Why is depression so abundant?

I am so puzzled as to why I know so many people who are depressed or going through a depression. And, I'm forced to ask myself - why? Why, is it that, it seems to be mostly intellectuals who are, or become depressed. Is it just because people, when they think, they begin to think about their mortality; or, is it because they begin to invision how the world should be, and see it being corrosive to their dreams. Why do we turn so nostalgic as we age? What is it that we long for?...

I think the phrase "Ignorance is Bliss" comes to mind when answering your many questions.

Being depressed is natural in our lives...I think depression is similar to mourning...We mourn for something we miss or something that is missing in our own lives.

I think Freud actually noted this similarity in his article "Melancholia and Mourning"... Melancholia is just a predated word for depression...FYI.

It's weird also to notice how people who tend to be depressed, more often than not, age quicker. Like my mother, she live her life not caring about problems on the news and stuff and she's 53, but she looks 30. It's just odd - maybe if we all were ignorant and blissful we'd live forever - or for a longer period of time, anyway.

I believe it would be difficult to determine, in general, weather depression is on the rise. The statistics seem to indicate that clinical depression that leads to thoughts of suicide, seems to have risen since the sixties.
I seem to be one of the few people that use the term chemical balance as if it were an oxymoron when referring to biochemistry. In many cases clinical depression can be successfully controlled clinically. I really believe that there are healthy spiritual paths that are helpful in maintaining chemical balance.

Being depressed is natural in our lives...I think depression is similar to mourning...We mourn for something we miss or something that is missing in our own lives.

Noir, that sounds a bit like situational depression. Situational depression is volunatary; controlled. I have been diagnosed three times by different psychologists with real depression. Whether the chemicals in my brain are skewed, my thinking is overly abstract, overly simple and lacking of ignorance...whatever, I can't control my depression. Get to know me for a few years on a personal basis, and you just might believe me.

Depression, I agree with Bob, is seeing the world in black and white. In black and white, everything seems so miniscule and unimportant. We all die and in centuries to come, it won't matter how. The world will change and continue changing with or without you or me in it. Everything is meaningless, and without meaning, life serves no purpose. The only meaning your life has is what you put into it as a facade to hide that your life doesn't matter. Haha, anyway. Have a nice day. I still laugh more than most people, believe it or not.

People are certainly being diagnosed with depression more and more, which doesn't mean all that much in trying to determine whether depression is on the increase in our species.

But we do love to give labels to things.

Yes, we do. With or without a diagnosis, I am what I am...Having a title does nothing since I don't take meds.

And Kevin, it just hit me...you look like my dad.

Chemical imbalance.

The world is evolving faster than we are.

^^^

which brings me to my next thought. I think that the rise in depression has a lot to do with the loads of information we are bombarded with everyday. There is no way our bodies were made for such overwhelming - mental - burdens. We wouldn't know all these depressing facts about the world if we didn't have internet, tv, phone; because there would be no way to transmit the info so quickly. All, you're depressing news would local, and therefore small scale. So then we wouldn't have a - LARGE - scale depression "epidemic." - discuss.

Well I have been focused on the relationship of the heart ,soul, and mind to chemical balance, or imbalance for the last several years. I have observed the behavior of people that have been diagnosed with manic depression. I do not have a doubt that people deal with situations very differently. If we label conditions clinically I see no problem with adjusting biochemistry where it is effective, but the failed attempts usually end up dealing with depression in ways that cause legal or health problems.
"As we begin to envision how the world should be, and see it being corrosive to our dreams. Why do we turn so nostalgic as we age? What is it that we long for"...

I believe we long for the truth in this age of information
"The world is evolving faster than we are."
Technology has not the power to discern the truth from the lies
"Nothing loves me like your lies"
Electronic memory has no heart, soul or, mind yet some nostalgically long for a universal spirit

"My, aren't we all esoteric today."
I remember the first time I heard the word "esoteric" in a sentence it was used to describe one of my favorite mystic authors that I will quote as saying
"What is the use of living for things that you cannot hold on to, values that crumble in your hands as soon as you possess them, pleasures that turn sour before you have begun to taste them, and peace that is constantly turning to war."

