Yes, you CAN control your Depression!

Study: Most People Diagnosed With Depression Do Not Actually Meet Criteria
Overdiagnosis of mental disorders in children and adolescents (in developed countries)
Arguments About Whether Overdiagnosis of ADHD is a Significant Problem


Yeah, maybe not. Misdiagnoses of mood disorders are an actual problem. Depression being the biggest one, with the study from Johns Hopkins showing over 60% of those who were diagnosed with depression did not even meet the DSM-5 criteria, happening at the same time when 11% of people 12 and older in the U.S. are on antidepressants. Big Pharma and the drive to put people on pills is a real problem. When you have hollywood-esque depression commercials trying to tell you your life might be better on Prozac, it is a real issue.

Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs and narcotics is to blame mostly. I urge you to delve more into the huge conflicts of interest plaguing psychiatry today. You don't have to go farther than Eli Lilly

 

Oh yeah people are super over medicated. This is one of the reasons I don't want to take pills. What if I'm just being a big coward and I'm not really THAT sick. That and the fact that those pills are addictive and can worsen suicidal thoughts.
No way man. I know mj isn't physically addictive, just mentally but damn I'd rather be addicted to weed than be addicted to some pills. But that's just me.

 

That wasn't the part I was replying to.

Btw, I have a folder full of papers for my ADHD diagnosis alone. It involved a lot of tests, along with assessments by teachers, relatives, and a psychiatrist. A whole lot more than just that too.. so please don't act like so many people walk in and get diagnosed with ADHD just like that..

 

I don't deny your condition or its existence. But your experience can not be said for everyone. I know many people personally who were diagnosed and given prescriptions without a single test. We can bring up anecdotes all day. I for one believe it is overmedicated, especially when it comes to children. It is a cultural difference in how we treat the condition, far too often the pharmaceutical option is the only one pushed.

 

What are the other options of treating such condition?

 

Maybe not but you can transcend it by focusing on new hobbies, change of diet/lifestyle and traveling which will ultimately overlap old thought patterns and emotional attachments and create new ones in their place.

 

Many people who have "mental problems" actually just have life problems. Meaning their lifestyle, behavior, circumstances and such aren't what they should be and it affects them.

Before resorting to medication people should try more conventional methods like changing your behavior, trying to develop new habits, talk about issues with friends, family and professional counsel if need be.

 

It's much more than chemical levels in the brain. Science will continue to fail to understand the bigger picture if it only focuses on the physical reality and denies the unseen one. Part of the reason behind depression is it can be used as an adaptive mechanism. Human beings are incredibly adaptive to any situation. It's amazing what we can get used to- a a toxic environment or relationship, abuse can become 'normal' in ones life.

We are born into a society and have to play by its rules in order for our needs to be met. This man made system provides poor substitute for natural urges, creativity, uniqueness and honesty which can build up a lot of resentment within the bodily systems.

One can feel powerless to change things or fight back, and give up in a sense- becoming increasingly more depressed and apathetic. It becomes easier as we age and desire a comfortable mode of living. Apathy is a big one because once one stops caring about themselves, parts of their lives can easily fall by the wayside- hygiene, nutrition, having a purpose, relationships, etc.

Like you said OP, part of depression is a 'wake up call' or warning signal that ones life is far from what it could be, and the depression will not change until one chooses to summon the courage to change. Sam Keen's book Fire in the Belly talks about this:

“Burnout is nature's way of telling you, you've been going through the motions your soul has departed; you're a zombie, a member of the walking dead, a sleepwalker. False optimism is like administrating stimulants to an exhausted nervous system.”

 

@MelchizedekDaUnr3al vitamin D can do that. ( Can be known as SAD, seasonal effect disorder)

 

Depression is all in the head. End of. It can be controlled, it just means controlling ones thoughts (why CBT helps some people).

 

There are things you can do to help yourself feel better that dont include medication or therapy, sure. Can you control a chemical imbalance in your brain by the power of positive thinking? Not so much.

Also the comment about downs syndrome... no.no.no. first of all, downs is a god damned gift. My sister has downs and I envy her. She gets to be her loving, funny and musical self without the stress of bills and societal pressure. She is truly carefree and yet still a whole and complex person. She's not suffering. She takes thyroid medication and looks a little different big whoop. Downs isn't a bad thing. Don't fucking lump it in with disease. C'mon.

 

Depends on what someone wants out of life. I agree to an extent about Down's Syndrome, I went to school with a couple kids with it. Most people avoided them, but if you actually took the time to interact with them they were fun people.

I'm not sure I'd want to trade lesser capabilities for less responsibility and stress, though. I was the most unhappy when I was avoiding responsibility, and ironically have felt more positive mentally since I started taking on more challenges.

I don't think you can cure depression by "thinking positive", but you can definitely do it by taking action. People are too quick to assume there's something intrinsically wrong with them. If someone is unhappy, there's usually a reason. I'm not against drugs either because some people do have good lives and still struggle, and if a drug can cure that then of course go for it. Just shouldn't be the first thing you go to IMO.

 

I was mainly getting at the fact that downs isn't a disease or a mental illness. It's a fucking chromosome mutation where you have 1 extra chromosome on your code.

I've had depression since I was 10 homie. Clearly something is wrong with my besides "not being proactive". You can't always cure it. You can treat it but that is not the same thing. I'm not just sad.

 

Totally random and off topic....

Know what I hate? Chicks who get lipstick on the doobie.... Lookin at you TheresaHC

 

I assure you it was my own personal j, not that lipstick is any worse than saliva from someone's moistened lips. They do make transfer-proof lipstick, fyi(I prefer that bc I like to eat things and kiss people throughout my day and am lazy so not having to reapply my lipstick 1000x a day is ideal).
I'm considerate.

 

I know a couple of friends who went on pharmaceuticals for depression anxiety and completely turned their life around for the better.

Nothing wrong with that.

 

I was just crackin wise

 

You can't control all forms of depression. Imagine going through serotonin syndrome. You CAN'T control that whatsoever.