5 ms·

I think people just need to realise that depression is going to come from when the stressors in our environment overwhelm our ability to cope. It's not just som

I think people just need to realise that depression is going to come from when the stressors in our environment overwhelm our ability to cope. It's not just something that arises from out of nowhere for most people. For instance I bet a great swathe of the unemployed would not be depressed if they had a job. Sounds like you were able to adapt and start doing things that would reduce your stressors. However I don't think its a 100% correct to equate therapy with medication. If you visited a clinical psychologist they would have probably worked on increasing your awareness of stressors, thoughts and how to increase your ability to cope with them. Edit: And I just realised you may not have actually had a disorder of any type. A psychologist would have been able to assess you and see if you were just in an acute situation or not.

bluntfang 6y ago
>For instance I bet a great swathe of the unemployed would not be depressed if they had a job. I think this is worth a rephrase. Something like: I bet a great swathe of people wouldn't be depressed if they didn't have to trade their time for food and housing tokens.
- podgaj 6y ago
  I agree, and this is why I say the majority of mood disorders are environmental, even ones as bad as mine.
- nverno 6y ago
  That is an unconvincing rephrasing though. The benefits of hard (rewarding?) work to mental health seem obvious [to me subjectively ofc]
  - bluntfang 6y ago
    It seems you're equating the requirement for a job with hard and rewarding work. What makes you think people won't do hard or rewarding work without the forced incentive of housing? What makes you think most people are doing "hard" and "rewarding" work at their jobs?
    - nverno 6y ago
      incentives drive outcomes- incentives to work cause people people to work [paid or unpaid, for pleasure or profit]. I wasn't making judgements on the reasons we need to work, only taking issue with the idea that working was causing depression.
- JimTheMan 6y ago
  I suppose I am speaking from experience. I feel no financial pressure but am greatly unhappy after being made redundant. Work gave me purpose that is hard to replace.

bluntfang 6y ago

>For instance I bet a great swathe of the unemployed would not be depressed if they had a job. I think this is worth a rephrase. Something like: I bet a great swathe of people wouldn't be depressed if they didn't have to trade their time for food and housing tokens.

podgaj 6y ago
I agree, and this is why I say the majority of mood disorders are environmental, even ones as bad as mine.
nverno 6y ago
That is an unconvincing rephrasing though. The benefits of hard (rewarding?) work to mental health seem obvious [to me subjectively ofc]
- bluntfang 6y ago
  It seems you're equating the requirement for a job with hard and rewarding work. What makes you think people won't do hard or rewarding work without the forced incentive of housing? What makes you think most people are doing "hard" and "rewarding" work at their jobs?
  - nverno 6y ago
    incentives drive outcomes- incentives to work cause people people to work [paid or unpaid, for pleasure or profit]. I wasn't making judgements on the reasons we need to work, only taking issue with the idea that working was causing depression.
JimTheMan 6y ago
I suppose I am speaking from experience. I feel no financial pressure but am greatly unhappy after being made redundant. Work gave me purpose that is hard to replace.