[Kerrigan]

Why do you think we are so depressed?

Depression is becoming a major issue for our generation at university. Why are so many people being diagnosed with depression?

Is it because our increasingly materialistic world does not provide any satisfaction? Is it because western society has now firmly lost its faith?

Have young people simply become too coddled at home by internet and television to face the realities of life?

Or is this simply the case of too many people being diagnosed for feeling "down", which all of us feel at some point or other?

[sek929]

I think its an entire disallusionment of our culture and way of life.

But College-age students are at the point where their round peg has to conform to a square hole. Some see this as an end and curse the world that has forced this descision on them.

Maybe its all the booze and drugs, but its certainly due to seeing the world through the eyes of someone who has not yet become a cog in the machine of life.

I've suffered small boughts of depression, certainly more in the last 4 years of my life than anytime before. I see these periods as me getting burned out from life, and all the little things that it incurs. Sometimes self-reflection and aloneness are good, but only in moderation.

[budster101]

I blame Jeraldo Riviera.

[Randman]

Gregg Easterbrook tackles the issues in The Progress Paradox. Available for book or audiobook. It looks at why so many people are depressed these days even though we, on the whole, live better, eat better, work less, live longer and make more money than the generations before.

Interesting stuff.

[budster101]

Things cost more, we actually work more for less per hour, both parents work, eating better is an issue as well...

The workweek in America is longer...
Our wages are not keeping up with cost of living...

I can see why some parents work, sometimes when they don't have to. They are materialistic.

Kids suffer.

[RAILhead]

Because everybody wants to get something for nothing -- and get it without having to earn it -- so when they expect something, they get it and have no ownership about having actually achieved something worth working for.

That is all.

[lavar78]

Originally Posted by sek929

I've suffered small boughts of depression, certainly more in the last 4 years of my life than anytime before. I see these periods as me getting burned out from life, and all the little things that it incurs. Sometimes self-reflection and aloneness are good, but only in moderation.

Paging Peter Gabriel:

"Don't give up, you still have friends."

[Don Pickett]

We're not more depressed. The study of depression is relatively new, but knowledge of it has been around for a long time. Read some social history and you will see the word "meloncholia" used back through the 18th century, and other terms before that. Churchill, Frederick the Great and Alexander all suffered from depression. Read Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and you will see that most of the Roman ruling class was completely crazy – mere depression would've been an improvement. Hamlet is a study in depression, etc.

However, as the age of psychotherapy was only launched with Freud and Jung it is, in the terms of human history, a very new thing. Furthermore, it takes time for ideas to percolate through our cultural consciousness, so a generalized knowledge of depression has only been with us since roughly the 1950s. Even after that generalized knowledge, it took time for the social stigma surrounding therapy and depression, etc., to wear off. In my opinion, the ability to openly discuss depression and other issues has only been with us since the 1970s, just in time for me to be born. Before Freud and friends, there was no systematic language to discuss depression and other mental issues.

[Randman]

Originally Posted by budster101

Things cost more, we actually work more for less per hour, both parents work, eating better is an issue as well...

The workweek in America is longer...
Our wages are not keeping up with cost of living.

Not true, on average. quite the opposite.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by RAILhead

Because everybody wants to get something for nothing -- and get it without having to earn it -- so when they expect something, they get it and have no ownership about having actually achieved something worth working for.

That is all.

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

Is it because our increasingly materialistic world does not provide any satisfaction?

Yep. It's crazy how materialistic this world is. I own a bunch of crap I don't need... I've been successful in trimming it down, but even still... it means nothing compared to the memories and cool things I've done with people, and the people I've met. I hope someday people realize that a fancy SUV in a beige house in a beige gated community does not equal happiness, communities, friends, and families do.

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by RAILhead

Because everybody wants to get something for nothing -- and get it without having to earn it -- so when they expect something, they get it and have no ownership about having actually achieved something worth working for.

That is all.

>cough< Sean Yepez >cough<

[Kevin]

Or expecting to be able to park wherever you want to, and people should just accept it. And not ticket you.

