Is depression an illness or a reaction to a world gone mad?
 

Depression rates are increasing, especially in young people and seniors. Its also a trend in women and men of working age.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...1030134631.htm

Blue Shield data shows an incidence between 2 and 6 per cent, with Hawaii the lowest and Rhode Island the highest. This is an increase over the past 10 years.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...-shows-n873146

20-30% increases are seen over the past decade, depending on the location. An alarming 33% spike from 2005-2015. Mostly the young.

What is up with this? Is depression simply a response to an increasingly complicated and divided world or a hard economy with little hope? Too much video time? But if its technology, why then are 10-20% of seniors suffering from it, according the WHO?

Maybe it always existed but was unreported. But that seems a dismissive answer, it does not point to causes. Yes, depression can be chemical. But it can also be reactive. If you graduate with $100K in loans and cannot find a job for 2 years that is stable?

Finally, did we, the baby boomers, fail? Did we create a generation of self centered kids who demanded we feed them sushi and we did so they did not tantrum? Did we raise a crop of kids who have no resilience, or did we leave them a world of misery?

Either way, depression is increasing in incidence and I would like us to talk about how we could reduce it and whether its alarming or par for the course with big data collection...

Thoughts?

Both, IMHO.

All and both - but it doesn't matter. Depression is a condition that should not be ignored and should be discussed, diagnosed and treated by a qualified medical doctor. To your question, the below cites numerous etiologies.

Depression is a heterogeneous disorder in which a number of underlying presentations may share a common phenomenology but have different aetiologies. Despite considerable work on the aetiology of depression including neurobiological, genetic and psychological studies, no reliable classificatory system has emerged that links either to the underlying aetiology or has proven strongly predictive of response to treatment. A number of classification systems/subgroupings have been used, including reactive and endogenous depression, melancholia, atypical depression, depression with a seasonal pattern/seasonal affective disorder and dysthymia. These have been based on varying combinations of the nature, number, severity, pattern and duration of symptoms, and in some cases the assumed aetiology.

I get depressed when I read threads like this... :(

Is it increasing in incidence, or are more cases being diagnosed and reported ... ie; more people seeking treatment because of changing attitudes towards mental illness and treatment?

I wonder. Because there’s less stigma now in discussing mental or emotional health now than there was 20 years ago, more folks will report depression.

And our GPs are encouraged to ask about depression in annual wellness checks. Again, this will lead to more reporting.

But mortality/morbidity tables indicate that for American males, the average life span is dropping. That many of the deaths are related to addictions may indicate that depression is on the rise.

Largely economic. “Can’t Buy Me Love” by the Beatles is indicative of an expansion of consciousness allowed for by the post WWII boom. Nowadays I’d rather be able to afford to go to the dentist than fall in love (humor).

To answer the question posed in the subject title of this thread...

Yes.

Tony

Not sure that helps us out here. All and both never really narrows things down. Are you saying there is no increase in incidence, or there is?

I personally suffer from depression.
I think you have to look at the nature vs nurture question.
Are we the result of genetics, or the environment in which we were raised?
I personally believe it is a combination of both, though I cannot give a
percentage on the 2 sides.

I've been on both sides of the depression fence, and feel that it's largely misunderstood. Depression with a Big D is different from depression with a little d as I like to make the distinction. If you encounter a loss in your life, and you feel down temporarily, that might be depression with a small d. If everything is going well in your life, but you feel consistently sad, then you might be Depressed with a big D....

Very simply, the etiology of many depressions is not known. If it can be diagnosed as a chemical imbalance or resulting from another form (nature vs. nurture environment) doesn't matter or help to determine whether it can be treated by one means or another. Or that it will respond to any specific form of treatment (medicine, therapy, both...). The "cut & paste" does actually address the original question. Unfortunately, there is no correct or complete answer and anyone seeking one from a guitar forum will be disappointed. That's why I stated the most important part of my post, "Depression is a condition that should not be ignored and should be discussed, diagnosed and treated by a qualified medical doctor. To your question, the below cites numerous etiologies."

i just turned 70 in december and i've noticed a difference in my outlook. it technically was just another day but i find myself looking again at my living trust as well as my relationships. i'm also planning on liquidating some guitars and amps just to pare down. nothing is forever.

play music!

Common sense says take a look around.
Things are not good.
That's as far as I can go and stay within forum rules.

The economy is booming so money has been coming in but for me all this information overload is making it difficult to enjoy what I have. News is basically gossip, facebook just upsets me and overcrowding in the city is really getting to me.