Are depressed people right that life is meaningless?

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  • sweetpeanutsweetpeanut Posts: 4,805
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    Sorry to interrupt the thread - but sweet peanut - I'd be interested to know how you managed to find out it was food related and how you changed things?

    Thanks.

    Look up Keto diet and depression. Lots out there. Its a high fat low carb diet that is totally clean no processed food at all. my brain feels like its high and has done for over a year. No down days, no slumps no medication. energy through the roof and no fatigue. It might not be for everyone. But it worked for me and I know loads of people who its also worked for.
    Plus lost 7 stone without effort as it was easy (for me) to stick to it once I got my fats up high. No cravings, no bingeing.
  • MrQuikeMrQuike Posts: 18,175
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    Look up Keto diet and depression. Lots out there. Its a high fat low carb diet that is totally clean no processed food at all. my brain feels like its high and has done for over a year. No down days, no slumps no medication. energy through the roof and no fatigue. It might not be for everyone. But it worked for me and I know loads of people who its also worked for.
    Plus lost 7 stone without effort as it was easy (for me) to stick to it once I got my fats up high. No cravings, no bingeing.

    Thanks....I googled as you suggested and found it very interesting.
  • Safi74Safi74 Posts: 5,580
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    anne_666 wrote: »
    Certainly many people, in my experience, claim to have never been depressed.

    That is my experience also. I'm not sure why some are finding it so hard to believe or accept?!
  • ChristopherJChristopherJ Posts: 976
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    Richard46 wrote: »
    But how do we know what others have overcome? How do they know the same about us.

    (Credit to Bob Dylan)

    That's profound. I think it almost impossible to know other people, to really know them. As Conrad said, We live as we dream – alone.
  • droogiefretdroogiefret Posts: 24,117
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    So my experience of depression is that if you are in clinical depression you are not going to be able to think your way out of it. So it does no real good to ruminate on the meaning of life or lack thereof because you probably can't trust your own brain processes at this time anyway.

    So you exercise and generally try to be kind to yourself without fixating on big solutions. Maybe you do need to make big changes to your life - but being in the middle of depression is exactly the wrong time to make those decisions.

    Little things - things that take you outside yourself are the way to go. Look after yourself like you'd look after a friend but don't fixate on yourself as if you are the centre of the universe.

    Then, when you start to feel better, you realise that living outside yourself was the way to go all along.
  • Safi74Safi74 Posts: 5,580
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    So my experience of depression is that if you are in clinical depression you are not going to be able to think your way out of it. So it does no real good to ruminate on the meaning of life or lack thereof because you probably can't trust your own brain processes at this time anyway.

    So you exercise and generally try to be kind to yourself without fixating on big solutions. Maybe you do need to make big changes to your life - but being in the middle of depression is exactly the wrong time to make those decisions.

    Little things - things that take you outside yourself are the way to go. Look after yourself like you'd look after a friend but don't fixate on yourself as if you are the centre of the universe.

    Then, when you start to feel better, you realise that living outside yourself was the way to go all along.

    A brilliant post. You are so right. 😊
  • big macbig mac Posts: 4,583
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    So my experience of depression is that if you are in clinical depression you are not going to be able to think your way out of it. So it does no real good to ruminate on the meaning of life or lack thereof because you probably can't trust your own brain processes at this time anyway.

    So you exercise and generally try to be kind to yourself without fixating on big solutions. Maybe you do need to make big changes to your life - but being in the middle of depression is exactly the wrong time to make those decisions.

    Little things - things that take you outside yourself are the way to go. Look after yourself like you'd look after a friend but don't fixate on yourself as if you are the centre of the universe.

    Then, when you start to feel better, you realise that living outside yourself was the way to go all along.

    Yes, but the fact nothing is changing could be the reason for depression in the first place. The longer nothing changes, the longer the depression could remain.
  • JeffersonJefferson Posts: 3,736
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    does the body rule the mind or does the mind rule the body
    I dunno

    The popular view of a chemical imbalance is apparently cobblers.