Same thing.

[tracemhunter]

why are people depressed?

BECAUSE SOME ASSHOLES ORDER OFF A HUGE LIST IN THE DRIVE-THRU!!!

actually idk. but that bugs the hell out of me and makes me wonder what the world is coming to.

[Cubeoid]

even though we, on the whole, live better, eat better, work less, live longer and make more money than the generations before.

Interesting stuff.[/QUOTE]

[DarwinX]

Originally Posted by Kevin

I second.

[sek929]

In the drive thru tonight some drunk lady reversed into me at 10 MPH.

Luckily only my bumper got dented on my crappy car.

Note to all: If you have to reverse when you pass the drive thru window, make sure to then put the car back into drive. That way once your fat and drunk ass gets a Big Mac you won't hurdle backwards and ruin someones night.

Lucky for her I don't have collison so reporting this "accident" would have been pointless. Plus I had no shoes on

[Cubeoid]

That's what you get for eating hamburgers.

[budster101]

Wait. You didn't report a drunk driver? WTF? You do realize most places have a reward for this, and you could have saved a life in doing so right?

[Cubeoid]

You tell 'im Dude.

[sek929]

I didn't report it for several reasons.

First and foremost was my lack of caring at all. Secondly, I didn't have my wallet or shoes. I was hungry and in shock at how retarded this person was.

I'm also no breathlizer, I live around a lot of idiots, so it could have been just that. But meh, basically I just wanted to get my Chicken Strips and go homer to watch Family Guy.

[Warung]

Originally Posted by Don Pickett

Before Freud and friends, there was no systematic language to discuss depression and other mental issues.

Errrr, yes there was, it was called "romanticism"!

[Warung]

Originally Posted by sek929

Plus I had no shoes on...and was stoned out of my mind!

fixed™

[sek929]

Originally Posted by Warung

fixed™

Heh, no, not at all. I deal with cops quite fine when I'm stoned.

Plus, I was sober when this occured. Too hot for shoes I rekon.

[OwlBoy]

-Owl

[Link]

Everyone works more, everyone has become even more well.. how can I put this, DOWNRIGHT MEAN to each other. It seems like people in public are downright hostile sometimes! You can say hi to someone and get glared at, or well.. yeah.

It's nowadays considered "normal" for people to not want anything to do with anyone.

[Randman]

It's passive-aggressive behaviour. People feel put upon so they take it out on people they can.

[freudling]

Is it because our increasingly materialistic world does not provide any satisfaction? Is it because western society has now firmly lost its faith?

That is it. This general statment about faith is pertinant. I find North America particularly depressing. But I am in a great spot, because I have found a part of the world (culture) that I love and plan to go back for good in the near future. It is amazing how people are so comparmentalized, to that professor who thinks he is a movie star in his little department wing, to the average young person in Uni posting on this thread - there is lots of other life besides that in your own country. I took the step and, when I was depressed in Uni and coming out, I decided to move out of country and it was the best thing I have done in my life.

I say this because, telling someone x, y, and z will help them become happy may oversimplify the persons situation. For instance, maybe Mike with his huge glasses and passion for the arts is not best situated in small town Texas. A start would be to look at your immediate surroundings and realize whether or not it is a good fit. If not, perhaps another city or, state. For myself, after travelling my country, I decided to move on. It should be noted that I am arguably from the best part of my country full stop.

I determined that, it is not something specifically in me causing this feeling, but I was unhappy with my environment, even having found all my little niches in big city. After moving on, I was very happy and felt so good to wake up and go outside... This, coming from a Generation Xer from North America who listened to Bad Religion and Pennywise in High School...

An example. The one thing that has gotten on my nerves and was at the time of my distress was the fake, smiling happiness on so many in the service industry in North America. Yes, we have our share of miserable people, but I think most of us will agree that we have to put on that, "work work work" bit when we go to work: must please Bill Lumburgh - ah, yaaa. As we all know, other cultures approach things differently, and work is not excluded. I found that, in another part of the world where I was, I embraced their seriousness, sense of family, and dedication to their faith. Imagine riding an commuter bus in a huge city, standing room only, stuffed to the gills, and it is completely silent. That is a slice of what is for me. Unfortunately, I can do x, y, and z, but I can't get away from noisy buses...

