How/why is depression so prevalent

[phatpat]

We've all heard the stories in the news or around town...family members or friends being depressed, suicides, school shootings, etc. where did it all come from? Did depression exist 100 years ago and was just dealt with somehow, or has it developed along with our newer, more advanced society? What do you guys think?
I can't seem to understand the thousands of people now dealing with this illness that seemed to be non-existent just a few decades ago

[Deleted]

Of course there has been. It's just mattered a lot less in the times where your most intellectually challenging task for the day was making porridge and milking the cows.

[Deleted]

I don't think it was non-existant at any point in history of mankind. But you have to consider until some years ago being psychologically ill was stigmatized and people just couldn't let anyone know (or get any treatment). Nowadays depression doesn't occur more often but isn't a tabu anymore (although that leads to people thinking it's no disease but a normal condition and the lack to handle difficult situations)..

[Deleted]

It's always been there to one degree or another. More people talk about it now and overall it has better publicity than it has ever had before. It's not a new thing at all.

[Deleted]

I guess it's just easier to come out with being depressed today, in the past it was probably a matter of pride that isn't as relevant in our society today. Besides, the internet has obviously made it more public to talk about depression.

[Deleted]

Because depending on who reads the symptoms everyone can be depressed. Have you ever took a look at the description? You'll think you're depressed too.
The reason why you almost never heard of it before late 20th century it's because before it was called melancholia - which was described as a much more serious thing, aka depression in psychotic people - until pharmaceutics decided they had to do more money. Psychiatry is a huge business, just don't believe to everything you hear about it.

[Rukentuts]

As with many mental illnesses / disorders, better diagnosis is also a factor.

[Xl House lX]

Society man. We are a very, very materialistic society, and to get all those material goods comes at a cost, we drive ourselves crazy trying to get the things we want and need. We will work jobs we absolutely hate in order for a minuscule satisfaction from an object.

Its not just that though, other things are increasing divorce rates, poverty rates, etc. People are struggling, and the struggle only increases more and more as society gets more advanced and deems unnecessary things necessary. 15 years ago it wasn't all that uncommon for a household to not have a computer, or hell even a TV. Now? Average household has at least 2+ Tvs in it and at least one computer. This shit ain't cheap.

Im going to italicize this next paragraph, because it may seem off topic but it has a very good point:

I know people who literally can't keep up with their bills. Some bills will just simply go unpaid, and they will do without, like trash service for example. But at the same time, these people have 64' flatscreen Tv's, a new car, nice name brand clothing, etc. but their yard is full of trash, their animals aren't being fed, and other things that are deemed a necessity in life are being abused in order to have luxuries, all because they are so freaking materialistic.

Am I materialistic? Probably, but not as much as the others. I have literally like 10 shirts (all from Walmart btw ftw), 5 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of jeans, and underwear and socks. I live minimally, and I wish others would do the same. Just cause you don't have American Eagle clothing or the latest and greatest iPhone doesn't mean you'll be miserable. In fact, going through all the stress to get those things is what makes you so miserable and DEPRESSED.

[wvx]

.....
I can't seem to understand the thousands of people now dealing with this illness that seemed to be non-existent just a few decades ago

A few decades ago people used to go camping , fishing , outdoors a lot more often than today generations . I remember that until I was 15-16 years old most of my vacations (summer and winter) were spent at my grandparents (hills/mountain area) and during that time I spent 99% of the days fishing , exploring , climbing trees , helping my g-parents with housework and playing with my friends .
Now , when I look at today's generation I actually pity them , they WILL NEVER understand what it means to have a childhood full of adventure , they only know of SMS , Chat , Games , TV and other crap like that .

PS: I also don't get what the fuck is with the people going to shrinks and feeling depressed , having the need to be hospitalised ... I mean WTF , I have 100000 more problems than most of those people and I don't bitch or complain about it , I just do the best I can to finish everything I can .

[Deleted]

Depression didn't just spring out of nowhere. I think there's just far more awareness of it as a problem now, I guess not much was understood about it back in the day, same as lots of other medical stuff. Now we know more about it, people aren't as afraid to admit they may have depression, I guess its possible that years ago it would be little understood and seen as "weird"

[Nanaboostme]

I think the bigger problem is that a lot of people look at depression as a phase that someone can just snap out of. And then theres the common misconception between short-term depression (broke up with gf, lost job) compared to clinical depression (being depressed everyday for many several months). If theres any sign of clinical depression in your family or friend, talk to them. One thing with depression is that many people feel alone or would like the attention. It's a nasty mind-disease that should not be ignored because it can ultimately lead to the worst outcomes.

I also believe that it can be a genetic trait.

A few decades ago people used to go camping , fishing , outdoors a lot more often than today generations . I remember that until I was 15-16 years old most of my vacations (summer and winter) were spent at my grandparents (hills/mountain area) and during that time I spent 99% of the days fishing , exploring , climbing trees , helping my g-parents with housework and playing with my friends .
Now , when I look at today's generation I actually pity them , they WILL NEVER understand what it means to have a childhood full of adventure , they only know of SMS , Chat , Games , TV and other crap like that .

PS: I also don't get what the fuck is with the people going to shrinks and feeling depressed , having the need to be hospitalised ... I mean WTF , I have 100000 more problems than most of those people and I don't bitch or complain about it , I just do the best I can to finish everything I can .

I believe, i might be wrong, but people still go camping, fishing, and outdoors today. Possibly. I don't think your life experience justifies the majority as well. And are you saying SMS, Chat, Games, TV and other crap make you depressed? Whats the point of bringing this up?

and about your PS... clearly you wouldn't understand if you never had clinical depression, could you be anymore ignorant and arrogant? Have you heard their stories or what they've been through? And Im not talking about the patients that go for short-term depression, I mean clinical depression.

