Depression, the secret we share: A TED talk

a reply to: Itisnowagain

I have not said that people should study 'Eastern thought' or Buddhism or The Tao.

That is correct; it was I who said it.

If you are dealing with fragile people it is different from say - them watching a video on their own and just listening -

Yes, it is. "Fragile people" are the ones who are succumbing to depression, debilitated and despondent....

while curious readers would be helped by those ideas, the suffering desperate would not.

I am referring to how depression feels for the people who feel it is overtaking their life and destroying their will to live. But, if you want to equate such endeavors as exploring the esoteric/Oriental/Eastern/New Age ways of thinking, I would be the last to stop you! I think they have much to offer - much that is disregarded by Western medicine.

Those who are merely aware of a nagging sense of uneasiness - such as people who would join a gym, or a Zumba class, or a yoga course at Juco - they would certainly be helped to learn more about the tenets espoused by Buddhism/Taoism....



The concept that you are presenting is just the same as Buddhist/Taoist thinking.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I tend to agree with you. There are degrees of depression that are, so far, immeasurable and so subjective that they will probably remain that way.

Causes are controversial too. We don't don't have the resources to do fMRIs, sleep lab studies, hormone analyses or identify gene markers of individuals who live with the condition. Nor can anyone spend the time to address life-style choices sparked by events experienced during infancy.

As I'm thinking and writing this down, it looks like a pessimistic viewpoint that holds no chance of recovery. That's only because of limited words and space. In my opinion, there are different ways to deal with depression and no 'one-size-fits-all' cure. Not everyone will survive it, but most will and we can only hope the survival rates continue to improve.

a reply to: Kandinsky

I understand what you're saying.

I think it is fascinating. There is such a long way to go, yet so much has already been covered! When I was in grad school 15 years ago we went to the Glore Psychiatric Museum for a private tour. Some scary "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" real life relics there.

I think it's kind of exciting, really - how the brain/mind/consciousness connection works; what causes madness (please note: depression is not "madness" - depression is a mood disorder, not a psychosis).
I mean, the suffering is not 'exciting' - just the field itself, the quantum vis a vis psychological/psi stuff....

psychology isn't easy and simple. It's the final frontier, I think. Psi isn't even recognized among some people!

Yet - there it is.
It exists.

Truly interesting. And by the way, the Buddhist/Taoist way of thinking is definitely worth looking into for any person who was raised in "Western" ideologies - particularly Abrahamic traditions - so that they can be aware of other methodologies that aren't so judgmental and hopeless and self-loathing (guilt being assumed, you know, until proven innocent - such an untenable position, esp. when one does not understand "the rules" of the game. Or even if they imagine they do, lacks the equipment, tooling, and data to succeed.

a reply to: Kandinsky
Listen to this talk.

Depression is a difficult thing. Some people handle it far better than others. I for one handle it, I have no choice at this point. I either fall apart of keep it together. It's not easy but it's necessary when my life get's rough.

a reply to: brokenghost

Many of us are in the same boat. Glad you joined ATS. It's a little like 'white-water-rapids' at the moment.....but please hang in there.

This too will pass.

(for best results, please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times .....
bearing in mind that your mileage may vary.)