Posted by bob on May 19, 2000, at 0:52:19
In reply to Re: is depression just in my mind?, posted by tina on May 18, 2000, at 22:12:55
If anyone ever suggests that to you, just give them one of those "Of course, stupid!" looks.
There are some psychological theories that deal with how we know what we know that argue we can never really know what really is. Sure, it smacks of philosophy, but we simply don't know how our brains take the billions of bits of sensory information we receive every moment, filter out what "doesn't matter" and focus on what does, and turn it all into things like "thoughts" and "concepts" and "ideas" and "feelings".
My point is that we act upon our perceptions of reality and not necessarily what is "real" (if that even means anything). Consider the stories of how "positive attitudes" or "indomitable spirits" have "beat" things like cancer or AIDS. I've heard of studies that support the healing effect of keeping a positive attitude or outlook. Sure, that's a pretty damn hard thing to have when you're DEPRESSED, but as I mentioned elsewhere there are some rather prominant psychologists who are working on "positive psychology" and how, for instance, optimism can be something you learn.
As for it "just" being in your mind ... well, it may be elsewhere in your body. The intestines, for example, apparently contain more nerve cells than the spinal cord. If you think about how easily the signals it gets -- low blood sugar, sudden influx of toxins -- can wrestle control of your body from your brain, you gotta wonder how "bad processing" in those other nerve clusters might influence brain function.
Anyway, don't trivialize yourself by thinking that it's all "just in your mind". It *is* in your mind, at the very least, and that fact should be respected instead of ridiculed.
cheers,
bob
poster:bob
thread:33956
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000517/msgs/33981.html