[jvogt]

> Why, instead, do you shut them in a dark room, alone with a stranger, to talk about things that make them sad?

FWIW, this isn't really how therapy goes. At least from my CBT experiences, its a few minutes of talking about what we're currently struggling with, then decoding those topics to learn how we distort our experiences and memories towards the negative / stressful.

Then usually the "homework" would be small actionable steps to build up habits to become aware of these distortions, as well as habits to make other healthy choices.

Not discounting Andrew's story one bit, just putting a bit more light on what modern therapy aims towards.

[starpilot]

The general idea is true though. For a depressed person, we aim to isolate them with a clinician instead of surrounding them with friends. We even use "therapy" as a kind insult: "You should go to therapy!" as if mental illness is something to be shamed.

The overall notion is that there's something wrong with people who are depressed, and that we'd rather wash our hands of it than help them. We have similar attitudes toward the homeless and the incarcerated. It's a very puritan/Calvinist attitude, that "certain people" are innately bad, but pervasive in even progressively minded Americans.

[d0lph]

Friends/therapist is a false dichotomy, any good therapist encourages socializing.

Depressed people are not mentally healthy, it's a condition that can lead to suicide. Being sad is not bad, but when someone is diagnosed with depression, or any mental disorder, it's because it's affecting their lives negatively.

Also the rooms have do have lights in them.