Eco Train Question Of The Week-To what extent is the negative media, media biases responsible for depression.
Here we are with another Great EcoTrain question of the week, one that is as thought provoking as the other ones I have took part in. I always feel like I have a plan when it comes to answering these questions, but then I start to write and so much more always comes up. This one was no exception. Thank you @eco-alex for constantly keeping my brain turning and forcing me to dig deep.
To write about Depression, is no easy thing, it is a huge subject. The effect that it has on the people that suffer with it, is enormous, it can be very debilitating.
We are all so different and unique, everything that happens to us affects how we live our lives. How we are born depicts our first impressions of what life is like. How many of us experienced a traumatic birth or a gentle birth. How we were cared for as babies, who we were around, the time we had uninterrupted with our mothers, these all paint our first picture of what life is like. How quickly where we taken from our mothers after birth, really has a huge impact on how we deal with separation later in life.
We are complex beings that are made up of many different layers, we develop our coping strategies at a very young age through play and also through observation. How we see our parents coping with what life brings them, also influences how we develop our coping skills. All of these things affect how we cope with different situations in our lives including tragic and traumatic situations. Some of us go through very similar situations in life yet only some of us suffer with depression. As I have said before we are all so different and unique there is no recipe that leads to depression, there are so many factors involved.
I personally believe that the diagnosis of Depression is given too easily today within society. For me it is a serious illness, yet today there is a type of depression called Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder,
Screaming and temper tantrums can be features of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD), a type of depression diagnosed in children who struggle with regulating their emotions. Other symptoms include an irritable or angry mood most of the day nearly every day and trouble getting along in school, at home, or with their peers.
“These are the kids with strong emotional outbursts,” Dr. Noble says. “They’re just not able to contain their emotions,” so they “act out and act on” their feelings.
Currently, DMDD is treated using medications, psychotherapy, and parent training on how to effectively deal with a child’s irritable behavior.
http://www.health.com/depression/types-of-depression
I find this very worrying, that children are now being labelled with depression, just for being children, some children are more emotional than others, period, just like some adults are more emotional. It seems that if you do not fit into the norm of what is now expected within society then you have to be labelled. Depression is serious and can come so close to destroying lives. I do not want to take away from those who really suffer with depression, but so often today you hear people talk about 'how depressed I am today'. Feeling sad is normal, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed. There is this huge pressure on people to be happy all of the time. That is not natural and just because you are not does not mean you are depressed, it means you are human. Being labelled is no good for any one.
We have different emotions that we are meant to experience, that are there to help us express ourselves and grow. We need to be allowed to openly express those feelings. They are part of what make us so unique.
Does The Media Cause Depression:
I believe being exposed to certain things can trigger emotions, memories that can lead to the onset of depression, but I do not think they cause it. The media is one such thing. Young people on social media are bombarded with images of how they should look, these can really make some feel insecure, but insecurity is not the same as depression. I understand that it results in you feeling sad, but that is normal. The media we are exposed to on television is there to promote the lifestyle that we are told we should be living. To keep us in check. It is there so that we don't have to think too much. I don't have a T.V I haven't had one for years, because yes I find them too depressing and I like to source my own information.
Social media is really what you make of it, you decide who you want to follow what you want to view, in a way you have more control over it, except when there is advertising involved. The media you can switch off or bow out of it, depression you can not. For this reason alone I do not believe it is responsible for depression, depression is too deep rooted. But it certainly has negative affects on us, there is no doubt about that.
Yes the number of people suffering from depression is rising, but when you read about the new types of depressive disorder being diagnosed I am not so sure about the truth in what I am reading. Depression really occurs when life gets too difficult, when everyday is a struggle, an up hill battle. It is no easy thing to overcome, so labelling some one with it should not be taken lightly.
When we can no longer find the way in which to cope, when we have not had, the opportunity to really develop those coping skills, then that is when I believe people become depressed. There are also lots of other factors involved, as well. What we eat for one, but that can be for another article. The media can exasperate the illness but I do not believe it causes it.
