"Just do it"

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I'm wondering about peoples opinions on this article, which says that (essentially) people should get off their buts when depressed. He raises the point that this is "hard " but then goes on to give an example of a depressing experience as having an unexpected weekend off work and having to spend it having fun with his family.

http://thishealthylife.com.au/just-do-it/

The author does seem to distinguish between depression everyone experiences and depressive disorders, and acknowledges with depressive disorders it can be very difficult or even impossible to 'just get off your butt and do something.' So I don't really have any issue with the article, I think when it comes to feeling down which happens to everyone sometimes you do just need to get up and go out and do something to get your mind off it and possibly enjoy yourself. But with serious depression it is a bit different....I was concerned this would be another one of those 'if you have serious depression, you should just get over it' sort of articles but didn't turn out that way.

Although this anecdote negates a lot of the causes of my own depression, I'm happy to see it grounded in neuroscience instead of conformism. Strictly speaking I can't imagine having the time to get down on myself if I somehow ever acquired a wife & kids; chances are my job would still be programming, so it stands to reason that hypothetical scenario would imply an even 50/50 split of my time in waking reality between complete bliss & algorithms (I'm assuming they're different things, right? ), so I don't really think this is a reasonable standard to foist upon most depressed people, but most of my family convenes sporadically at hippie festivals much like this one, so I'm not entirely sure I have anything to ramble about!

_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos

Ooooo algorthms ^_^ algorithmic composition is my nascent special interest! I love the birth of a new special interest. Utterly incredible time. As for depression I do find that mine is made far worse when I have no purpose or direction. Depressed individuals need NEED short and long term goals. One of the most effective "cures" for depression is a long term goal to work toward. Its taken me years to find mine but once you do it gives new focus and direction which really helps alleviate the gloom