Yeah, I reckon I can have a multitude of feelings going on at once and sometimes very conflicting feelings. Isn't that why we use words like 'ambivalence'?
That's an interesting point that you make about mania possibly being the opposite of depression, rather than happiness, Dragos.
I think for some people who have an underlying depression, it can almost be like there are two selves, or a disassociation from long term depression: whilst they might function on the surface, go to parties, work, joke around there may be an inner core that is struggling with depression. Maybe it's a bit like Russian dolls with a presenting self and an inner self who aren't matching up for some reason. Sometimes this can be difficult to recognise as we're so used to suppressing the inner self for the sake of others.
With reference to using language like 'depression' and 'mania', and also to reply to Berry's earlier post, I went to a workshop recently by a big wig psychiatrist who explained an alternative to diagnosis.
Diagnoses aren't necessarily the most useful way of dealing with this kind of health issue. A diagnosis is a relatively subjective assessment of how a cluster of symptoms fits into a category, or model. Diagnoses can have their uses (like ownership of the symptoms for the client), but they don't really tell us very much about the person and they can be detrimental in terms of taking people's identity away from them.
Another way of assessing a person's position is a model, or 'formulation', called the four P's:
PREDISPOSING: Factors such as isolation, genetic inheritance, substance misuse.
PRECIPITATING: Factors such as a bereavement, trauma, sometimes small life events which tip a person over.
PERPETUATING: Factors which maintain the position of the distressed person, such as negative self-talk, chronic illness, or pain, substance misuse.
PROTECTIVE: Self-esteem, support, personal development, company.
Factors may fit into more than one category, for example, isolation might a precipitating factor and a perpetuating one, trauma might be a predisposing and precipitating factor, especially if their is a link between each trauma such as an unresolved bereavement followed by another.
This formulation tells us so much more about a person than a diagnosis such as depression, especially when explored using the 5 w's - for each factor explore who, where, why, what and when.
By using alternative approaches to depression, each person may start to unravel the complexities behind their individual issues for themselves.
I think different people's experience, or understanding might be different.
We have an iconic image of the clown who is experiences both positive and negative emotions at the same time.
Many people are unaware they have an underlying depression. Their experience is of physical unwellness, or just not feeling right.
Maybe emotions are not exclusive for everyone. Maybe we are complex and everything to do with the body and mind is not so linear and compartmentalised for everyone.
Maybe we can't define everyone the in the same way. Maybe people have a right to have control over that themselves. Some even might say the right, need, or ability to govern the self is at the very root of well-being.
I value what you're saying and modern lifestyle no doubt can play a part for some, or many people, but what about those who lead a simple life with low expectations, but have been traumatised in some way?
There really isn't just one cause and one way for everyone. People have a right to find their own path.
I agree some may lead to an increase in suicidal feelings in some people, but I still maintain self-empowerment is an issue here.
If the medical profession was less power imbalanced and better at actually caring for people's individual needs, maybe more people would go back to their doctors and get their meds changed until they hit on one that actually helps get them out of the pit long enough to be proactive in other ways.
Also, by the time people are actually prescribed SSRI's their PHQ is likely to be up in the 20's and suicidal feelings are often already present. It then becomes difficult to attribute suicide to just one causal factor when correlation might be an issue, too.
If people take a medical path, a counselling path, a self-actualisation path, a spiritual path, diet, exercise, do it on their own, do it with help, whatever...it's their choice about what works for them which is most important.
Trying to push for one option for everyone because it's the one that you think is right may be directly counter-productive, particularly if the depression has it's roots in disempowerment of some kind (which it often does).
Supporting people's choices and personal experience, supporting people's discovery of their own self is important. Really, really important.
Yes, some SSRI's do create worsening of symptom and suicidal feelings for some people and it's important to get medication right. However, for some people to get to the point where they can start to change thought patterns they need to get out of the pit first.
If they work for some people, is it wise to criticise? Coming off them in a panic might not be a good idea, either.
Perhaps awareness and choice is more productive. After all, self-empowerment, and by that I mean coming from the self, not others, is perhaps quite a big key.
jac_the_gripper Forum Posts (5,363)
RE: Are women who use dating sites looking for the bigger better deal?
Really...?I eat my dates and spit out the crunchy bits.