Why You’re So Depressed

Summary

The article discusses the complexity of depression, attributing it to a lack of primal fears and challenges in modern society that leave individuals feeling unmotivated and desensitized to negative emotions.

Abstract

The article "Why You’re So Depressed" delves into the multifaceted nature of depression, emphasizing that simplistic solutions are inadequate due to the intricate web of societal and evolutionary factors contributing to the condition. It suggests that the absence of immediate dangers, which historically kept our fear responses active, has led to a desensitization to negative emotions and a diminished sense of purpose. This desensitization is likened to losing the first flight of stairs in a building, making it difficult to ascend towards goals and satisfaction. The author, who has personal experience with severe depression, stresses the importance of rediscovering fear as a motivator and encourages readers to seek help and not give up, offering to provide advice and support.

Opinions

Advice that oversimplifies depression, such as suggesting one should be grateful because circumstances could be worse, is not only unhelpful but also overlooks the complexity of the condition.
The evolutionary perspective suggests that humans have not adapted mentally or physically to the rapid societal advancements, leading to a mismatch between our primal instincts and modern life.
The fear of death, once a constant presence, has become a rarely considered concept, contributing to the loss of a natural barrier that once protected against suicidal thoughts.
Depression strips away the negative emotions that are essential for feeling satisfaction after overcoming challenges, resulting in a lack of motivation and poor decision-making.
The author believes that reintroducing a sense of fear or something significant to lose can reignite the drive to work towards goals and improve one's situation.
Suicide is vehemently discouraged, with the author emphasizing that solutions to depression exist and that hard work and time are the costs of finding them.
The author offers a personal commitment to support those struggling with depression, indicating a willingness to respond to messages seeking advice.

You Aren’t Scared Enough

Anyone who says they know right off the bat is probably lying. So, you can rule out the advice from people who give you some simple solution to a problem that has probably never been so complex in human existence.

You Could Have Been Born Without Legs

I’m sure we’ve all had that friend who, to their credit, was trying to be helpful, but ended up giving advice like “be grateful for what you have,” and, “things could be way worse. You could have no legs.” Yes, while its true i could have come out of the womb with no legs and it IS important to be grateful, these realizations are consequences of happiness, not a cure for depression. Let me explain.

We’re All Cavemen

Somehow as a race of people we have progressed to a point in our society to where the immediate threat of being mauled or murdered (for most people that is) has gotten to be so low that it is almost an afterthought for most. Imagine that. The thing that we literally fear the most has been reduced to a thought that you have in the shower every few months in the span of a couple thousand years. While that may sound like a long while, it takes tens of millions of years for that evolution thing to kick in. As a result, we have effectively evolved our societies too fast for our minds and bodies to keep up. We’re still cave men at heart.

What does this all mean?

Death Is Serious

If you or a loved one has ever been severely depressed (I have by the way I should have led with that, but I can’t be bothered to fit it in) you’ll realize that one thing that goes at some point is the fear of death. Almost as if a barrier of fear that was guarding you from jumping in front of a train has suddenly dissolved. We haven’t had to fear death as an everyday occurrence in so long that the fear of it is basically turned to a vestigial structure. A body part that we don’t need.

You Should Like Being Scared

So why is it you feel like nothing matters to you when you’re deeply depressed? It’s because nothing does. You’ve essentially become desensitized to negative emotions that were a driving force of our lives. It’s overcoming those negatives that give us positive feelings of satisfaction. If someone rips out the first flight of steps in a building, then good luck getting up the second. Depression takes away your first flight of steps and robs you of the desire to work towards a goal, which is why you might feel lazy and unmotivated. Which leads to poor life decisions that put you further in the hole. You have to find something that’s scary to lose. To reclaim that primal fear.

Don’t give up

Whatever you do, suicide is never the answer. Depression is like a Rubik’s cube almost. The algorithm to solve your specific problem is out there and your job is to find it. The only time it’s too late is when you’re dead and if you’re reading this you aren’t. Don’t you dare give up on yourself. Don’t you dare quit in the midst of hard struggle. If there is no one there for you then I’m here. Send me a message and I’ll give you the advice that helped me without any cost to you. I’ll probably answer. I have three hundred followers. It’s not like I’m drowning in messages. The only thing it might cost you is hard work and time but trust me the end result is so worth it. Above all, spread love.

I love you friend and thank you so much for reading.