[intralizee]

As a programmer trying to imagine how I would construct & create depression for a simulation. I think it would make sense to have a negative state that turns "on or off" against the will, associated with unwanted thinking patterns, current life circumstances and some type of past trauma playing a big role in the illness. Anyone think of something different?

I believe past trauma is the root cause and I doubt people have depression if they haven't had some type of experience they would classify as trauma. I think one solution is defeating the trauma with after decoupling the negative thinking patterns. Another problem is I think the illness cannot be defeated in some rare circumstances. I think people get prescribed medication too often. Doctors use the diagnosis too often from my observation. Some have tried to label me with it, when I suffer from another illness "gender dysphoria" and I think that isn't right for them to do. I also think the diagnosis is too vague and should have classifications.

I believe more resources need to be put into educating people and how to approach mental health as important to physical health. When I grew up in the US, it was always about physical health and with a little sex education. Mental health might be even more important because it can prevent a person from having good physical health.

[mabbo]

> I believe past trauma is the root cause and I doubt people have depression if they haven't had some type of experience they would classify as trauma.

I had a great childhood. Amazing parents. A good upper middle class life. Good friends. No real trauma to speak of at all.

By 12, if I'd shared with a doctor what was going on in my head they'd have slapped me with the depression label. I wasn't healthy. There was no event or trauma. This shit is genetic- I can tell which relatives on my Mom's side have the demon riding on their shoulders. They, like me, were born with it. I'm sure they can see it on me too.

Trauma can indeed trigger it, but there are a lot of other ways. Don't presume that just because someone suffers from depression that they have been traumatized, nor that someone who hasn't been traumatized can't suffer from depression.

[ettercap18]

I got very depressed because I actually had undiagnosed Aspergers.

This caused me to get bullied, have problems in school which then turned into depression later. People with Aspergers are incredibly sensitive and blind to emotions making them easy targets.

The root cause for me was the Aspergers. What tipped me over the edge was not knowing I was different and being put into a school environment not suited for someone with all the sensitivities associated with Aspergers.

Yes bad things happened to me that made be depressed, but there was more going on.

[enibundo]

What's the catch once your asperges is diagnosed? What can you do anyways..

[intralizee]

What sort of thoughts were in your head at 12? Trauma can be rooted in the subconscious and without one realizing the trauma ever happened.

[IAmGraydon]

Exactly. Most people who suffered trauma at an early age cannot identify it without working through it with a therapist.

[mthoms]

I think perhaps you wrote "most people" when you meant to write "some people"?

If not, then I'd kindly ask you to provide a citation. Cheers.

[claudiawerner]

I thought this much was obvious; the idea that one can necessarily simply remember trauma was banished very early in the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis. It's a little disappointing to see that people continually underestimate the power of the unconscious.

[DanBC]

The idea that people can't remember trauma but that it still affects them, and what we really need to do is to uncover those repressed memories has caused immense harm.

[claudiawerner]

That was my point, but other commenters seemed to be saying that if you can't remember trauma then you must never have been traumatised, which is a false thing to say.

[nnd]

What harm has it caused exactly?

[mthoms]

While this study did find a correlation (unsurprisingly) between depression and childhood trauma. It also found that 1 in 4 sufferers had experienced none at all.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4677006/

Are you suggesting a staggering 25% of depression sufferers have repressed memories? If so, I'd like to point out that there is no scientific consensus that it even exists:

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repressed_memory#Criticism :

The existence of repressed memory recovery has not been accepted by mainstream psychology, nor unequivocally proven to exist, and some experts in the field of human memory feel that no credible scientific support exists for the notions of repressed/recovered memories

[intralizee]

I'm not sure how the best way is to respond.

Even if the critique suggests "the memories may be false or distorted" the essence still holds properties in how the person has been modified by it. I would still consider the person suffering from trauma associated to it. Trauma from misinterpretation is just as real in comparison to trauma from an event that did in fact happen. Both may result in a person being altered negatively.

