Depression is an Evolution not a Malfunction

Originally posted by Geladinhu
reply to post by dzonatas

 

I've never heard of anyone having a depression like the one you are talking about. For me, that experiences depression in different levels your experience sounds like something else.

What comes to my mind is that you are being zombified by something unnatural and maybe even artificial.

Yeah, but you know at least one other here that hasn't explicitely stated so.

I zipped out of contact with the mental healthcare system the minute it was proposed that I spend weeks in the hospital while I was given various cocktails of medication. Medications were ineffective anyway and several different classes were tried along the way.

I think this "unnatural" element is having an environment that compels us to use natural and normally beneficial survival tactics, usually used in small doses for emergencies, on a continuous basis.

Some reject this requirement up front while with others it catches up with them later after extended periods of diverting themselves from what their physiological response is telling them to deal with.

I've seen the results of the latter.

This is interesting. I'm the most depressed I have been in my life. I quit my job because of it, I thought I could create a different type of income. Now I can't even get myself to even try to make an income. Last night I laid down to sleep at 12:00 and I fell asleep around 7:00 in the morning.

I think I focus on my problems, but I can't get myself to create solutions.

reply to post by St Vaast


Oh come on, now. Life is never wasted.
I know how relatives feel when you are distant from them.
They are so emotionally attached, it almost gives me the creeps.

You should stop feeling bad for your son and for yourself because I'm sure thats what he would want.

I suffer from depression and my dad and my mom act exactly like you are acting. I was also the "golden boy", now I'm the "dark boy that needs help".

Personally it only makes me worse when people start paying too much attention to the way I behave, specially when I'm basically doing nothing. I wish they would care about things that were more significant - like truth.

You should understand that we are simply in a different level of understanding and thus what make you happy mommies and daddies real happy does not make us happy. It is not only your son that has changed, for him the world has also changed.

What gives you satisfaction doesn't gives us satisfaction anymore because we are deep beneath the surface. We are seekers and we are looking for something that we are not really sure what it is, but we know that thing that we are looking for is the only thing that will make us truly happy.

Is your son into spirituality or religion? If not I advise you to start giving him books about buddhism and meditation. Buddhism has really helped me a lot in my personal search, it may help your son too.

What the hell is with all this science garbage? "studies", "tests", "replicable results".. what a waste of time.

WE all know god gave us depression so we would feel bad after masturbating. Forgive me lord for I have sinned. Twice today

Originally posted by EnlightenUp

I think this "unnatural" element is having an environment that compels us to use natural and normally beneficial survival tactics, usually used in small doses for emergencies, on a continuous basis.

Some reject this requirement up front while with others it catches up with them later after extended periods of diverting themselves from what their physiological response is telling them to deal with.

I've seen the results of the latter.

Thats an interesting perspective you have.
Could you elaborate a bit more?
Examples of the survival tactics you speak of would be good.

So by rejecting the requirement (what requirement exactly? that of having to respond to continuous "emergencies"?) one simply gives up or transcends their instinct? Is that what you are saying?

And those who do not transcend at first tend to be eventually hit by a snow ball of whatever was being repressed? What exactly was being repressed?

Originally posted by Geladinhu
reply to post by dzonatas

 

I've never heard of anyone having a depression like the one you are talking about. For me, that experiences depression in different levels your experience sounds like something else.

Because there are less people that are diagnosed with MDD as there with those diagnosed as clinically depressed. I knew nothing about MDD when they docs told me.

What comes to my mind is that you are being zombified by something unnatural and maybe even artificial.

You mean paranormal, supranatural, or like?

From what I know even the most extreme conditions of depression would be impacted by the use of anti-depressants (not necessarily a positive impact, but it does affect the depression).

Anti-depressents nearly killed me. It got to a point where my heart stopped 4 times an hour. The worked for about 3 weeks and either did that to my heart or zombified me worse.