[phatpat]

So is it fair to say that the type of society that has been built could be a cause for its more frequent occurrences?

[Deleted]

PS: I also don't get what the fuck is with the people going to shrinks and feeling depressed , having the need to be hospitalised ... I mean WTF , I have 100000 more problems than most of those people and I don't bitch or complain about it , I just do the best I can to finish everything I can .

this is due to the different structures of personalities, I think.
some people can cope with difficult situations better than others, best example would be stress, for some people it's normal, others get sick due to it. different people handle the same situation different than others, therefore some get ill, some don't. telling the ones who develop a disease (like depression) they are wrong/could've done better or whatever is just plain wrong, as (in my opinion) you can't change the structure of a personality (btw the chemistry involved in the organism is important, too).

I think the bigger problem is that a lot of people look at depression as a phase that someone can just snap out of. And then theres the common misconception between short-term depression (broke up with gf, lost job) compared to clinical depression (being depressed everyday for many several months). If theres any sign of clinical depression in your family or friend, talk to them. One thing with depression is that many people feel alone or would like the attention. It's a nasty mind-disease that should not be ignored because it can ultimately lead to the worst outcomes.

I also believe that it can be a genetic trait.

this

So is it fair to say that the type of society that has been built could be a cause for its more frequent occurrences?

at least it may be one of the reasons, though people suffered from depression way before we got to our current type of society.

[Xl House lX]

So is it fair to say that the type of society that has been built could be a cause for its more frequent occurrences?

Definitely fair. Between media making any girl who isn't a Victoria's Secret model feel like utter shit (which they shouldn't btw), and making college student's feel like the only way to have fun is get so fucking drunk you can't remember what you even did, its a completely fair statement.

[Forfax]

A few decades ago people used to go camping , fishing , outdoors a lot more often than today generations . I remember that until I was 15-16 years old most of my vacations (summer and winter) were spent at my grandparents (hills/mountain area) and during that time I spent 99% of the days fishing , exploring , climbing trees , helping my g-parents with housework and playing with my friends .
Now , when I look at today's generation I actually pity them , they WILL NEVER understand what it means to have a childhood full of adventure , they only know of SMS , Chat , Games , TV and other crap like that .

PS: I also don't get what the fuck is with the people going to shrinks and feeling depressed , having the need to be hospitalised ... I mean WTF , I have 100000 more problems than most of those people and I don't bitch or complain about it , I just do the best I can to finish everything I can .

please.... stop writing none sense , everybody have their problems.
Some have much harder time than you and require help , you're just making assumption out of the wild.
My generation goes outside as much as yours , pretending otherwise is just being naive.
We might have more thing to do inside the house nowdays i don't denied that but believing that every teenagers don't go outside is just crazy.

[Killingifrit]

PS: I also don't get what the fuck is with the people going to shrinks and feeling depressed , having the need to be hospitalised ... I mean WTF , I have 100000 more problems than most of those people and I don't bitch or complain about it , I just do the best I can to finish everything I can .

just 1 problem is enough to be depressed. and you dont choose whether you become depressed or not, your body does. and you cant magically get out of a depression either. even if the problem is so small and isignificant you cant help it. it either leaves with time or with help, or not at all. i dont think you know what depression is.

[Lilly32]

because people expect life to be easy and everyone has some sort of sense of entitlement. Then when they realize life sucks they feel bad.

[Tanteslem]

I believe there was depression 100 years ago too, but today's society makes it easier to fall through. We have insane expectations when it comes to success these days, nearly none of us are happy with what we got, and always struggle for more.
We also spend less time around other people now than before, so I can understand how loneliness can trigger depression.

It was a lot of shame being abnormal in the earlier generations too. For example would a child with Downs syndrome probably be sent away to an institution up to the 60/70's. They were not to be spoken off. Depression were not to be spoken of either.

When I grew up, the small village where I lived had an anxiety attack. One middle-aged woman suddenly came through and told the rest she was afraid to go outside. Then 4 other followed and were suddenly also so afraid for something they had to get treated. I don't know if it was a scam to get some easy cash while sitting at home, or if that one who first admitted her disease made it easier for the others.

[Deleted]

just 1 problem is enough to be depressed. and you dont choose whether you become depressed or not, your body does. and you cant magically get out of a depression either. it either leaves with time or with help, or not at all. i dont think you know what depression is.

this.
some people have really big problems and stay mentally healthy while others develop depression or other mental (or physical) illnesses. you can't just decide to stay healthy, as the previous poster said. even people who seem to live a healthy and happy life can suffer from serious depression though looking at them would make you jealous of how nice their life is going.

because people expect life to be easy and everyone has some sort of sense of entitlement. Then when they realize life sucks they feel bad.

feeling bad is nowhere even close to suffering from depression, just saying..

[IRunSoFarAway]

I think the bigger problem is that a lot of people look at depression as a phase that someone can just snap out of. And then theres the common misconception between short-term depression (broke up with gf, lost job) compared to clinical depression (being depressed everyday for many several months). If theres any sign of clinical depression in your family or friend, talk to them. One thing with depression is that many people feel alone or would like the attention. It's a nasty mind-disease that should not be ignored because it can ultimately lead to the worst outcomes.

I also believe that it can be a genetic trait.

^This.

There's people that feel depressed after something has happened like the death of a family member, breaking up with someone, or whatever makes you sad. And then there are people who are depressed and there's just no real reason other than a chemical imbalance, genetics, a loss or a traumatic incident, or something else.

Depression goes all the way back to ancient greece and I'm sure it goes back even further.