Depression and Mental Health

Intro

It’s one thing after the other. No matter how hard you try, everything seems to be falling down around you without leaving you any chance to make things better. You feel like a burden to those closest to you, you can’t seem to get your life together, and nothing you do is ever good enough to satisfy you. The intrusive thoughts are nothing new, but you still can’t quite get used to their ever-increasing presence telling you that the world would be better off if you had never existed in the first place. You’ve been strong and ignored them, tried to improve your life and relationships, and have spent every waking moment in effort to make yourself the best version of yourself you could possibly be. To no avail, in your eyes. You’ve been strong for far too long and have finally decided to give yourself a break.

            Your mother opens the door to two policemen. They’ve found your body just under a nearby bridge after the search party extended their resources. Her knees buckle. Your father feels his breath leave his lungs and not return, as if he had been punched in the gut. Your siblings watch and listen from afar, convincing themselves that they had misheard. Your best friend sits on the corner of their bed, overcome with confusion and guilt for not realizing sooner and that kid that has picked on you since the sixth grade feels his chest tighten and his breath hitch as he remembers every unwarranted word he said to you. Your name is removed from the school’s roster, when your parents finally work up the strength to go out in public again they are surrounded by hushed whispers, and your classmates try to focus and pretend that the unoccupied desk had always been empty. Time passes, but no one can quite get used to what was left in your wake; a hole.

 

History

            Throughout most of known history, due to the lack of medical and scientific advances and the prevalence of religious dominance over man, depression was thought to have been caused by demons and demonic possession. This belief was consistent and spanned countries and cultures worldwide for centuries. Flash forward to the late 400s B.C. Often considered the “Father of Modern Medicine”, Greek physician Hippocrates took a more physical, scientific approach to the cause of depression in humans. He believed that depression was caused by an imbalance in bodily fluids called “humors”, such as yellow and black bile, blood, and phlegm. Rather than relying on exorcisms and religious purifications like his predecessors, he took a more educated approach to treatment by prescribing herbal baths and changes in diet.

            A man before his time, Hippocrates’ influence didn’t last long. Historical records say that in the last century B.C., the focus reverted back to spirituality as the cause. Treatments, however, were harsher than ever before. Sufferers of depression were subject to severe abuse, such as beatings, starvation, being burned alive, and drowning. The rapid spread of Christianity throughout Europe only amplified these beliefs and the torture faced by those who had been diagnosed.

             A millennium and a half later began the Renaissance. Culture, art, and intellect flourished, spreading from its birthplace in Italy to the rest of Europe. With this came a higher understanding of anatomy, biology, and neurology. Some researchers looked back on the influence of Hippocrates under the belief that depression did indeed have roots in biology rather than religious superstition. There was a flipside to the Renaissance era, however. Catholicism gained prominence in every aspect of the daily lives of southern Europeans. Art, music, and even medicine were all under the influence of the Christian denomination, despite the newfound interest in scientific exploration. Some believed that people showing depressive symptoms were witches and had to be eradicated, while others were under the impression that they had been cursed and witches were to blame for their suffering.

            In more recent centuries, countless new theories have been developed. Popular neurologists, psychologists, and biologists made the discussion more popular than it ever had been, allowing more ideas and discoveries to spread further, faster. Neurologist Sigmund Freud believed that depression stemmed from loss and grief weakening one’s mental state (Nemade).

Not only were new theories spreading, but treatments utilizing newfound scientific advancements came forth as well. A popular “cure” in the early 1900’s was lobotomy, a procedure in which an incision is made in the frontal lobe, effectively removing the ability to feel emotion whatsoever (“Lobotomy: The rise and fall of a miracle cure.”). Those who received the surgery often lost the ability to speak, became paralyzed, failed to form new memories, or became suddenly and spontaneously violent (“Lobotomy: The rise and fall of a miracle cure”).

Nowadays, depression is treated using far more scientifically grounded methods such as therapy and medicinal supplements. These treatments are often deemed ineffective by patients, but they are a step in the right direction for a reliable, humane end to depression and its related mental illnesses.

Examples

            The thoughts are relentless. You’ve taken the steps to getting help, but the medication they’ve put you on has failed to do anything but remind you that even though you’ve been popping Prozac capsules every morning, there will always be harder pills to swallow.

“There is a heavy, leaden feeling in your chest, rather as when someone you love dearly has died; but no one has – except, perhaps, you. You feel acutely alone. It is commonly described as being like viewing the world through a sheet of plate glass; it would be more accurate to say a sheet of thick, semi-opaque ice.” (Lott)

You no longer care about things that you once enjoyed. Spending time with family, going to the movies, even your favorite music no longer brings you that thrill or sense of comfort and enjoyment like it used to. This frustrates you even further, as you have no way of bringing yourself enjoyment like you once could.

“For me, emotional detachment involves feeling a sense of emptiness where I once felt something. When somebody hurt me I used to find it easier to avoid feeling anything than to feel the hurt. It seemed humiliating to feel like I was letting somebody get to me.

