Is Depression Natural?

I would like to get your opinions on depression.

I was thinking about it because I know many who claim to be depressed. It seems like a reality for all of us at one point or another in life. I also was thinking that many are depressed and do not know it because they have a way of coping whether it be a hobby, career, friends, etc. Sometimes when a persons coping mechanism goes away, depression comes in to take its place. I'm not saying this is the case for everyone but that is a big crowd of people in which this applies to. Many have a perfectly happy life by society standards and yet are still depressed. Many cannot find a connection in life whether it be with friends, family, or themselves. My point of this post is that depression is wide spread and is so common one has to wonder....

Do you think depression is natural in this life?

Don't let anyone tell you its not natural. Imagine what the world would be like if the only emotion you could experience was happy.Human society would collapse in no time. It requires people to get angry, get depressed to achieve anything.

Originally posted by Ralphy----->Do you think depression is natural in this life?

Not natural, but more common due to increasing social pressure.

Seems like more and more people have problems problems to fit in to society, and are feeling lonely among friends and family.

reply to post by Ralphy


If a person has from time to time (circumstantial depression); and most people do; that is normal. Circumstantial depression happens by situations or happenings in a person's life that have gone wrong.

Then there is (clinical depression) which is a medical illness.

So the answer to your question (Is depression natural?)...yes it is...if it is (circumstantial depression).

reply to post by Ralphy


It's lack of dopemine and other brain chemicals that induce euphoria.

Originally posted by metalholic

It's lack of dopemine and other brain chemicals that induce euphoria.

Also low levels of serotonin.

Those chemicals also help to keep nerves calm which is why depression, anxiety, and pain often appear together.

People with chronic pain have three times the average risk of developing psychiatric symptoms — usually mood or anxiety disorders — and depressed patients have three times the average risk of developing chronic pain.

Also

In somatoform disorders, including hypochondria, according to one theory, depression and anxiety are converted into physical symptoms. But often, when low energy, insomnia, and hopelessness resulting from depression and anxiety perpetuate and aggravate physical pain, it becomes almost impossible to tell which came first or where one leaves off and the other begins.

www.health.harvard.edu...

This is why it's hard for people with pain disorders, such as Fibromyalgia, to get diagnosed because Dr's often assume it's being caused by their depression/anxiety. This is the problem I have had for years, I have always been convinced my depression/anxiety was being caused by my physical problems, not the other way around.

reply to post by Ralphy


I think it is natural but I am now tending to believe that the artificial additives in foods may play a role.
I will tell you why.
In 2006 I had according to the doctor a slight breakdown, I had worked nightshift for 2 years and went on day shift for about 6 months. I was asked to go back to nightshift and my first shift was a 6pm start on a Sunday night having worked until 3.30 the Friday preceding.
A shortened weekend which shouldn't have been a drama however upon getting to work I found my hands locked to the steering wheel and a compulsion to run away. Which is weird I then started sobbing and drove off in the car, I drove approximately 250 kilometres from work and at some point I had regained composure and rang my wife.
This was close to 10pm that night.
She said come home and we'll see the doctor the next day.
Which we did and I was diagnosed with depression and put on anti depressants, I wasn't allowed to work or drive a car for about 6 months where I then started the process of weening off and working part time again.
I had another incident in 2010, this time I was tested for food allergies, I had lost 15 kg's in weight and all my joints were aching, after a few tests I was diagnosed as a Celiac and have to now stay gluten free.
The thing is my body had been starving of nutrients for quite some time which no doubt led to the depression in 2006 and then the weight loss in 2010 was the kicker.
There are so many additives in food these days and no-one knows how they will affect our bodies, depression can be food related and it can be caused by a traumatic event or experience, some people are very sensitive and take all the misery in and eventually become depressed about it.
In other instances depression can run through family lines which means it could be hereditary and therefore natural, the good thing is people are now understanding mental illness better and they dont throw people into institutions anymore without first looking at all the possibilities.

reply to post by Ralphy

Do you think depression is natural in this life?

Everything in the universe is natural.

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
Everything in the universe is natural.

How are you defining natural?

Capitalism isn't natural. Murder isn't either. Corn grown in the US isn't natural. Corn grown in Europe isn't natural either. If I were to stick a needle in your brain causing depression, that wouldn't be natural.

Originally posted by ohioriver
Don't let anyone tell you its not natural. Imagine what the world would be like if the only emotion you could experience was happy.Human society would collapse in no time. It requires people to get angry, get depressed to achieve anything.