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by freudling

Is it because our increasingly materialistic world does not provide any satisfaction? Is it because western society has now firmly lost its faith?

Wait, first America is full of Bible Belt Jesus Freaks.

And now, we are a bunch if consumer minded materialistic freaks.

Which one is it folks? Us westerners are getting confused about what we are.

[Athens]

lot more stress today, you have to be better, faster, stronger then the prev generation to get ahead. Just getting a education creates debt, less time and more work. Todays world is much different from before.

[Warung]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Wait, first America is full of Bible Belt Jesus Freaks.

And now, we are a bunch if consumer minded materialistic freaks.

One doesn't neccessarily exclude the other. That's one of the big hypocracies in the US these days which really piss me off.

[Link]

I think the whole western culture one is ridiculous, because these problems vary extremely, shoot even calling this "natural american culture" is stretching it.

Many times, the environment can vary depending on the city/town you live in. Some cities have less social climates than others.

[Randman]

I also think it's easier for most people to bash and tear down rather than build up and support.

I give you Link's sig as an example.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Randman

I give you Link's sig as an example.

Perfect example.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

Why is our generation so depressed?

Because you believed the hippies. And they were wrong.

[Warung]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Because you believed the hippies. And they were wrong.

You know what, as much as I hate conservative politics, - you might be onto something here.

[Edit] In all honesty though, a more correct way of putting it would be "...And they completely underestimated how much political, social and individual change it would take to realize their ideals".

Listening to the Beatles, smoking a bowl here and there while putting your kids through business school on a trustfund in the 80s just didn't cut it.

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by freudling

[b]
I say this because, telling someone x, y, and z will help them become happy may oversimplify the persons situation. For instance, maybe Mike with his huge glasses and passion for the arts is not best situated in small town Texas. A start would be to look at your immediate surroundings and realize whether or not it is a good fit. If not, perhaps another city or, state. For myself, after travelling my country, I decided to move on. It should be noted that I am arguably from the best part of my country full stop.

What about your family and friends though?

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by Warung

You know what, as much as I hate conservative politics, - you might be onto something here.

[Edit] In all honesty though, a more correct way of putting it would be "...And they completely underestimated how much political, social and individual change it would take to realize their ideals".

Listening to the Beatles, smoking a bowl here and there while putting your kids through business school on a trustfund in the 80s just didn't cut it.

That is true.... but trying to make it in today's world while spending money on things you believe in (instead of just the lowest price) and trying to be responsible about what you do and how much you consumer seems like it's going okay.

I re-use all my grocery bags, and use fabric reusable bags to go grocery shopping for mostly non perishable items. For the majority of my produce, I get it at the farmers market offering better quality products at lower prices than you'd find at a grocery store and giving more money to local farmers in the local economy instead of some big conglomerate grocery store. Heck, the grocery store I do shop at is locally owned. I try to make environmentally conscious decisions about things, and I try to learn as much as possible about things going on locally and globally. I really believe that National Geographic is one of the BEST informational sources around, and I even carry my Natl Geo Xplorer card in my wallet (for no reason other than I think it's cool to have). I do drive a sporty car, but it's one of the most enviromentally friendly sports cars I can think of, and I try to support local businesses. I think that some hippie ideas are very valid.... the idea of communities trying to support themselves and people striving to be more self-sustaining. Once I get my own land, I'll definitely have a compost, a big ass garden (I hate mowing), and lots of bat houses. But again... back to the original subject, stuff is just stuff. It's nice to have, but honestly I feel kinda like the whole fight club thing : Everything you own ends up owning you. How much time have I spent working on or cleaning my vehicles? Same with computers, and other things. To me, seems like PEOPLE make the biggest difference in whether or not you're happy or not. I've had shitty jobs that I loved going to because of the people... and I've had decent jobs that I hated because of the people.