Sometimes this would lead to feeling like I was sleepwalking through life. Nothing could make me feel, and I was happy not to manage my emotions. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work out so well when you’re trying to have a happy, fulfilling life.” (Horsfall)

            Though these thoughts and feelings may be persistent and relentless, there are resources open for anyone to use. Hotlines are available 24/7, therapists are ready and willing to give professional advice on a personal/individual basis, and loved ones are always with you (Lott, Tim). With the epidemic-level increases in youth suicide across the globe, many new support groups on local and national levels are beginning to gain speed, helping people of all ages, colors, creeds, genders, sexualities, nationalities, and cultures. Many groups are even specialized,  working specifically with similar groups of people such as homeless LGBT youth, trauma/abuse survivors, and many more.

Solutions

            One potential solution to the depression and suicide epidemic would simply be education. Take South Korea for example. South Korea has the fourth highest suicide rate in the world, at a whopping 28.4 self-inflicted deaths per 100,000 individuals (“Korea's Suicide Rate Still World's 4th Highest.”). A major potential factor in the high death toll is likely the severe social stigma around mental health in South Korea as a whole. People who express a struggle with depressive symptoms or tendencies are often told to keep their feelings to themselves as to not burden others or make themselves look bad. This collective mindset often leads victims to believe that getting help is shameful and should not be accepted, leading suicide to be the only other option in their eyes. If South Korean schools would educate adolescents on the topic and introduce them to it as something that should be taken seriously, the social outlook on mental illness as a whole may change over the following years. Presenting statistics, lists of symptoms, ways to identify mental illnesses in a friend, and available resources such as hotlines or chatrooms could potentially drive students to take depression as the serious, life-threatening illness that it truly is. There are already thousands of depression and suicide awareness and education organizations worldwide, spanning countries on all ends of the spectrum. Informing people of their options and working towards removing the negative and hateful outlook on those affected would be a great way to give people a chance to be helped and to help themselves.

            Another solution would be taking a collective responsibility as a community and raising our own awareness in order to recognize early symptoms in our peers. By becoming more socially aware as a population we could recognize depression in those close to us before it manifests into a life-threatening condition. There are plenty of resources available that are dedicated to helping people from all walks of life identify and approach a potential victim. Symptoms such as social withdrawal, general disinterest, and changes in dietary habits could all be warning signs of something much more dangerous brewing beneath the surface. When witnessing such changes in a peer it is important to confront them as a friend and as someone they can trust. Although they may not be up-front about it at first, be sure to be persistent in your approach. A one-time confrontation will most likely not result in an entirely honest answer from them, so be sure to not only keep a close watch on them but to also bring up the concerning behavior regularly.

Camus’ in relation to suicide

            “There is only one really serious philosophical question, and that is suicide.” Camus had an interesting take on a lot of existential issues, suicide included. He believes suicide is the root of all philosophy and all else simply stems from that action (“Albert Camus”).

“I see many people die because they judge that life is not worth living. I see others paradoxically getting killed for the ideas or illusions that give them a reason for living (what is called a reason for living is also an excellent reason for dying). I therefore conclude that the meaning of life is the most urgent of questions.”

Camus believed that the meaning of life was to search for happiness through all endeavors. The  search for true happiness and fulfillment was a “moral obligation” in his eyes and suicide is nothing but a choice to exempt one’s self from that responsibility.

 

            Camus states that he believes the question of suicide stems from “contradictions of mind and spirit.” More specifically, when an individual believes they have found the true meaning behind life and are rooted in that discovery is when suicide becomes their existential solution.

“A priori and reversing the terms of the problem, just as one does or does not kill oneself, it seems that there are but two philosophical solutions, either yes or no. This would be too easy. But allowance must be made for those who, without concluding, continue questioning. Here I am only slightly indulging in irony: this is the majority. I notice also that those who answer “no” act as if they thought “yes.” As a matter of fact, if I accept the Nietzschean criterion, they think “yes” in one way or another. On the other hand, it often happens that those who commit suicide were assured of the meaning of life. These contradictions are constant. It may even be said that they have never been so keen as on this point where, on the contrary, logic seems so desirable.”

Contradictions between one’s physical and spiritual existence, in the eyes of Camus, are the sole determiners in the decision of whether to end one’s own life or to pull oneself from the existential debate altogether and continue with their search for the true happiness in their lives (Popova).

Conclusion

            Worldwide, we lose someone to suicide every 40 seconds. That’s one million people in a single year on average (Nordqvist). By the time you finish reading this paper, 19 people will have died by their own hand. 19 funerals. 19 lives. 19 families finding someone they love lying cold. 19 deaths that could have been prevented, given proper support and resources. Our numbers have reached epidemic levels. How will you help put an end to it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Albert Camus.” 10 Apr. 2017, doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

Horsfall, Ashley. “ What to Do About Depression and Emotional Detachment.” doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

“Korea's Suicide Rate Still World's 4th Highest.” The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - National/Politics > National, english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2017/05/19/2017051900779.html.

“Lobotomy: The rise and fall of a miracle cure.” 4thWaveNow, doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

Lott, Tim. “Mental Illness Awareness Week: Is For All British Columbians.” PsycEXTRA Dataset, doi:10.1037/e554682009-001.

Nemade, Rashmi, et al. “Historical Understandings Of Depression.” doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

Nordqvist, Christian. “One Million People Commit Suicide Each Year - World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10th, 2011.” 10 Sept. 2011, doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

Popova, Maria. “Albert Camus on the Will to Live and the Most Important Question of Existence.” doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

Depression