Depression is caused by lack of sense of purpose, discuss

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If someone has a sense of purpose they can always overcome anything. Depression is increasing in the western world because we do not have to struggle for anything and so don't feel like we are achieving anything. We are given everything we need and we don't know what then to do.

For example I feel less happy and less purpose now I have my life in order more. I kinda boring. I don't think we are supposed to have everything we want because what's next?

I think many people get partners because they feel like they have no worth without one and same for some people who have children.

What do you guys think?

It's the other way around. Depression causes a lack of sense of purpose. Apathy, hopelessness.

Or anyway, that's a possibility.

I do think feeling committed to something, be it a cause, a person, or a job, can help a person overcome adversity and even live longer. For this reason, engagement with our special interests can be healthy, as long as they don't take over our lives.

Clinical depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain - not philosophy.

Hmm, I would say purpose or a sense of purpose is foundational to a sense of hope and meaning; insomuch meaning is something humans crave and is crucial for developing motivation to live and take on a variety of tasks in the pusuit of accomplishing goals.

I would say having an overarching sense of purpose when setting and pursuing goals or overcoming adversity as opposed to a sense of overarching purposelessness gives that crucial meaning and desire to continue on in the pusuit of those goals, in that the goals are not an arbitrary end of themselves but contribute to something even larger and more meaningful; whereas if someone doesn't have a sense of meaning or doesn't think there is such a thing, then there is little external motivation but any goal would simply be arbitrary and an end to itself, with no broader meaning.

Now, regardless if one believes in an overarching absolute purpose or not; I would say having a sense of purpose is indeed what gives one meaning and satisfaction and thus motivation to live, without it, yes I could see how depression can result, in fact, at one time, for me, a sense of purposelessness or a struggling to find purpose was a major cause of the depression period of my life.

I agree with both Bea and Ezra -- there is such a thing as clinical depression which is a chemical imbalance little to do with circumstances or philosophical outlook.

And depression is often or usually a cause of feelings of purposelessness, rather than a result.

I have many goals and I'm far from settled into "having everything I want," quite the opposite. I'm still overcoming adverse conditions and my life is a struggle causing much anxiety. I strive to improve my lot and it's never out of my mind. But I still experience crippling depression, actually a lot because I'm desperately struggling to survive -- trust me, it's depressing to live in fear and worry.

My special interests give me respite and are the only things that keep me going, and which do in fact give me a sense of purpose as some of them do have a positive wider impact.

But even with those bits and pieces of sense of purpose, I experience both situational and some clinical depression.

Last edited by BirdInFlight on 17 Nov 2016, 2:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Perhaps some cases but in the majority it's environmental

There's clinical depression and what is sometimes called "situational" depression.

Situational would be arising from a cause/situation, literally, that most people would say is understandably depressing -- following death of a loved one, following a massive loss or change that the person perceives as a negative rather than a positive, depression because of dire circumstances and constant worry the person is not able to deal with, etc.

Clinical depression can arise even when nothing "depressing" situationally is happening; if your life is okay, nothing bad has happened lately, nothing is worrying you, things are running smoothly, but you are depressed, that can be chemical imbalance.

Humans don't do well in an environment like we have today.

Depression is caused by the inability of an extreme problem-solving brain to find a solution to a problem.

Clinical depression is a result of serotonin imbalance, just like (type 1) diabetes is a result of insulin imbalance. What's you're talking about is environmental cause and effect on mood, which is an entirely different thing. I just wanted to point that out.

Nobody seems to want to do anything lol.

I do agree that depression can and does exist even with a sense of purpose and I agree that depression is in large part due to a chemical imbalance in the brain.

But I also believe it's possible for a person to lose or struggle with a sense of purpose due to a variety of external events and thus over a prolonged period of time experiencing the stress of such, along with a gradual change in said person's thought process, partly by choice, partly sub conscious reaction, can eventually induce depression due to the brain's neurological architecture being altered, but I belief the opposite is also true, gradual healing from therapy, supportive enviroment and conscious and deliberate changes in thought process could alter the neurological architecture of the brain to become more stable again.

But I do believe that inspite of all that, the causal factor behind the gradual change could be beyond a person's control and might require medication or other means to help the brain function properly, beyond the above listed things.

Hence enviromental, and clinical depression.

The point I was trying to make was the possibility of depression being induced by a change in thought process over a period of time, or perhaps more accurately put, the possibility of a depressive state being induced as opposed to clinical depression.

These issues have been discussed, at length, by imperialists, authoritarians, and economists.

There are many different versions, but it's generally called, the "theory of rent," or "law of rent."

I feel that it contains some logical fallacies:
-- Arbitrary prices, penalties, and rewards assigned to things, are inherently meaningful.
-- Some people can't assign their own, independent value system.
-- Only special appointees are capable of making choices.

Learned helplessness has indeed been identified as a cause of depression, and was corroborated with scientific experiments. I would like to empathize the word, learned. It's something that can be taught. For instance, in "The Making of a Slave," it is discussed how to undermine people's confidence in themselves. Bezmenov discussed how demoralization of the common people can be used to empower dictators.

http://io9.gizmodo.com/how-rats-turned- ... 1687584457
"How Mice Turned Their Private Paradise Into A Terrifying Dystopia"
This is usually considered an example of overabundance, leading to a loss of values, but it appears that they were overcrowded.

Conservapedia discusses a situation, in which primitive peoples do not compete. There is no particular shortage, whereas sadomasochistic behaviors are usually an outgrowth of scarcity.

There is something called "existential depression". It mainly afflicts intellectuals; I don't think it's the root cause of depression for most people. I don't really think people are even more depressed now that before, it's just that there's medication available for it now and the stigma on seeking treatment for mental health problems has diminished.

"I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow."
-- from Ecclesiastes 1

Hmm. It's interested how you guys can know so many things more than me