Posted by pegasus on March 17, 2004, at 23:11:07
In reply to Re: Depression as response to reality, posted by Tancred62 on March 17, 2004, at 15:32:59
OK, sorry, I guess it was others who mentioned pessimism. And that was rather a cornerstone of my argument. So . . . nevermind that.
I found your definitions very interesting. I'll agree that skepticism is healthy (although I know and respect people who disagree with that stance on the basis that it shuts one off from the possibility of there being anything greater than what we can directly perceive - i.e., spirituality, magic, etc.) And I'm down with your take on nihilism. No real argument there.
Your definition of cynicism baffles me, though. I always thought of it (using the modern definition - leaving the original Greek cynics out of it) as a view that humans are essentially evil and that we should expect the worst from people. I would disagree with that, so I guess I'm not a cynic. But whether I agree or disagree, I'm having a hard time seeing how it relates to maintaining virtue, self-control, and independence. Would you be so kind as to elaborate?
A point on which I respectfully disagree with you is wishing for a future without medication. I don't want it unless it's a heck of a lot better than my past without medication. I suppose that's possible. But considering that - with all the work I've done to relieve depression and anxiety - the one thing that has made the biggest improvement in my life has been medication, I doubt it. I agree that meds are complicated and the struggles many people have with them can be heartbreaking. But, there are also lots of success stories, and stories of lives being saved by meds. If meds make one emotionally flaccid, and the person doesn't like that, then I'm all for them making the choice to forgo meds. But for some, emotionally flaccid might be a drastic improvement. And for some, meds don't do that. I am thankful everyday for meds, and I wish for a future where everyone whose lives would be more livable with proper medication can have that relief. I even wish that future research will find better meds to give more suffering people relief without terrible side effects.
The other thing I respectfully disagree with you about is the stoicism. I find life much more enjoyable and manageable if I acknowledge and examine my emotions rather than avoiding them, even when they go to extremes. OK, yes, the depression is problematic in that regard. But at the same time, when I am feeling depressed, it does seem to help to acknowledge the feelings. I don't know how one would truly avoid it anyway, except with medication, which was one of the other things you seemed to be hoping to avoid. I'm interested in your thoughts here as well.
- p
poster:pegasus
thread:324687
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040313/msgs/325489.html