As I have said before, we are so different, how we respond to life, how we interact is so different, I have always found it difficult to understand how people an be so easily diagnosed when in fact the same test is used for everyone, the same questions are asked. I really do not wish to talk down the seriousness of Depression, I have seen first hand how it has affected many, but I also have seen the effect that labelling can have. Alongside that is the fact, that as the pharmaceutical companies are growing so are the different types of mental illnesses that are being newly categorized and diagnosed.
I would love to know what you think. I would also like to encourage you to check out some of the other answers posted by the other passengers from the @ecotrain, we are all so different that our answers always reflect that great diversity.
Image Source for 1st Image:http://nora-fieling.de/angst-und-depression-ein-wechselspiel/
Big Big Thank You To @byn for designing my logo.
Great post and very tough subject, since depression is rising and rising higher and higher and it is very sad and scary, since like you said we see more and more children and teenagers dealing with depression like never before and it is not getting any better but worse.
Most of the woman I know in my life including family, friends and co-workers that are over 30 years of age are on depression medicine.
It is very scary and I believe, (these are just my believes) it is all from stressing out, since all of these ladies in my life had really good life from their childhood and up.
The world is too fast right now, and people don't know how to slow down or enjoy their lives anymore, and we are all chasing that dollar.
What happened to spending time in nature, daily, what happened to walking and moving our bodies instead of driving everywhere and always in a hurry, what happened to having time to help someone or just to have time to talk with someone instead of texting etc.
We think of the things we don't have and want and don't appreciate what we have and then we start to hate our lives.
When I first went to visit El Salvador, I fell in love with the people and nature and just the relaxed life.
You barely see anyone stressed or in a hurry. People are happy, and they have time for each other and anyone who comes their way.
If they have lots or nothing, they are happy and healthy people and that is why I want to move there to live that happy life which we experienced while living there for 2 years and I can't wait to go back.
Sorry, I think I went way off, but this is just from my life experience and this subject is very touchy and sad subject, since my dad is dealing with depression for good 10 years now, and I know for a fact that it was all caused by stress and just the lifestyle after we moved to Canada, which was pretty hard for my dad.
And watching him go through this terrible time was very hard and it breaks my heart for anyone that is dealing with this mental health and their family member.
thank you @joalvarez you are so on point with what you have said, we really are too caught up in this fast pace that we do not have time for what really matters and we become so stressed.There are so many factors to consider indeed. I am sorry to hear that your father has had a long battle with depression, it can really take a hold of some people. We really do need to remember what is important in life, but time is something that a lot of people feel they no longer have and making time for themselves and their families is no longer a priority. some times in order to move forward we must look back.
thank you for this! labelling is something i haven't given much thought to in regard to depression.. and i think you bring something valuable to the table.. because we do need to let kids and people express a very wide range of emotions without being labelled! <3 xx
thank you @eco-alex, I have seen a lot of people suffer because of being labelled due to their mental health and the stigma that comes with that has been harder for them to deal with than their health and usually they end up becoming isolated because of it, that and also the effects of medication that they are often put on, it has such a huge negative affect on them.
Without question we over label. Especially kids. I just refuse to take my kids in, though I can tell you exactly how they'd all be labeled. Like I said in my answer, most people really don't understand the difference between sadness and depression. I know I didn't until I really hit it. It looks different for different people, but for me it's when I can't pull myself out and find myself wanting it to all be over and done with. Sadness is an important part of life. Depression is sucking the soul out of life.
thank you mama, I hear you and so agree with you xx
I commend your underlying appeal to look at people more holistically without the desire to "straighten"them out to fit one frame, neat and square. We need more psychosophists like William Bento.
thank you @sukhasanasister, I do not have much faith in how people are all treated a like i the health system, how can one care model fit all.
Enjoyed reading your insight on the subject Aishlinn. Yes, we are all soo different and respond differently to everything and how much we can control ourselves to react to things varies too.
Well written darling, very interesting. I also think that we sometimes give the diagnose depression to easy, especially to children. It is also easy to get stuck in this way of thinking and living if you only treat the symptoms and not look at what cause those feelings. It all starts with our thoughts and beliefs.
Much Love!
xxx