Anxiety and Depression Are Symptoms, Not Diseases
This is a fantastic article.<p>> Depression is a way the emotional system signals that things are not working and that one is not getting one’s relational needs met. If you are low on relational value in the key domains of family, friends, lovers, group and self, feeling depressed in this context is EXACTLY like feeling pain from a broken arm, feeling cold being outside in the cold, and feeling hungry after going 24 hours without food.<p>Exactly, it's a signal, not a disease. A signal a lot more people I know are having as they grow into their desk jobs with bleak outlooks for advancement and fulfillment. Anecdotally, when I talk to depressed men I know, lack of romantic prospects is by far the biggest factor. We've never had more single men: <a href="http://cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-hollingsworth/bachelor-nation-70-men-aged-20-34-are-not-married" rel="nofollow">http://cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-hollingsworth/bachel...</a> I'm sure women are much happier either with these circumstances. Somehow modern society has us further apart in this regard.<p>I've written before about being prescribed SSRIs after a 45 minute meeting with a college psychiatrist. Absolute rubish. The real solution was to cut out a failing romantic relationship, stop living with this person, and start cultivating new, healthier relationships. I've never been depressed since, but I got a great experience dealing with SSRI withdrawal symptoms in a foreign country.<p>If anyone reading this is depressed, I strongly recommend thinking about it as a <i>signal</i> that something is off in your life. For most people (though certainly not all), the meds will only help you cope with whatever the underlying problems are. Get some exercise: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3674785/" rel="nofollow">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3674785/</a> and also start being more social. Practical tip for hitting two birds with one stone: join a running club.