Posted by zmg on December 4, 2006, at 16:53:49
In reply to Re: Why your medicine may not help, posted by linkadge on December 4, 2006, at 16:23:49
Not to be crass, but I always preferred the 'depression is a luxury of the rich' scenario. Not meaning that depression isn't real or valid, but something that first-world countries will face increasingly as economics become more abstracted, leaving increased opportunity to focus on more esoteric and qualitative aspects of our lives.
And of course our important drive for day to day survival becomes more diluted by comfort and consumerism.
But I think on the other hand, advocates of depression as a biological/genetic disposition have plenty of fodder too: environmental agents, subverted selection, social/religious values/beliefs/practices can all have variously toxic effects.
Lastly (and loftily) perhaps technology is simply a layer of evolution? Maybe changing our state of mind is a basic imperative (our long history with drugs use might suggest it is)? Perhaps combating very real depression is one of the first steps in a more active step in human evolution?
To say we experience something so it must be necessary seems similar to saying because cell growth can be triggered we should embrace cancer.
poster:zmg
thread:710350
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061129/msgs/710365.html