Beneficial Depression

I am not a reader of women’s fashion magazines, but a few days ago a co-worker had left one on our desk and I found myself quickly browsing through it. Just as I was getting annoyed of seeing the same old stereotypical notions of “beauty” pictured page after page and was about to put the magazine down, I came across an article that grabbed my attention because it talked about a condition I have been dealing with for a long time: depression.

What kept me reading was that, for once, all the medical talk about neurotransmitters and serotonin levels was put aside and replaced with a definition and understanding of the condition that made complete sense to me and that I completely related to and agreed with. In fact, I saw clear similarities between what I was reading and what I had mentioned in my first post on this blog. The magazine being written in French, I decided to translate the article and post it here.

Beneficial Depression

Originally published in Elle Quebec, December 2008 - Text by Danielle Stanton

Translated by t§Øl€®

Depression is a defense mechanism that helps us live a better life, proclaims British psychiatrist Paul Keedwell in his recent book How Sadness Survived – The Evolutionary Basis of Depression (Radcliffe Publishing). He explains why.

DS: What is a depression?
PK: We must avoid confusing depression with the grief or unhappiness we automatically feel when facing “normal” negative experiences, such as a heartbreak or mourning. Three conditions have to be met to diagnose depression: first, a general feeling of sadness; second, a loss of pleasure even in our favorite activities; and third, a complete loss of energy. We could add to that difficulty concentrating and a strong tendency to avoid all social contact. These symptoms must persist over a few weeks. Furthermore, depression is so common nowadays that we must cease to consider it an illness.

DS: That takes us to your surprising hypothesis: depression, then, would be in your opinion, a natural mechanism of adaptation?
PK: Precisely. Many studies show that humans around the world have always suffered from depression. Humans have always been subject to stressful environmental situations, in their relationships with others, etc. That stress sometimes transitions into depression. Following the logic of evolutionary theory, if this mechanism was disadvantageous, it would have disappeared long ago! But that is not the case. Hence, this difficult transition has a meaning.

DS: What is its meaning?
PK: It indicates to us that we’re on the wrong track. Depression takes us out of a prison of stress we seem incapable of escaping from, whether that prison is our work, a relationship or within us. It’s as if our body was putting itself on strike to get a better salary or better conditions. As if it was using depression to say “we stop everything”, thus, giving us the opportunity to take a break, think and, if need be, reorient ourselves.

DS: It’s hard to believe that something so painful can be beneficial!
PK: That is true, but think about it: when your body reacts to an infection with fever, it’s not that pleasant either. It’s nevertheless quite useful to fight the illness! Same thing happens when you throw up following a poisoning. Those are painful defense mechanisms that can save your life. Same goes for depression.

DS: Those who suffer from depression are often considered weaker and more vulnerable...
PK: Not only is that inaccurate, but often, coming out of depression, they feel stronger than ever! If you only knew the amount of people that issued testimonials in this regard after my book’s publication. They had found what really mattered to them, what they wanted to focus on to be happy. Consequently, they felt so much stronger! How many people have that luck? Suffering from depression offers the possibility to improve the quality of one’s existence. It’s a little like a rite of passage on the path of life...so to speak.

Depression has another advantage: it pushes us to contemplate life in a more realistic manner. We cease, for example, to deny our fundamental needs or entertain illusions on ourselves (our talents, abilities...) or on others. Going through it allows us to pursue our journey armed with a healthy realism.

DS: Can we deduct from your hypothesis that those who never go through depression are better adapted to start with?
PK: Not necessarily. Depression is also a fruit of our environment. Take two people living with similar chronic stress. If the first has less support from their immediate surroundings, they have a higher chance of developing depression. You know, we must not always judge from appearances: not being depressive does not necessarily mean feeling well.

DS: There is this impression that depression is an ill of modern civilization. Why is that?
PK: There’s confusion here. Depression has always existed, I repeat, but our so called modern lifestyle exacerbates the situation in many ways. For starters, individualism makes it more difficult to find and benefit from support within our environment. Formerly, when one was not feeling well, they were permitted to retreat, yes, but once better, found support to integrate the community afresh. This is still the case in more traditional societies where solidarity is still prevalent. As for ourselves, it is a shame to see how much we have stopped caring for one another.

Also, the obsessive discourse of certain media creates an enormous pressure, by having us believe that it is up to ourselves to become beautiful, rich and famous. If we fail, depression occurs inevitably. Lastly, the widening gap between the wealthy and the poor doesn’t help. Let’s be honest: when in need of necessities, it’s not as easy to be in high spirits.

In short, if the world keeps going in this direction, our grandchildren will not be better adapted than we are to their environment, on the human plane, and they will be just as depressed, if not more.

DS: For certain, our modern societies are very intolerant of depression.
PK: Definitely! The message is clear: one must function again as quickly as possible. Societal politics are far from permitting each person to reduce their activities if they feel the need to do so! We are all trapped in the whirlwind, hence the incentive to resort to anti-depressants, to become productive again. However, two traps we might fall into by doing that: to pass by the opportunity of a genuine questioning of our lifestyle, obviously problematic, and also, prevent people from noticing we need help.

DS: Are anti-depressants prescribed too quickly?
PK: Sometimes. However, as in everything, there are many levels of depression. Let’s compare it to our immune system. It’s a beneficial mechanism because it protects us, but when out of order, can turn against us and become dangerous. In the same way, we must distinguish mild depression from its more serious counterpart. In the case of the former, introspection and time are the best remedies, but for the latter, anti-depressants are sometimes necessary. The signs of a serious depression? Complete (or almost) lack of sleep, lack of appetite with dangerous weight loss and not only suicidal thoughts, but impulses to act on them, etc.

DS: Some people suffer from repetitive episodes of depression. Why is that?
PK: Either the pain is extremely deep or they didn’t really take the time to stop and go in depth during the first depressive episode. In either case, a consultation with a psychologist or psychiatrist is recommended.

DS: What is the best attitude to adopt when one is hit by depression?
PK: To be patient and know that it’s happening for a reason. Not worry if, during the first months, we lack the necessary energy to rethink our life. The energy will come back, in its own time. One condition however: that society in general and those close to us give us the leisure to recuperate without blame or pressure.

DS: Why did you write this book?
PK: To help remove the social stigma attached with depression, so that people who go through this ordeal feel less guilty. This affliction is like a navigational instrument intended to guide us towards a better future. There is life after depression and it can be beautiful.