[mthoms]

I'm not suggesting "the memories may be false or distorted" and I agree with your sentiment expressed above.

What I'm saying is that your theory - "I believe past trauma is the root cause and I doubt people have depression if they haven't had some type of experience they would classify as trauma" was proven false in the study I cited.

It found that one in four depression sufferers had no childhood trauma to speak of.

Your (apparent?) explanation for this - that 1 in 4 depression suffers have simply suppressed their trauma memories - has no scientific basis.

It all gives the appearance that you're projecting your own personal experience without providing evidence.

[intralizee]

The study you referenced had the critique I wrote my reply towards.

I don't consider the study proving anything false.

If a person has no childhood trauma to speak of, it can be instilled in the subconscious and they're unable to process it. Psychology is built upon theories with little scientific basis of replicating the assertions. Observation is really all of psychology studies.

Simply, it's difficult or even impossible to provide evidence around problems surrounding the psych by what you're asking. Nobody can assert with science to how conscience is even real.

[lsc]

Huh.

(to be clear, I'm no more qualified than you, probably less, I'm just a computer technician speculating about how the brain works;)

I always felt like trying to fit my feelings into a logical model that had to do with other feelings was a losing game. As far as I can tell, how healthy I am in other ways matters more to my feelings than anything else; when I'm doing badly, little bad things seem huge; when I'm depressed, it feels like I've always been depressed. When I'm doing well? the opposite is true. Feelings just... they aren't logic. they don't seem to operate under the rules of logic.

I guess I think of bad feelings like any other kind of difficult to pinpoint bodily pain... something is wrong with me, but the thing that is wrong is often not the thing that hurts.

I personally think there's way too much stigma associated with drugs; I mean, for me, fitness levels have a lot to do with mood, and goddamn, it's hard to get myself to work out when I'm depressed, so I can get in this sort of negative feedback loop. For me? short term antidepressent use is hugely useful for getting out of those negative loops. And really? I don't see a problem with long term medication use, if it's safe and if it helps.

[intralizee]

I think our health and feelings of happiness or sadness are fundamentally outside of our control is reality. Since, I can argue people have no real control in life from deductive reasoning.

I assume nature with what's described as evolution, is similar to how us humans build our emotional state. I observe human characteristics such as greed, greatly theorized as a survival trait and speculate how it alters everything else depending on the individual. Basically everything to me is similar to code and where logic lives to be discovered.

The stigma with drugs from what I believe is if you require it to function forever. Honestly I have nothing against drugs if the person taking them is educated.

> I guess I think of bad feelings like any other kind of difficult to pinpoint bodily pain... something is wrong with me, but the thing that is wrong is often not the thing that hurts.

I like how you wrote this.

[agumonkey]

There are cases where environment is the cause of your pain, if your family desintegrate and all your good times are not coming back it will hurt you and may cause depression.

Also subtle factors in how you think and feel about things and your location, a single change of place can restore things in you that you couldn't really alter on your own previously.

[colemickens]

>I believe past trauma is the root cause and I doubt people have depression if they haven't had some type of experience they would classify as trauma.

Hm, what do you mean by trauma? I strongly disagreed with this statement, but feel less strongly after writing and considering it more. Maybe the influences that I think vageuly underlie or trigger my existential depression is others would call trauma?

[enibundo]

Trauma is everything that you have lived as traumatic. Period.

It can be parents emotional neglect, physical abuse, verbal abuse, judgement, absent as well as siblings, friends etc.

You are the sum of your past experiences.

[intralizee]

> Maybe the influences that I think vageuly underlie or trigger my existential depression is others would call trauma?

I think that may possibly be the case of the trauma. Subconsciously something is there and it's deeply personal per individual with how one's life played out.

[bahro]

Have you played Depression Quest? http://www.depressionquest.com/dqfinal.html

[nurettin]

"You've been in therapy for some time now, and have started to be able to realize what is a rational fear and what is not. You feel like you might be simply being insecure ..."

I think this is the gist of the entire ordeal of depression. You simply mature up and grow out of it in time.