I've been reading around ATS about the possibility of there being some kind of mind control and thought projecting into someones mind. And by reading your post that was the first thing that came to my mind. Maybe you are too open and so sensitive that you pick up all these foreign signals and mistakenly take them as your own?

I don't know, its just weird that your condition is so extreme but at the same time you are so aware of it. Could it be something that is being mistakenly labeled as depression (which is already a terrible label by itself)?

I think what you ask if I'm awake of being an empath and being hypsensitive. Yes. I'm very aware, and I did write over in the thread about empathsthread about empaths.

Anything that makes me more hypersensitive helps. It's like the body catches up to my thought and i'm able to think clearer... well... actually I can think clear yet it just doesn't come out when too depressed. MDD is not just about being sad or hopeless, as it is an overall imbalance that affects the body physically. Just can't function. Stimulants work to a point, yet they don't help unless they also work the body to help become hypersensitive. It's like any attempt to gets the body's frequency raised to my mind's frequency helps.

This doesn't mean there isn't any emotional pain, yet that emotional pain is so great that it's like the brain broke and went numb. I should be dead because of that. Instead, I found my heart rate goes way over 200 at times... and the headaches get bad (like a warning about going numb again). My normal BP is around 160. I'm lucky if I can get it lower. Heart rate seems to affect hypersensitivity, or go hand and hand.

Major depression is more physical than like clinical depression.

reply to post by dzonatas


Wow! That sounds unbelievably intense. I was not aware of such a condition, thanks for all the information.

Have you had this for your entire life? If not, when did it start? Do you feel that any particular thing triggered it?

That sounds like a major dysfunction and disconnection between body and mind. Have you ever tried dedicating yourself seriously to something like yoga or maybe other martial art? If so, how did that experience go?

reply to post by Geladinhu


Indeed this case I see as being like my own family. Escapism won't cure it and he needs to allow himself to be on the level of depth that he needs to be on, not what the rest of society requires. The long term implications can be devastating and tragic.

He shouldn't feel he has to live up to others' expectations because he doesn't. He doesn't have to answer to anyone.

There is a fine line between suicidal and homicidal. Pulling the cork to quickly can lead to undesirable outcomes and medications seem to have that potential.

Frankly, I'm kind of scared to recommend positive occult knowledge because of people's prejudices on the subject, even though it came to me in a strange way in that form after a sincere prayer for a solution (it doesn't demand you be religious and so sat better with me than the Bible or other "faith"). Buddhism may help because it's close enough in my view. Opening up to a spiritual life does seem to be the answer. The lightening up will follow. The most important aspect of all that is learning to control one's thoughts and their content, at all times.

Of course it depends on his willingness to receive that knowledge that determines if he's ready to do so.

Reply to post by Lucidclouds

Originally posted by lucidclouds
This is interesting. I'm the most depressed I have been in my life. I quit my job because of it, I thought I could create a different type of income. Now I can't even get myself to even try to make an income. Last night I laid down to sleep at 12:00 and I fell asleep around 7:00 in the morning.

I think I focus on my problems, but I can't get myself to create solutions.

Been away for a while. Just came back and read your post.

What you've written below, though simple in sound, is actually very profound:

I think I focus on my problems, but I can't get myself to create solutions

It sums up my son to a large degree, imo


I'm guessing your confidence is affected by your situation ?

I applaud your honesty. Sounds as if you do have what it takes to pull yourself through

[edit on 27-8-2009 by St Vaast]

I believe depression is the spirit's natural response to ratrace conditioning.

Depression, ADD and compulsive disorders often occur together. The mind of an ADD person has difficulty focusing and managing dissimilar subjects. ADD persons are however able to place extreme focus on single tasks. This focus allows them to out perform others in areas where this ability excels like programming software. The compulsiveness of their mind continues to grind away in the background subconsciously while the person maybe doing other things including sleep. This allows the out of the box great ideas common to ADD people. I often go to bed after struggling with very complex problems and wake up with an amazing answer.