Oh, and another big reason I think people are stressed and depressed:

THE DAILY COMMUTE.

Driving 30+ minutes in rush hour bumper to bumper traffic with morons who don't signal and people slamming on their brakes all at once for seemingly no reason so you have to pay 110% attention the whole time or you're going to run into someone else and trying to not be late or die and ACK! COMMUTES ARE AWFUL! I'm glad I live within walking distances to a lot of things!

- Rob

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

Depression is becoming a major issue for our generation at university. Why are so many people being diagnosed with depression?

Is it because our increasingly materialistic world does not provide any satisfaction? Is it because western society has now firmly lost its faith?

Have young people simply become too coddled at home by internet and television to face the realities of life?

Or is this simply the case of too many people being diagnosed for feeling "down", which all of us feel at some point or other?

All and none of the above. This kind of reaction is common among college students, and has been for at least the last few generations. I'd imagine that most of us here who are old enough to be out of college have gone through it. I went through it too.

Back when a friend of mine was going through it, he called it "loss of innocence." The phrase isn't perfect -it has sexual connotations which don't always apply- but aside from that I think it's pretty apt. Few people would say that college is an accurate reflection of "the real world", but it's much closer to it than most students have ever experienced. It's at this point that most people realize that the world is not the place most of them thought it was, and many of the differences make the world look much less pleasant from before.

Certainly we as a culture coddle our kids more than in the past, and so some of this shock probably comes from that. However, I believe that most of the shock can't be prevented. There are things in this world which can't be adequately explained; in order to understand them you have to experience them firsthand. College throws its students headlong into more than a few of them. Materialism certainly plays a role in this; up until this point, most students have really only had to concern themselves with the things they have, and everything else is taken care of for them. When all you're concerned about is what you have, then material possessions can bring happiness, but the ability to stay so focused on one's possessions doesn't tend to last long in a college environment.

What, then, is this depression? I believe it's a symptom of having to come to grips with this newer, colder reality. There are many ways to do this. Among those who truly deal with this loss of innocence, some make their peace with the system by finding new concerns, such as religion or military service. Others, rather than make peace with the system, declare war on it; they believe everything to be man-made and therefore man-mutable, and focus their efforts on bringing changes about. Still others withdraw, interacting with it only as needed and instead deriving satisfaction from their own eccentricities.

Sadly, though, dealing with this new reality is not the only option people have. Suicide, while I wouldn't call it common, certainly isn't rare. But there's another way to not deal with it: a growing number of people simply go into denial and try to spend-spend-spend their way into satisfaction, as though by force of will they could make happiness-through-possessions workable. This is not a good outcome, because it means enslaving one's self to one's money, but money is a master people can see and touch. In an odd way that can be comforting, in a way that unknown gods or impossible crusades can't be, and few people have the self-confidence (or is it arrogance?) needed to really strike out on their own and be their own masters. Thoreau said that "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." I believe that modern consumer culture is the little more than the current form which that "quiet desperation" takes; they latch onto the nearest master they can see, and live for it above all else, and the hell of it is that most of them don't even know it.

[Sven G]

Well... There's the world as it is (but the view on this "as it is", of course, can vary very much among different people, social classes, and so on) - and, at the same time, the world as it could be or should be, according to various points of view and ideals, feelings, etc.

Of course, in order to change things, there must be an ideal (and practical, possibly) projection towards the future, as it is impossibile to modify everything at once, even with the most powerful ideals.

Is there a sense of future, in today's world (after the '80s of last century, approximately)?

Probably, there is not: we all live in some form of apparently ever-changing present, while most important things (especially on the social front) actually don't change at all, and even become worse and worse for every decade.

Probably, "they" (who? the powerful? ourselves? god? society?...) have fscked our imagination, essentially by limiting people's dreams into the frame of "neoliberal" consumerism.

Many young (but not only) people become depressed maybe also because it is much more difficult to change things today, when the "oppression" is, above all, psychological - thus, at a very "low", basic level - and there aren't immediately identifiable models for changing the individuals and society.