"Clean unselfish love does not live on what it gets but on what it gives. This is a love that increases by pouring itself out for others, that grows by self sacrifice and becomes mighty by throwing itself away"

"Indeed the truth that many people never understand, until it is to late, is that the more you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer because smaller insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt."

While I am quoting I would like to quote from the big book

"And acceptance is the answer to all my problems
today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some
person, place, thing, or situation, some fact of my life
unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until
I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being
exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God's world
by mistake"

Of the hundreds of depressed self-harm poems I have read it seems they could also benefit from a plan that seeks to answer why rather than not accept things as they are.

The young man that posted above me has survived by not running from the truth

How do you know about the young man above you from such a small, insignificant sentence with a big word you fancy?

Well empress Jane with the sweet smile, I was referring to The Last Foolish Child To A Fallen King, but you are correct that the only thing we know about any poster is what we think we know. If I were to be esoteric, as sherry would say, I believe it is not what we know that hurts us. It is what we think we know. For every mental, or emotional pain there seems to be a negative spiritual energy that it can be traced to. I rarely read a dark poem that states I believe I am depressed because of too much faith hope and love. The unhealthy condition known as depression can many times be linked to bio-chemicals that are released naturally due to a situation such as a loss of a loved one or what not. The Last Foolish Child seems to understand, from a poem I read of his, that we must accept the things we cannot change, change the things we can, and pray for the wisdom to know the difference

Yes, there are naturally things that happen that make us depressed.. I was told in rehab that feelings are neither moral, nor immoral It is what we do with our feelings that give them power. No matter how far technology brings us society has desires. When for whatever reason depression interferes with our ability to function in society we may become chemically dependant, or suicidal. Neither of these options seem healthy to me. In the State of Tennessee if your chemical dependency lands you in a correctional facility you may be offered rehabilitation that nearly always includes spiritual programs

^ Well said.

"dont need god or meds"

A Million Little Pieces Author: James Frey seemed to successfully sell that illusion, although many critics are calling his book A Million Little Lies. Looking back at my own denial I can't remember ever doubting the existence of God
I have always perceived God as the Creator of life. There seems to be two main ways of treating depression, God or meds. One is substituting one chemical for another the other seems to attempt to replace the darkness with light. I sent a young addict a copy of the poems I have written that were inspired by her struggles to return to a more balanced natural biochemistry. She has her convictions, but knows better than to try to con me into believing she does not need God. She has graduated from an intense rehab therapy called Theo-Therapy.
God Heals

Becasue kids try to be "different" and be themselves and not other people, but so many kids do that, and they all "pretend" to be depressed and they are just all that way, and they arent there own person so they are what they didnt want to become and it makes them "think" they are depressed when they are not. To be "depressed" you have to be diagnosed with depression. people arent always "depressed" they are just down about something and using to strong of a word

"My point, however, is that neither "god" nor pills can turn someone into something they are not, as much as society might like to believe that all of its outcasts can be made to conform to its norms. This thread, though, is really about depresion. The original question is what is its cause...not how can we medicate it, sermonize it, demonize it, etc."

In my opinion, in spite of our disagreement over the mass rejection of healthy spirituality having an affect on the abundance of depression I do agree that chemicals also affect the way we feel. I can tell you from personal experience that improper medication can add to the problem. I believe in the same way that medication can fail to treat depression spirituality also can be abused. Society has rules that make it more difficult to prevent situations that are likely create a more favorable condition for depression. I have spent thousands in an attempt to bring comfort to those suffering from darkness in their soul. At least the addicts lie to me and pretend to perceive faith hope and, love, as "Theological Virtues". I admit to having religious bias, but I see no less bias in the secular treatments that seem to profit from abundant depression.

If there is no hope for society's outcast in the secular world then why would it surprise you that some outcast seek redemption? Weather it be medical, or spiritual?

"But, any opportunity to turn anything into another unresolvable debate on religion, I guess...anyone like to add any opinions on abortion or the death penalty while we are at it?"

Why in hell not sherry? You have already reduced depression to a clinical chemical imbalance. How on earth could living in a culture of death make anyone sad if we are just a mass of chemical reactions?

Have to balance out the happy some how

ying and yang