That is the good side. The bad side occurs when an ADD/OCD person is painfully effected by something like the relationship break up, their mind attempts to figure out why it happened. This happens without consent of the person. It goes on subconsciously even while the person may attempt to block the thoughts. Sometimes there is no answer.

In this case the mind dwells on the loss keeping the negative emotions churning for much longer than is healthy. This builds pathways in the brain causing a PTSD type memory of the pain and causes the chemicals that control how we feel to come out of balance over an extended period of time.

A few episodes like this in life can make it easier and easier for these type people to fall into bouts with major depression and get trapped with Dysthymia.

Often as in my case, they require medication for a long period to counter the compulsive negative thought patterns they get trapped in and to rebalance the chemicals in our brain.

We get trapped because our mind gets stuck in a feedback loop like a computer. During this the mind is trying to figure out an extremely complex set of problems that may not have a solution. This only serves to make matters worse.

Through counseling and medication some people can recover but remain susceptible to returning to depression.

I've been on medication and counseling for War related PTSD and relationship problems for 2 years, and I am now having very good success at work. People seem amazed at how I can quickly conceptualize issues and can imagine processes from beginning to end often eliminating wasteful tasks or processes in areas I have never worked in or been exposed to.

If you try to get me to work on 3 or 4 things at a time I will fail miserably on 3 of the 4, but that one item I do complete will likely be the best it ever was.

Today in a meeting while I was listening to some high level execs discussing some business proposals and ideas I quickly saw the end game to their ideas and it would eventually put them out of business in this specific proposal. They have become so good at doing more with less that they had created something so good that it would lead to their elimination from the process



None of them had seen this coming and they had been working on it for months. I am getting a promotion (truth).

So it seems to me that Depression is a result of other evolutionary changes going on with ADD and OCD thinking patterns. Depression is a symptom. So ADD and OCD people can do amazing things with the brain if they can maintain balance when their brain starts obsessing over pain, anger etc...

Originally posted by Geladinhu
Thats an interesting perspective you have.
Could you elaborate a bit more?
Examples of the survival tactics you speak of would be good.

Going for extended periods without sufficient sleep.

Never taking a break; working to the bone constantly.

Constant overeating, possibly because of a repressed uncertainty about not having enough tomorrow. Sure, there is abundance of sorts but it's an uncertain abundance. It's like the squirrel preparing a good layer of fat for the winter hibernation but 365.2425 days a year.

Running off our adrenaline and cortisol at all times (a life of fight or flight) can cause brain damage, specifically to the hippocampus. The elevated Cortisol levels can lead to Cushing's syndrome.

So by rejecting the requirement (what requirement exactly? that of having to respond to continuous "emergencies"?) one simply gives up or transcends their instinct? Is that what you are saying?

People perceive that there are "requirements" and standards they have to meet in relation to others and perhaps immediately insurmountable problem that they define for themselves. The one that rejects it will allow themselves to slow down enough for contemplation, without attempting escape.

And those who do not transcend at first tend to be eventually hit by a snow ball of whatever was being repressed? What exactly was being repressed?

Hmmm. Perhaps nothing. Sometimes it's an escape. I know people that can't stand themselves if they are still for even a moment. They start to become aware of what is in the background and have to get on the move again as quickly as possible. It's not necessarily because they feel lazy but they just have to "do something". It could be any pointless activity like going clubbing. It feels uncomfortable. It isn't the same as a well-trained mind the knows how to regulate itself and be in the moment. One is antsy and fidgity; the other is calm.

*looks at thread title* Boy THAT is a depressing thought. Pun intended.

[edit on 27-8-2009 by muggl3z]

Originally posted by Geladinhu
reply to post by Calon

 

I think its perfectly possible.
I myself believe that most of my depression is caused by being over-sensitive.
Its like I suck the pain of others of which they are basically trying to forget about and pretend it isn't there (thats why the big weapons of mass-distraction are so efficient). And since I simply cannot turn my back to the truth I absorb it all to myself.