    And asking yourself whether you are happy or what's the point of it all is in itself a BAD thing to do.
  • ChristopherJChristopherJ Posts: 976
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    So my experience of depression is that if you are in clinical depression you are not going to be able to think your way out of it. So it does no real good to ruminate on the meaning of life or lack thereof because you probably can't trust your own brain processes at this time anyway.

    So you exercise and generally try to be kind to yourself without fixating on big solutions. Maybe you do need to make big changes to your life - but being in the middle of depression is exactly the wrong time to make those decisions.

    Little things - things that take you outside yourself are the way to go. Look after yourself like you'd look after a friend but don't fixate on yourself as if you are the centre of the universe.

    Then, when you start to feel better, you realise that living outside yourself was the way to go all along.

    Quality post.
  • droogiefretdroogiefret Posts: 24,117
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    big mac wrote: »
    Yes, but the fact nothing is changing could be the reason for depression in the first place. The longer nothing changes, the longer the depression could remain.

    Just be careful.

    I woke up one morning and knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I needed to resign from my job and become a hospital porter. It would be like a new dawn.

    I woke up the next morning and knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that what I really needed to do was something completely different.

    That's when I finally realised I couldn't trust my own thinking processes anymore. I was simply not well enough to make big decisions.

    But I agree people need to be in a supportive environment to heal. No-one would advise a battered wife to stay where she was until she felt better.
  • LyceumLyceum Posts: 3,399
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    Safi74 wrote: »
    Very true. People who haven't had first hand experience of depression are extremely lucky IMO.

    I often wish I had a broken bone instead of depression, as at least then I'd be treated with sympathy because my illness would be visible. All to often depression is dismissed as someone just being a bit down. If only it were that simple.

    I'd love that. Not so much because people could see it and recognise it as an injury but because I'd know (roughly) when it was going to heel and I could get back to living a 'normal' life.

    With depression you see no end. It just goes on and on and every day it gets that bit harder to force yourself to do anything and you have no idea when or if you'll get to the point of feeling 'better'.
  • anne_666anne_666 Posts: 72,891
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    I have clinical depression myself. I have received treatment for 9 years. But it is only am albatross around my neck if I choose not to toss it over onto my back and carry the burden at a point of greater strength. I live with it but I try to also live as best I can while coping with my situation and appreciating life for what it offers, not merely suffering it, bemoaning it and complaining about the human nature and the grinding cogs of humanity. The point is to not let the cogs break you, leave you toothless and in denial of your worth and functionality.

    Please don't put forth self serving strawman arguments of self pity, it belittles you and I both rather than proffering anything of substantive worth and merit.

    Putting forward a self serving straw man argument of "I'm able to appreciate life, whilst depressed so everyone can", belittles others suffering and yourself. It smacks of superiority and ignorance of both the subject and the human race.
  • Safi74Safi74 Posts: 5,580
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    anne_666 wrote: »
    Putting forward a self serving straw man argument of "I'm able to appreciate life, whilst depressed so everyone can", belittles others suffering and yourself. It smacks of superiority and ignorance of both the subject and the human race.

    Well said Anne.😊
  • radyagradyag Posts: 2,220
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    This is rather provocative but I think it gets to the heart of understanding depression. Whether or not such a thing as depression can really be reduced to a simple mindset I think it's fair to say people with severe depression have lost their sense of meaning. Well are they actually right? What IS the point? We're motivated to do what we do to enhance our DNA's ability to reproduce itself. Why our DNA wishes to do this is the great mystery. Since life boils down to such things are the non-depressed rather deluded is attaching so much meaning to their lives? Or to put it another way are the depressed right to see through the irrelevant veneer of life and give up on it?

    Giving up is the classic sign of the depressed person. The reward system in their brain has shut down. It's not just a question of being unable to plan a holiday. These are people who can't be bothered to eat properly, maintain their personal hygiene or grooming. But then why should they be slaves to their genes, doing things because their brain has been hard wired into thinking it is important?

