[JaneNC]

Depression is self inflicted. Consumed with self.

[From many - one.]

“Depression is self inflicted. Consumed with self.”

An ignorant and unkind statement. The brain of a depressed person fails to produce the right chemicals, much as type one diabetes is caused by the pancreas being unable to produce insulin.

[aruanan]

Depression is self inflicted. Consumed with self.

Or a brain that uptakes serotonin too quickly or doesn't produce enough. Beware the "Drunks are dizzy. You're dizzy, so you must be a drunk" sorts of arguments.

[RightWhale]

That opinion might be revised somewhat to reflect recent medical research, say since WW II.

[Paved Paradise]

You are very uninformed. While I believe that much of what might be called “depression” could simply be dissatisfaction, ingratitude, and so on, there is such a thing as clinical depression. It can be brought on by an event or can even be inherited.

You should read Styron’s book on his journey into depression.

[AFreeBird]

Depression is self inflicted. Consumed with self.

Sorry, but If I were to paraphrase Chevy Chase on SNL: Jane...

But I won't.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

"Depression is self inflicted. Consumed with self."

Wow. That statement really highlights your ignorance on the subject.

[SuziQ]

You obviously don’t know anyone who is truly depressed.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

You, and those around you, have obviously led blest lives, because you obviously have never encountered Clinical Depression. If you had, you could not make a statement like that.

When someone like a JK Rowlings comes forward and says, I came out of the black hole of depression. I got better...look what I did with my life...it can mean a world of hope for someone battling the disease. And it is a disease, a chemical inbalance just like diabetes, or faulty thyroid.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> Depression is self inflicted. Consumed with self.

Your viewpoint is, unfortunately, widely held in modern Society. Luckily, this is changing as we learn more and more about how the Mind works.

Until very recently it was quite unwise to acknowledge having Depression because of the stigma that doing so attracted.

It is very brave for people like JK Rowling and John Kirwan to step forward and acknowledge their condition as a mental illness — which is precisely what it is. It is a serious medical condition that requires medical treatment.

It is often fatal if left untreated.

I have had Depression for some 15 years. As medical conditions go, it is quite unpleasant, but it is one of those things that is well-managed by a combination of good medicine, careful personal habits, and regular monitoring by my doctor.

Earlier posters have drawn comparisons between having Depression and having Insulin-dependent Diabetes: it is an excellent analogy. The body’s production and use of required chemicals is not working correctly.

Depression also often accompanies PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) but it is *not* the same thing. It also often accompanies other disorders like OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), Bulimia and Anorexia — but again it is not the same thing.

*DieHard the Hunter*

[uncitizen]

Depression is self inflicted. Consumed with self.

You really don't know what the F**k you're talking about. When that's the case, the best recourse is to shut up.