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A group of doctors are saying that depression can lead to better mental health. So does that mean those of us who are suffering from depression should just resolve to feeling blue? According to a recent article published in Prevention, maybe.
The theory is that pain and sadness during depression has a purpose in our lives and can be a clarifying, healing force. Depression can also be a natural way of getting you to solve important issues in your life, according to Paul Andrews, PhD, an evolutionary biologist at Virginia Commonwealth University:
Depression may be nature’s way of telling you to stop and focus on what’s troubling you, so you can move past it and get on with your life.
Andrews and his colleague J. Anderson Thomson, MD, a staff psychiatrist at the Student Health Services and Institute of Law and Psychiatry at the University of Virginia, have become controversial proponents for using depression to lead to better mental health–a theory that actually dates back to Aristotle during 350 BC. Apparently, studies have found that sadness promotes analytical reasoning and thinking that allows you to break down problems into manageable parts, making them easier to solve. It also leads to withdrawal–something that can give us uninterrupted time to think and learn how to turn grief and misery into wisdom, courage and determination. All of which are traits that will serve us well for the rest of our lives, according to these doctors.
On the one hand, antidepressants have been blamed for being over-used. They are the most commonly prescribed drugs for Americans under the age of 60, and roughly 10% of the adult population is taking them–double the amount from just 10 years ago. What’s more, twice as many women use them versus men. Swallowing a pill may lessen feelings of sadness, it’s true. And while they can also diminish other side effects that correspond with depression, like sleep disorders, lack of energy and loss of interest in your favorite things, antidepressants can make it difficult to really feel what’s going on within yourself.
On the other hand, there are undoubtedly times when medication should be used in the treatment of depression. For some people–especially those who are clinically depressed–antidepressants can be necessary to make it through the day. They can even be lifesaving.
“People with more than mild to moderate illnesses–those who are debilitated by their low mood and can’t do their job or take care of their kids, or who no longer enjoy anything in life–need medication,” says Paul Keedwell, PhD, a psychiatrist at Cardiff University in England and the author of How Sadness Survived: The Evolutionary Basis of Depression.
In the end, even Dr. Thomson acknowledges that “in some cases, depression can be so severe that medication is required.” But he stands by his belief that putting a pharmaceutical bandage over an emotional wound can disrupt true recovery which calls for discovering the source of your sadness and thinking deeply about how to get through it–a practice that can serve us well for life.
Tell us what you think. Have you ever suffered from depression? How did you get through it?
Photo: Thinkstock
I suffered from depression.
I cured it by killing myself.
..Oh wait.
But seriously, my depressed killed the person I was, and I became a worse person afterward. (Both in terms of attitude and in intelligence) That.. persona, if you will, became locked away and I was unable to access it anymore, except for very rare moments in my life. When I did have access, I felt like a god. I had been trying to become who I was all this time (4 years and counting) and have been completely unsuccessful.
There’s a summary of what happened to me, and also why I have no plans to ever have a significant other in my life again.
Sucks, yeah, but being a Taurus is hard.
I have suffered from bouts clinical depression for most of my life and, in that case, medicine is definitely required. While it is true that one can sometimes see situations or relationships in a different light, depression makes us look through distorted lens, like a fun-house mirror.
However, I do recognize that we do not have a culture that teaches people good mental health habits and actually encourages ignoring feelings of sadness and despair. Many, though not all, children need to learn how to handle their feelings in a healthy way. We teach them how to wash their hands, brush their teeth, and eat healthy, yet we don’t teach them how to manage anger, sadness, and despair.
Yes, I suffered for six long years with unrelenting depression. I was living with an individual who made my life sheer hell. I did not resort to taking medication, nor did I seek professional help. Instead, I opted to live through its duration.
This article reminds me exactly of the posiiton that Thomas Moore writes about in his book called “Care of the Soul.” Moore argues that the United States is the only Country who medicates individuals for depression. Moore further states that by allowing the depression to run its course, the individual coping with this situation begins to turn inward and focus on the various gradations of feelings they are experiencing thus, becoming more focused on the underlying issues.
Then in 2006, I had to put my dog to sleep and felt myself slipping back into yet another long period of depression. I told my husband that after three years of immense sadness and heartbreak due to the loss of my pet, that I couldn’t bear to suffer through yet another long period of depression. I still opted to deal with it on my own and this time, focused my healing on getting healhier and began changing a lot of destructive behaviors.
Having lived through it twice, there is no easy solution. Every individual needs to access their level of depression and the treatment options that are available. Depression is a tricky situation.
All I can say is that my heart truly goes out to any individual suffering from depression. I have experienced the darkness and it isn’t pretty.