Are you depressed, and what makes you sad?

[flobadob]

Firstly, I understand that depression is a complex issue to do with imbalances in the brain and such, and I know that it is not as basic as the question I ask.

However, I'm just saying if you are depressed what sort of things set you off on a downward spiral. Is it thinking about how your life panned out compared to your dreams, is it money woes, is it thinking of all the ills in the world, or perhaps none of the above, or even all the above and more.

What sort of things make you depressed and are there things you can think about to bring you back to happy thoughts?

[andy-hughes]

Khando - I would echo Wolf's sentiments.

I do not believe in God, but I believe that Man has a psychological need to create one - and this has been true from cavemen worshiping the sun through to every religion and cult in the world today.

If it makes people feel they belong, and feel happier, great, I have no ptoblem with that, but I have no personal need of it myself.

[Khandro]

wolf63; well put. It's a vast subject, but I think many people feel the need for something bigger than themselves to believe in, to which the cynic will say religion is only a crutch and isn't 'true' or its tenets provable, but maybe something which is 'not true' but helps, is better than something 'true' that makes circumstances very hard to bear.

[Marijn]

I feel low about the lack of control in my life. I cheer myself up by watching something funny on TV or reading the jokes section on here. As regards to religion I feel less miserable without one.

[flobadob]

It's sort of weird to think of an atheist being depressed. Firstly they know that this life is their only go at experiences and secondly there is no consequence to suicide. Except to loved to loved ones.

[craft1948]

Khandro I'm a Christian....................sometimes it helps but not always.

[Khandro]

craft; //sometimes it helps but not always// At least you can say "sometimes", which is better than never.

[Marijn]

But sometimes religion makes you feel worse. Anyway, another way I cheer myself up is by reading a funny book.

[andy-hughes]

flobadob - I fail to see why a belief should have any effect on individuals' ability to feel depressed.

The concept of this life being 'their only go at experiences' is irrelavent - were it not, no Christian would ever feel depressed, but of course they do. The Christian explains the bad things in life as being part of God's plan for Mankind, the atheist explains it as - Sugar happens!

And what exactly are the 'consequences' of suicide for a Christian?

[owdhamer]

The persistent hiccups get me down

[flobadob]

Andy, I'm pretty sure that Christians go to hell if they commit suicide.

[wolf63]

Go to hell - don't go to hell -> you're still dead.

[Khandro]

andy; It was I who introduced religion here ^, and said "I think many people feel the need for something bigger than themselves to believe in". Your interpretation of this as being a reference only to 'Christianity' is mistaken. I think your understanding of religion is rather narrow; take a million religious people and you probably have a million personal religions, whereas atheists are all similarly atheists, united in their negativity.

[naomi24]

^^Since you cannot rationally attribute the unknown to the unknown, I wouldn't call it negativity - I'd call it rationality - but I'm going to bed now - depression free - so night night.

[petal54]

do you think that people in general are plagued by depression more now than say 20 years ago

[wolf63]

methyl

What you describe is a 'normal' lowering of mood caused by an external factor - depression (with a little 'd'). We all have things that make us sad - events in our lives, regrets, bereavements etc. You are right that doing something can help take your mind off it, distract you and prevent you becoming obsessed over it.

Clinical Depression is impossible to explain to a person lucky enough never to have suffered from it.

It can be a feeling of despair, worthlessness, paranoia, feeling that there is no point in living because nobody loves/likes you, I feel like I am living in a black hole or tar-like misery and pain - everyone is different.

Suicide seems like it is the only option - an escape from the pain and the thought of feeling like this for the rest of your life is an overwhelmingly awful feeling.

If you know someone who is severely depressed it may be a nice thought to do something 'spontaneously nice' for them. A small gift or treat at a time other than a birthday or Christmas (I have a special atheist Christmas for the cats, Santa Kitty comes to see them!).

I would really like to see more of my brother, I enjoy his company and he has the same, strange, sense of humour as me. He is also very good at household repairs. :-)

But time spent with a good friend can help me escape the misery for a short time. Finding and keeping a friend who is willing and able to cope with you when you are Depressed is not at all easy.

It is now nearing half past six and I better go to bed.

[Khandro]

wolf; You paint a bleak picture, and I wish you could be helped to combat those troughs. You talk of your sense of humour, and Christmas cards for cats, so you experience the highs (manic) as well as lows (depressions) this you share with many great people - Schubert, Churchill etc. I think methyl's advice about doing something constructive is a sound, but I also think this might only apply to the milder form. I once had a few hours of total black, hopelessness, which I shall never forget. I think that was temporary REAL depression, and thankfully it has never returned. It would be hard to imagine in such a state doing anything constructive.
Are you a physically active and fit type of person I wonder?

[andy-hughes]

flobadob - saying you are 'pretty sure' Christians go to hell if they commit suicide - you are cofusing Catholic doctrine with Christian perception.

The Catholic church has always condmened suicide as a Mortal Sin, condemning the suicde to eternal damnation. This of course is a man-made notion with no basis other than fear and ignorance.

The entire ethos of Christianity is that God loves all of us, and he will not turn us away if we repent and believe in Him.

How therefore, could any Christian God condemn a poor Christian who could not longer bear his earthly life, but chose instead to come to God for redemtion and eternal peace?

If there ia a God, he will welcome all intro his Kingdom, even non-believers like me - and any idea that he may not is inspired by the power-trips of religious leaders who know less about love and faith than they do about manipulation and closed minds.

[flobadob]

Andy, I don't believe any if the religious clap trap. What I was saying was in response to your remark. Christians have a consequence when committing suicide in that they believe they will go to hell.

However this is way off the point if the question. If anyone wants to go down the religion/depression road there will be plenty of takers over in R&S.

[andy-hughes]

flobadob - thanks for clarifying - a little mis-reading on my part here.

I do stand by my assertion that it is the Catholic 'branch' of the Christian faith that believes that suicides go to hell - quite why I have no idea, given that the entire premise of their faith is a loving forgiving God who accepts all sinners into heaven if they repent.

On second thoughts, I do have an idea - it is a part of the huge guilt trip laid on Catholics by their leaders down the centuries - who cannot abide the thought that their followers lead anything but a life of guilt, fear, trepidation, failure and misery - again, somewhat at odds with the teachings of the Bible.