Global (human) depression is exploding, why?

Greden - Treatment of Recurrent Depression
(Review of Psychiatry)
American Psychiatric Press Inc. | ISBN: 978 1585620258 | 31/05/2001 | English | 189 pages

Based on powerful epidemiological data such as numbers afflicted, mortality rates from suicide, personal and familial consequences, and skyrocketing fiscal costs, major depressive disorder (MDD) has the sad and ignominious distinction of being a leader among disabling disorders worldwide.

With lifetime prevalence risks of 13% for men and 21% for women,
the magnitude of this crisis cannot be understated. This hard-hitting volume focuses on recurrences—perhaps most important among the many factors (others include extreme underdiagnosis and undertreatment, genetic vulnerability, frequent recurrences, severe stigma and poor adherence with maintenance treatment, and brain tissue degenerative changes associated with recurrences and chronic depression) that contribute to MDD’s high morbidity.


Why depression is mushrooming around the globe? What's the primary cause? Society, economy, food, something in the air?

 

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Perhaps many people equate nearly their whole worth to their "job", or if they prefer, their big "career"?

Some might actually be suffering so bad(actually starving) they just say fuck it.

 

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Maybe everyone's starting to wake up to the futility of "expanding the economy" regardless, despite all the garbage, the air pollution, the dwindling resources and the melting ice?
And all the rich bankers and their multi-million dollar bonus packages, for losing billions.

"Here ya go, y'all have a nice day"

(Actually I once asked a woman who said that to me after I purchased something: "But what about tomorrow? Will I need to come back and see you again so I get to have a 'nice' day?")

 

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This is begging the question. Firstly, You are assuming depression is mushrooming. What is the background level of depression that makes this an unprecedented increase?

Secondly, is this truly a problem, or is it a sign of progress? The major concern in third world countries is staying alive. Navel gazing is a luxury.

Thirdly, is it real? This report was by a bunch of psychologists. Are they going to report that everyone is happy and that we don't need psychologists any more, or are they going to report that they hold the cure to a major malady that only they can cure (with money, of course)?

 

I have a theory which explains this.

 

Pretty please.. ?

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And the situation is going to get much worse before it gets better. In all life, when population numbers keep growing and the space cannot be enlarged, it ultimately reaches a crisis. Characteristically, STRESS increases. This is what happened with the Roman Empire, as well. Stress built up until people wanted the End Times. This was a major factor in the spread of Christianity.
What happens in animals is that the stress builds up in most of them until they die of it, of adrenal gland overload. In other animals, they suffer a behavioral pit crisis. But in both cases, there is a population crash.

What is happening to us? We are small-group primates evolved to live in small groups through millions of years of evolution. We had to organize into large groups or societies in order to "progress" and that meant we had to develop ideologies that enabled us to get along together among fellow believers so we could live relatively stress-free in such large groups even though our nature inclines us to small groups.

But now our religions that bind us together are all failing that role. Worse yet, the divide us (Islam, Christianity, Hindu, Marxist . . .) at the very worst time when we need to get along so we can divide up the globe's dwindling resources.

And the old religions also keep us from admitting we even have an over-population problem! Plus, we have all these nuclear bombs . . . and a bunch of religions that want a final battle "between good and evil" so that we can see "God's Kingdom" established!

Isn't all that enough to feel stress out about?

charles
http://atheistic-science.com

 

I'm trying to get permission from my wife to put it up. She is trying to convince me to write it up using her doctorate and research to augment the hypothesis.

She's not like me. I put crap out there with the wild HOPE that someone will steal the idea and do all the hard work for me.

 

lol Ok, convince her

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Could be due to some kind of parasites. Some kinds of gut bacteria use up certain kinds of nutrients, leaving you with a vitamin deficiency even though you eat well. The vitamin deficiency could include certain kinds of amino acids necessary to make serotonin and related hormones that regulate mood.

 

You know, I think you're onto something there. I'd also think it is something we eat or lack of something or something that is in the polluted crap we are breathing.

 

I wonder if it would count if I gave you hints and let you come up with the theory on your own...?

Some clues:

*Any human condition with such a large incidence rate must have evolutionary origins.

*The societies in which more people have their basic needs met suffer from higher rates of depression.

*The goal of human existence is NOT to be happy, but to survive and reproduce.

Good luck, Enmos.

 

Ok, that's enough for me. I agree.

 

Wow. You already have it figured out? I would love a PM with your conclusion.

 

People that have nothing to add to their group, because they are in some way inadequate (or think they are), are a drain of resources on the group. Evolution took care of them by means of depression.
I can see the logic in that.

 

Keep thinking. Here is another hint:

*People with depression are doing something GOOD for themselves. Depression is an evolutionary strategy for something... something which must work for it to be so pervasive.

Stop thinking of depression as a "problem". The goal of human existence is NOT to be happy, that is just an emotion that rewards some stimuli/reaction. There is no god, there is no spirit inside of us. Emotions are tools used by our DNA to control our behavior. Depression is NOT a problem. Not as far as your DNA is concerned.

 

Are you suggesting that depression is related to post-traumatic stress disorder ?

 

Nope. Maybe you need to sleep on this.

Keep asking yourself: What is depression GOOD for? How would it HELP us?

 

Alright, I'm not getting it right now.

I can only see it being good for the group, not for the individual.

 

When you figure out how it benefits the majority of depressed individuals, you will have your answer.