Everything is often diluted into (too) weak, postmodern ways of thinking and behaving: while this is also positive, it can become a source of non-committalism (how do you say "qualunquismo"?) for many people.

The young people of the '60s-'70s, at least, had politics as a strong ideal: those after, what ideals do they have? Difficult question to answer, indeed.

Certainly, anyway, the fall of many political ideologies has been both positive and negative; then, without some form of "being together politically", of course there is no real interest in living in a better world for all: that is, no social interests, no passions, and so dull "everydayism" (survival instead of living) - and, eventually, depression.

Very loosely and generally said, of course: only one of many possible hypotheses...

[nonhuman]

Maybe they're just over-diagnosing depression.

[Fred_Cokebottle]

Exposing students to different ideas can solve this problem.

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Because you believed the hippies. And they were wrong.

I've never even seen a hippie in person

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

I've never even seen a hippie in person

I see hippies. They're walking around like regular people. They don't see each other. They only see what they want to see. They don't know they're hippies.

Being serious, hippies politicised the universities, made politics a part of the experience. Politics generally makes people depressed because whichever side you belong to you're always up against it, always engaged in some kind of battle. Generally, the least depressed people are those who don't bother with politics or saving the planet before breakfast. Ignorance is bliss, son.

They also introduced a "leftism is hip" thing to most universities. And the further left you are, the more depressed you're likely to be - because you're more likely to be fighting against the things which are caused by human nature (and therefore pretty much immovable). Those on the right are less likely to get depressed - because when things are down they're more likely to just go buy some Buds, throw on some AC/DC and grab some honey.

(and, from personal experience I can tell you that jumping on the honey whilst listening to AC/DC and chugging Buds is way way less depressing than attempting to save the whales).

[tracemhunter]

Originally Posted by freudling

Is it because our increasingly materialistic world does not provide any satisfaction? Is it because western society has now firmly lost its faith?

That is it. This general statment about faith is pertinant. I find North America particularly depressing. But I am in a great spot, because I have found a part of the world (culture) that I love and plan to go back for good in the near future. It is amazing how people are so comparmentalized, to that professor who thinks he is a movie star in his little department wing, to the average young person in Uni posting on this thread - there is lots of other life besides that in your own country. I took the step and, when I was depressed in Uni and coming out, I decided to move out of country and it was the best thing I have done in my life.

I say this because, telling someone x, y, and z will help them become happy may oversimplify the persons situation. For instance, maybe Mike with his huge glasses and passion for the arts is not best situated in small town Texas. A start would be to look at your immediate surroundings and realize whether or not it is a good fit. If not, perhaps another city or, state. For myself, after travelling my country, I decided to move on. It should be noted that I am arguably from the best part of my country full stop.

I determined that, it is not something specifically in me causing this feeling, but I was unhappy with my environment, even having found all my little niches in big city. After moving on, I was very happy and felt so good to wake up and go outside... This, coming from a Generation Xer from North America who listened to Bad Religion and Pennywise in High School...

An example. The one thing that has gotten on my nerves and was at the time of my distress was the fake, smiling happiness on so many in the service industry in North America. Yes, we have our share of miserable people, but I think most of us will agree that we have to put on that, "work work work" bit when we go to work: must please Bill Lumburgh - ah, yaaa. As we all know, other cultures approach things differently, and work is not excluded. I found that, in another part of the world where I was, I embraced their seriousness, sense of family, and dedication to their faith. Imagine riding an commuter bus in a huge city, standing room only, stuffed to the gills, and it is completely silent. That is a slice of what is for me. Unfortunately, I can do x, y, and z, but I can't get away from noisy buses...

i totally agree with this, except for the whole faith part. i live in a suburb in tx right now and it is very depressing here. it might be this damn heat (100F+ for over 2 weeks). i do think that different cities have different cultures. that i why i plan to move to nyc next september (if i get accepted to nyu). i hear it is one of the greatest cities on earth. i want to be one of those guys in a suit working wall street and i know that i cannot do that here in dallas. people are lazy as **** in this country especially here in tx (4 of the top 10 fattest cities are here) and want everything handed to them. i do not take handouts and prefer to work for everything to know that i deserve what i get.

