rated movies. Especially right before you leave on your mission. Shame on you for bringing that garbage into your parents' righteous home!
Actually, depression is caused by a serotonin deficiency as well as psychological and environmental factors. Depression walks hand in hand with things like jealousy, self-loathing, anxiety, and exhaustion. But they are NOT the same thing. It makes me so angry when people say it's not real or if the person really wanted to they could get over it. That would be like saying my dad just didn't love our family enough to "snap out of it".
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