I actually think this empathy is really useful and a great gift. I can make people feel good really easily because of that. And I really enjoy making people feel good. The problem about it is that I don't really understand and don't know how to control it and block the feelings that I don't like. I'm still experimenting and learning.

I know a couple of depressed people and the worst thing is when they start to act like victims without realizing the gift that they have.

I am pretty sure your deep empathy comes from ADD/OCD. You subconsciously try to figure out others and when your trying to help them it hurts you as well so you end up trying to figure out something without answers in a compulsive way. You do gain knowledge from this about people which makes you even more empathetic. You just can never really get answers to quiet your brains thirst to understand why someone feels bad.

The trick is to help your mind realize there is no way to answer all the questions it may have of someone else thoughts and problems etc... read my other post for more and let me know if it feels similar at all?

Interesting findings.
While reading it, it almost seems like common sense.

Someone jokingly mentioned to me, while reading an article about depression in children, "Has anyone ever thought that the kid is just quiet?"
It serves it's purpose.
An interesting parallel of the article referring to the "possibility: that, in most instances, depression should not be thought of as a disorder at all".

Could it be speculated, that the overabundance of medications prescribed for depressions were and still are totally unnecessary?
If so, What has been the result of our tampering with this evolutionary process?
Have we become irrevocably deadlocked by our own hampering of an evolutionary trait?

[edit on 8/27/2009 by reticledc]

Reply to post by Xeven

You know what is interesting? I was on medication for about ten years for depression. Since I've been off of antidepressants, I've definitely had an increase in OCD tendencies. I've often thought it may be linked to the underlying issue. It's just interesting to me that I didn't have it at all until the depression took hold. I have the same sort of empathy and sensitivity thing going on.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

I've always felt this way about depression. And especially lately. If this is what people are taking medicine for then the world is full of babies.

Years ago depression was just a chance to take a break and sort of go deeper. It wasn't a time to be sad. It might be sad kinda physically, but why identify with it. This was even before I read anything about not being attached to things.

reply to post by Xeven


I read your post and I feel like it may relate to me sometimes but not always. Most of the time I'm very much aware to whats happening with my mind, and I do recognize some of the things you said. But its not like it is a constant pattern.

I don't know, I tend not to identify myself with labels because I feel I'm lots of things at the same time and sometimes nothing at all. I'm quite random and I don't feel like I'm good at anything specific like you said you are. I often have outside of the box solutions and I do skip unnecessary steps all the time because my mind is clear. But thats about it, I don't feel like I'm good at anything specifically.

I go in and out of depression apparently in a random pattern. I can stay depressed for days or even weeks and then suddenly snap out of it. Or maybe just become depressed for a day after having a full month of stability.

I never took anti-depressants and I don't even consider the possibility. I do smoke marijuana for my depression sometimes and it helps a lot. I feel much more comfortable using a plant that is commonly used for thousands of years then some industrialized chemical that you never really know what can do to you.

I don't think I have ADD or OCD. But sometimes I do find myself behaving as if I did. I really don't know.

Originally posted by Xeven
I am pretty sure your deep empathy comes from ADD/OCD.

Uhm....


Everybody, just say "NO" to Ritalin. k?

I read your post and flagged it early for myself. It is very hard even concentrate enough on this thread to answer.

I totally agree to a point.

The ruminations and tendancy toward isolation, causes a downward spiral that is not easy to remove yourself from. It actually becomes addicting, easier than dealing with the public. When you are able to force yourself to go out it takes your mind off yourself and gives a minor release.

I live within my mind, this is not a good thing regardless of evolution.

I know this is simple but I don't have the energy to deal with deep thought on this...ha, maybe in a few days when I pick apart the pieces.