[freudling]

treacemhunter:

Good you recognize the problems. It took a while for me to realize that it simply was not me.

Anyway, as for a "theory of everything" regarding depression, perhaps there is none, but we can generalize. My comments about the environment I assert to be something that is common in depression, in that the surroundings can cause depression, specially when the person blames themselves and does not factor this in: a huge property all predicated on each of us. Work, Uni, place of residence... these can bring us down down... Now, here is where this theory may explain the why of why we choose to subscribe to the good old idiom, "Escape reality." Although adults arguably are better at handling their "true" identity and position within the cold world due to experience and suffering, they are not exempt from purchasing and using the reality trick (i.e. video games, drugs and alcohol, meditation). Course, not all escapes from reality are bad. However, in children and teens, as they have yet to establish within themselves their real existential identity, they seek out the "bad" escapes. Us Generation Xer's had our video games and TV, but we were not imersed in the artificial digital world of today: the internet.

Children and teens: It is about escaping, escaping before you know yourself. Associating with other characters, like movie stars or video game characters. Girl kills self over video game:

http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/20...0528011906.htm

Dissociating from these fictional identities is hard and could be traumatic, specially in those who are immature. The end user could be emotionally confused and unsure of themselves. The cycle repeats. Drugs are ingested, new games are purchased, worlds are cycled through as are identities. The "real" world awaits, but is hidden. Then the angst increases and the impending doom of life and growing older becomes more to the fore. But life is so cold and "real". I like my video games and drugs, so I will live in that world as much as possible.

After the "real" environment is rejected as an unsavoury, inferior place to these escapsist, logically contructed worlds, the actual world becomes less appealing, until adulthood starts. Then, those fantasy environments become less and less experienced, as obligations force one into coldness. Time passes, health and well being become more important than the wastelands of video games and drugs. Now the person is living in the real environment to a large extent.

Now, he is in a position to judge, "Do I like it here?" If the answer is no, escape, but to another, better real world.

As for this progression, hard to say whether parents could develop a system for children. What's clear is teens are complex in this way: hard to get at and talk to.

In this way, the suffering is a result of the rejection of the real environment, causing pain entering back into it and pain in terms of the effects of escapist means (drugs).

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by sek929

But College-age students are at the point where their round peg has to conform to a square hole. Some see this as an end and curse the world that has forced this descision on them.

I don't know what you were doing in college, but my round peg definitely didn't go anywhere near any square holes.

[- - e r i k - -]

I blame the internet.

[Kevin]

People are depressed because they haven't been to...

http://www.zombo.com/

Because as we all know. You can do anything at Zombo.com

[ghporter]

In most cases it's not "depression" as such, it's just being bummed. Unimpressed by what others do, unwilling to exert without the potential for immediate fulfillment (or at least positive feedback), young people have ALWAYS been down about their prospects.

In many generations, there was a Grand Mission or Great Ideal to strive for, the "War to End All Wars" for example. And what did the WWI veterans find when they came home? A materialistic culture more interested in immediate gratification than doing something Good for the World. Thus the flapper phenomenon (and indirectly the Great Depression-immediate gratification in the form of paper assets was a Bad Thing then and remains a Bad Thing). Read "The Razor's Edge" sometime.

When the WWII vets came home, they managed to buy into the materialistic culture and drive it to new heights. Unfortunately they also failed to learn how to instill their values in their children so the earliest boomers rebelled against the status quo-mainly because they didn't see any point to it. It's a repeating cycle.

The only major issue I see confronting young people today is that they are expected to achieve at least as well as their parents, despite the fact that their parents have intentionally made their lives easy, thus reducing the drive to do better. It's kind of like trying to run in molases. My son started college today and because we didn't overly burden him with an overly easy life, he sees his classes as an interesting challenge. Not all of his classmates see things the same way.