Posted by finelinebob on August 21, 2006, at 21:07:01
In reply to Re: Is Depression a choice?, posted by ciaolavida on August 21, 2006, at 20:37:49
> No, it's not.
But staying depressed is.
Sure, there are some environmentally "caused" -- death of a loved one, for example. And you can compound that by not seeking counseling, but self-medicating, any number of which are going to send you into a downward spiral.
That's a choice.
For those of us who have it in our genes, we have no choice other than to constantly manage it. There is no "snapping out of it". There is no "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps."
At 72nd and Broadway here in NYC, there is a sign painted on the side of a building that must be 10 stories tall. Yellow backgound, black text. It's been there forever, as far as I know, and "forever" for me as a New Yorker goes back 10 years. It reads:
Depression is a flaw in chemistry, not in character.
You chan choose your chemistry. Certain choices (alcohol for one) are going to make you worse off in the long run. Others meant to help may have no effect or a negative outcome -- that means they aren't what you need.
You can give up on meds and you can give up on therapy, and that's a choice. A choice to BE depressed. Nope. Already there. A choice to STAY depressed? Well, you can't wish it away, so yes.
poster:finelinebob
thread:678826
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060818/msgs/678851.html