    I hope I don't sound like I'm making a claim for the nobility of us depressed types. Neither am I trying to be snide towards happy people. I'm just questioning whether their lifestyle makes sense.
    As someone who has always hated my life, I can honestly tell you, death is all I'm looking forward to.
  • Safi74Safi74 Posts: 5,580
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    Jefferson wrote: »
    The popular view of a chemical imbalance is apparently cobblers.

    Well I'd suggest that anyone who says this is talking cobblers.
  • hackjohackjo Posts: 648
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    Life is pointless and, most profoundly, unimportant. We are just here for a short time and then gone again. It's the circle of life ("it's the wheel of fortune..., it's the leap of faith...") - sorry, went a bit Elton John then.

    But seriously, we are part of a much bigger system, a self-correcting system if you like and we have our time here and are then gone, to be replaced by something else.

    Once you accept this fact, it can actually be a tremendous release. You realise that all you have is the time you have on this planet so generate your own purpose.

    And I suggest your purpose should be to enjoy your life, value what makes you happy and look after those who care about you.

    Have a good one.
  • ritchritch Posts: 2,566
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    Everyone at some point must get the feeling of nihilism, its part of being alive, trying to find meaning when there possibly is none, unless you are shallow minded to be blunt, which is probably easier. Civilisation has created systems so that people don’t have to take on this burden, just believe in god right? That is getting old hat now though, so meaningless is a more common theme these days with younger people. The controversial opinion is that all these systems are just human arrogance or unwillingness to face the abyss, there must be more to our great race, right?

    That’s not even taking depression into consideration, life and death seems meaningless as it is! Finding meaning in your own life instead of looking at the big picture is obviously a better path to follow, but this comes easy to some, and monumentally difficult to others. we are shaped by the conditions we live in as well, when everything is fine but you still feel depressed you know you have a problem.
  • Frankie_LittleFrankie_Little Posts: 9,271
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    So my experience of depression is that if you are in clinical depression you are not going to be able to think your way out of it. So it does no real good to ruminate on the meaning of life or lack thereof because you probably can't trust your own brain processes at this time anyway.

    So you exercise and generally try to be kind to yourself without fixating on big solutions. Maybe you do need to make big changes to your life - but being in the middle of depression is exactly the wrong time to make those decisions.

    Little things - things that take you outside yourself are the way to go. Look after yourself like you'd look after a friend but don't fixate on yourself as if you are the centre of the universe.

    Then, when you start to feel better, you realise that living outside yourself was the way to go all along.
    Very well said.
  • Frankie_LittleFrankie_Little Posts: 9,271
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    radyag wrote: »
    As someone who has always hated my life, I can honestly tell you, death is all I'm looking forward to.
    Always? Has there been no joy, no pleasure, no laughter, however momentary, however fleeting? Even in my darkest days, after my dad died, there were still fragments of happiness now and again. It's terribly sad to know someone's life is so unbearable, death is looked forward to.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 410
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    I am not depressed at all, but when i was learning about this a while back, i asked myself the same question. Many people spend their life looking forward to the next chapter - Growing up, leaving school, starting a job, getting their own place etc. And when they do all these things, they tend to look forward to other things, like time off work, holidays booked, weekends... but then they pass in an instant. Then as the years pass, people are looking forward to when they can retire, but with the retirement age rising, many are not in the greatest of health to enjoy it. Really, it seems like we think we work to live, but all we do is live to work - with small moments of doing what we actually want to do inbetween.

    Taking this course wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs.
  • ML11ML11 Posts: 888
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    Depressed people see the real world for what it is and everyone else sees the world through rose tinted glasses.
  • Seth1Seth1 Posts: 676
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    ML11 wrote: »
    Depressed people see the real world for what it is and everyone else sees the world through rose tinted glasses.

    Nice b8 m8
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