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[emilia_romagna]

Here's the link to an interesting description of depression from NYTimes.  IIts long, but worth the read, especially for people living/ coping with loved ones with depression.

I'm feeling better today after a midnight trip to Berkeley to see and sleep with max for 6 hours before work this morning.  Thank god for Lexapro, or things would be so much

Comments

[silkensteel]

It reminded me of when I was in that state. Not in a too close reminder kind of way, but it did bring back memories.

I feel I was worse off than the psychs thought - they didn't seem to understand the idea of craving death for the rest, but that I was trapped into living by my obligations to Mariel's needs. "Some days, honor is all there is" I would say, and they didn't understand. Just yay pile on the drugs and tell me I need to uplift my self-esteem.

The joke being, I consider myself still having the brain chemistry of a depressive - but I have a functional paradigm (oh look, a weird and creepy cult!)to live, and enjoy, without giving death or self-harm any thought at all.

(Perhaps shrinks would be helpful if along with the DSM they had a matching list of religions and philosophies that help best with certain personality types. Haha. In whose lifetime?)

[emilia_romagna]

Honestly, I think depression is a lot like alcoholism or cancer - you can go into remission, but you'll always be a depressive person with the possibility of the disease coming back.

I totally understand what you mean about rest, and about living for obligations. That's one of the biggest reasons why I'm so busy; if I can convince myself that other people need me to be around, its easier (but certainly not easy) to ignore the negative thinking. I haven't found a cult or religion (unless the Co-op counts?) but I'm working on building my "coping resources" (ie actually keeping in touch with friends enough to be able to ask for help).

Being honest and "out" with my mental illness has also helped. If I don't allow myself to accept the stigma, treating it is easier to do. I'm not taking pills because I'm crazy, I'm taking pills because I'm sick. Big difference.

[silkensteel]

I totally understand what you mean about rest, and about living for obligations. That's one of the biggest reasons why I'm so busy; if I can convince myself that other people need me to be around, its easier (but certainly not easy) to ignore the negative thinking. I haven't found a cult or religion (unless the Co-op counts?) but I'm working on building my "coping resources" (ie actually keeping in touch with friends enough to be able to ask for help).

Not so much a religion/cultic practice, but having something larger than yourself to grow with. In that idea, the Co-op definitely applies. Not meant in a negative light: Remove a dog from any pack structure and the dog goes mad. Perhaps we are programmed to be part of a tribe of some kind, and when we are divorced from any possibility of tribal involvement (suburban style social distancing, for example?) we experience depression.

Is there any part of anthropology that has looked into this?

[emilia_romagna]

There's definately part of anthropology that delves into this area - medical anthropology deals with the cultural experience of illness/ etc as well as the physical effects on the body. In fact, one of my favorite teachers has been working on research on how people in the Pacific Islands deal with schizophrenia and how its viewed there. I haven't run across research on depression yet, but I'm still quite early in my carreer ;)