I'm not clear on how depression can be an emotion. Surely it is a state where one's emotions are depressed which is how I experienced it but of course this isn't the only way depression manifests. It can arise from an imbalance in one's emotions - intense inner anger or hatred for oneself or against others, deep frustration, chemical imbalance in the brain & so on. Also, there are a range of emotions besides being happy and none of them will necessarily make you depressed. There has to be a cause.

reply to post by ANOK

How are you defining natural?

Capitalism isn't natural. Murder isn't either. Corn grown in the US isn't natural. Corn grown in Europe isn't natural either. If I were to stick a needle in your brain causing depression, that wouldn't be natural.

Maybe I'm being a little too philosophical on the subject, but everything that happens in the universe does so naturally. Considering ourselves as separate from what goes on in the universe is a contradiction. We, and everything we create, are a natural occurrence.

I understand that 'natural' can be defined as everything not caused by humankind, but in order to do so we'd have to pretend we are not a part of nature.

I would have to say that depression—because it comes from a natural entity and within what we call nature—is a natural occurrence.

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope

Maybe I'm being a little too philosophical on the subject, but everything that happens in the universe does so naturally. Considering ourselves as separate from what goes on in the universe is a contradiction. We, and everything we create, are a natural occurrence.

I understand that 'natural' can be defined as everything not caused by humankind, but in order to do so we'd have to pretend we are not a part of nature.

I would have to say that depression—because it comes from a natural entity and within what we call nature—is a natural occurrence.


I can't resist taking a bite here, philosophically, although I don't want to diverge from the thread.

Does nature extend into the universe? its certainly not proven. Anyway I think the post wasn't using the term natural in its literal sense. lol

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
Maybe I'm being a little too philosophical on the subject, but everything that happens in the universe does so naturally. Considering ourselves as separate from what goes on in the universe is a contradiction. We, and everything we create, are a natural occurrence.

A natural event is something that happens by nature without any help from us.

So everything is not natural, nature can be perverted.

Depression......Take molybdenum pills to bring down the copper levels or just start eating more aged foods like lunchmeats and cheeses or yogurts. Many alcohols contain tyramines so they also Should work fine

reply to post by Ralphy


Yes, is natural, we as human have the ability to feel, in the long list of feelings depression and sadness in one of them.

Is nothing wrong to feel like that as long as it doesn't take away from our everyday life and doesn't affect our well being.

Usually as with everything it will go away on its own, but when it last longer that we thing is right, or take over our lives then we have a problem.

I personally has been feeling down for a few weeks, right now, but I know that is just the season and temporarily as I still have the ability to feel happy about things so this down feelings are not taken over my life.

In depression with no obvious cause, I think it (just like pain) is a natural response to an unseen menace of various nature.

It truly is pain, actually.... Mental or emotional and will eventually tear you down physically and cause you actual physical pain.

I think what causes it could be all of the above as well... also spiritual.

It think it's much more important to get to the root of the issue (which could take a lifetime) rather than masking it, but if it is unbearable at some points of extreme upset, it might be a good idea to temporarily override it by some method and then when you get your grasp back, go back to trying to resolve it without the use of props and masks.

Ah, this drives me nuts, why people aren't told this - depression (not the really bad kind, "normal" depression) is a symptom of dehydration. A person hydrates themselves, the depression leaves. It's gone. It's a symptom.

A site that describes this is Watercure.com or Watercure2.com. I'll look for a link (just looked, lots of stuff on the net when "Depression" and "Dehydration" are joined. Watercure has a whole book on it, but you'd think I was a shrill if I linked it, so find it yourself.)

Drinking enough water means to drink water. Coffee, soda, etc., dehydrate the body even more, they remove water.

For those who are well hydrated, you can experiement, and don't drink water for about eight to ten hours. You will get depressed. And those ads on tv, "depression hurts". Well, listen to the symptoms that those ads list. All of them, repeat, all of them, are symptoms of dehydration (aching muscles, dry mouth, etc. - depression hurts indeed).

reply to post by Aleister


I have the book about water cures and it actually works, now that you bring this issue, it is very true.

Originally posted by rickymouse
Depression......Take molybdenum pills to bring down the copper levels or just start eating more aged foods like lunchmeats and cheeses or yogurts. Many alcohols contain tyramines so they also Should work fine

and then drink some orange juice to counteract all the nitrates in the lunch meat and cheese.

Just wanted to add that since all our antioxidant levels are probably very low.

or hell, take a terminal antioxidant like melatonin and get a good nights sleep.

Originally posted by Aleister
Ah, this drives me nuts, why people aren't told this - depression (not the really bad kind, "normal" depression) is a symptom of dehydration. A person hydrates themselves, the depression leaves. It's gone. It's a symptom.

Depression is a symptom of dehydration, but dehydration is not the only cause of depression.

Depression is a symptom of many things, some unknown.