newbby Posted December 3, 2005 Posted December 3, 2005 why does it seem theres a stigma? why does it feel that theres a stigma attached to depression and loneliness. it is almost as though you cant admit these feelings for fear of being called a scourge and drain on the moods of others. people commonly reply to just "get over it", "pull your socks up", say that people are not helping themselves, even when they are trying. i have seen it many times even in this forum, which is supposed to be an advice forum.
westernxer Posted December 3, 2005 Posted December 3, 2005 There's a stigma because no one likes to be depressed and lonely.
Outcast Posted December 3, 2005 Posted December 3, 2005 Because the archaic belief was that all humans are healthy and that any sort of ailment of the mind was due to character flaws. Sadly, a lot of people still think that all behaviour is controllable by will alone. They have no conception of biochemistry. They don't understand psychology. And they think that because they felt gloomy one day and then decided not to be that their experience equates with everybody else's and if they can 'snap out of it' so can everyone else. I think one of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming that everybody else is exactly like them - so they transpose their feelings and experiences onto every other human rather than realize that people are actually very different. It's about ignorance and lack of public education. In another generation or two, people will understand the causes of these conditions and won't stigmatize anyone who has them any more than they do people who have colds.
Author newbby Posted December 3, 2005 Author Posted December 3, 2005 There's a stigma because no one likes to be depressed and lonely. so they dont like to be reminded that such things exist?
westernxer Posted December 3, 2005 Posted December 3, 2005 so they dont like to be reminded that such things exist? You got it. Kind of like driving by a homeless person asking for money, and turning your head so you won't have to see them. Is there sympathy? Yes, but it's hard to find, and even when you find it, there's a limit.
Author newbby Posted December 3, 2005 Author Posted December 3, 2005 thankyou outcast, i agree with what you say, especially about people assuming all experiences are identical to theirs. unfortunately this also happens in the health professions and makes it difficult to get help for such things as depression, pmt etc.
Outcast Posted December 3, 2005 Posted December 3, 2005 I don't know where you live but it sounds like your medical community totally sucks. Again, I wouldn't extend that to the entire health profession. Maybe there's some sort of mentality among the health providers in your part of the world but that's pretty uncommon, really.
Author newbby Posted December 3, 2005 Author Posted December 3, 2005 i am guessing you are in the health profession outcast
Outcast Posted December 3, 2005 Posted December 3, 2005 You guess wrong. However I am a health consumer and I have plenty of friends who are and I read the health news all the time and there are no complaints here that physicians don't acknowledge depression or pms as valid conditions that need to be treated.
Author newbby Posted December 3, 2005 Author Posted December 3, 2005 i apologise. i think you are overeacting to things i am saying though. i said "it happens" in the health professions and not it ALWAYS happens. it goes both ways and you could also say that saying the health services helpful is a generalisation. because in my experience it is not so and had i put all stock in the medical profession to help me i would have given up hope of ever getting better which i have managed to do many times using alternative therapies. i am sure sometimes the health services are really good and sometimes they are not. it certainly depends on the particular health practitioner you go to and yes SOME are unsympathetic to such things as pmt and in my experience more especially females who assume that all pmt is like their own.
slubberdegullion Posted December 3, 2005 Posted December 3, 2005 Newbby, I did my MA thesis on the stigma of depression so I know a little bit about it. There are those in the medical community that still believe that depression is a weakness (Dr Thomas Szasz, for one). However, by and large, the wider belief is that depression is a chemical imbalance that can be caused by negative thought patterns. Strangely, once you have reached a state of depression, changing thought patterns is not a cure-all for getting out of depression because the brain actually changes its chemistry. In short, you can think your way into depression; you cannot think your way out of it. If you're interested in more detail, let me know via PM and I can forward you a link to the thesis.
westernxer Posted December 3, 2005 Posted December 3, 2005 If you're interested in more detail, let me know via PM and I can forward you a link to the thesis. Slubber, can you send that to me as well? Sounds interesting.
Outcast Posted December 3, 2005 Posted December 3, 2005 Is the thesis online? If so, I'd like a link, too, please.
In Sync Posted December 4, 2005 Posted December 4, 2005 hey slubber me, too too...I'd like this info. May I also add some info, about the brain, brain wave patterns ...they can be changed, raising ones threshold (if ones threshold is low then what results manifests as depression, anger, other anxieties) There is a method of raising the threshold through sounds/meditation. Have any of you heard of Holosync? http://www.centerpointe.com
slubberdegullion Posted December 4, 2005 Posted December 4, 2005 yea lemme get it on this. Set up a PM box and I'll send you the link.
In Sync Posted December 4, 2005 Posted December 4, 2005 Sooooo...that's you're real name. Ahhh. I see. Thanxs for bedtime reading info. Get back to you about it.
Author newbby Posted December 4, 2005 Author Posted December 4, 2005 hey slubber me, too too...I'd like this info. May I also add some info, about the brain, brain wave patterns ...they can be changed, raising ones threshold (if ones threshold is low then what results manifests as depression, anger, other anxieties) There is a method of raising the threshold through sounds/meditation. Have any of you heard of Holosync? http://www.centerpointe.com yes! i've tried holosync cassettes but my equipment wasnt the best, it was very crackly. perhaps i will dig out that tape and try it again. i do regular meditation though, and i didnt realise that it altered the threshold, thankyou for that.
Outcast Posted December 4, 2005 Posted December 4, 2005 You really don't want to be messing with your brainwaves.
In Sync Posted December 4, 2005 Posted December 4, 2005 You really don't want to be messing with your brainwaves. One's brainwaves are already conditioned (low threshold to high thresholds).There are people who given the same circumstance will react differently (ie, road rage) because if their threshold levels. Someone who's threshold is higher will not feel the need to react so fiiled with anger. That is not coincident, it is because we've been conditioned (our brainwave patterns is you were to minitor them would show diffent levels of waves) Changing the waves is exactly what is happening when you meditate. In India for example are those guys (shamans?) who have slowed their heartrate and meditate who are on a level that's definitely not allowing their reactions to take control. Their brainwave patterns are quite different from the rage-oholic or depressed persons) So you are in effect changing the brainwave pattern. http://www.centerpointe.com on Holosync...there's also a book called Thresholds of The Mind, explains it better. Read it and then let's talk.
Author newbby Posted December 4, 2005 Author Posted December 4, 2005 interesting in sync, also i dont understand how somebody who advocates artificially messing with ones brain chemicals (meds) to show concern over meditating to alter brain waves.
In Sync Posted December 4, 2005 Posted December 4, 2005 interesting in sync, also i dont understand how somebody who advocates artificially messing with ones brain chemicals (meds) to show concern over meditating to alter brain waves. I'm sorry I'm confused byy this question...You equate meditation with taking meds. (chemicals are chemicals that the body is adapting to, meditation is literally you controlling you're slowly down and watching your breathing there is no man made chemical being introduced here. You are aware that through meditation you are moving from one level of alpha pattern through to theta and ideally delta is where those shamans go. this is self induced, not induced through dependency through a chemical inhanced drug that is addictive...Are you serious in equating taking let's say (meth or cocaine) with meditating? ok.
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