I Have a Theory on How to Treat Depression
It's different than Trumps' Make America Healthy Again Commission
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If you never experienced depression then the suffering might be hard to understand. Try this 1921 description by German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin:
With a certain dull submission, which shuts out every comfort and every gleam of light, he drags himself with difficulty from one day to another. Everything has become disagreeable to him; everything wearies him, company, music, travel, his professional work. Everywhere he sees only the dark side and difficulties; the people around him are not so good and unselfish as he thought; one disappointment and disillusionment follows another. Life appears to him to be aimless, he thinks that he is superfluous to the world, he cannot constrain himself any longer, the thought occurs to him to take his life without knowing why. He has a feeling as if something has cracked in him.
Author Matt Haig offers an additional reflection on why the term depression trips people up. It is perhaps, the wrong word.
The word depression makes me think of a flat tire, something punctured and unmoving. Maybe depression minus anxiety feels like that, but depression laced with terror is not something flat or still. (The poet Melissa Broder once tweeted: "what idiot called it 'depression' and not there are bats living in my chest and they take up a lot of room, ps. I see a shadow'?").
In this context, I read a piece of shit article by the president’s team on how to Make American Healthy Again. I am compelled to respond to Section 5 where “Within 100 days of the date of this order, the Commission shall submit to the President, through the Chair and the Executive Director, the Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment, which shall:”
My Thoughts
Finding the right antidepressant is like picking the right WiFi network in a crowded coffee shop: trial, error, and frustration. Some people connect instantly, while others get stuck refreshing, hoping something finally clicks.
On average, people try at least two or three different medications before landing on one that doesn’t make them feel like a malfunctioning robot (link). Some people hit the jackpot early. Others spend years bouncing between different pills, adjusting dosages, and dealing with side effects that range from "mildly annoying" to "Oh great, now I have a third nipple."
But here’s the thing: whatever works, works. If a tiny pill keeps you from feeling like you’re drowning in a pit of existential despair, then take the damn pill. If running three miles every morning makes you feel like a semi-functional human being, keep running. Even the contents of your kitchen pantry aren't off-limits. A small study suggests that consuming vinegar may significantly reduce depression symptoms, offering a potential, albeit unconventional, remedy (link). Who cares if the study doesn’t replicate? You are not the average person in these studies. If it works then drink up!
We love to overcomplicate mental health. People will fight to the death over whether SSRIs are good or bad, whether therapy is essential or overrated, whether meditation is a cure-all or just overpriced breathing. But at the end of the day, none of that matters. The only thing that matters is finding your thing. The thing that keeps your head above water. The thing that lets you wake up in the morning without immediately questioning your entire existence.
For some, that’s antidepressants. For others, it’s yoga. For a growing number of people, it’s psychedelics (because apparently tripping balls in the woods is the new Prozac). Hell, for all we know, sniffing shampoo bottles like a sommelier might be the next big breakthrough in mental health.
The point is, stop worrying about whether your solution is the "right" one. If it works for you, great! And if it stops working? Try something else. The only real mistake is sitting in misery waiting for the perfect answer to arrive. Because newsflash: there isn’t one. There’s just trial, error, and the occasional miracle.
Nobody without a degree in science and a clear understanding of psychology and personalized medicine should be in charge - making decisions about your health.
For useful knowledge on understanding and treating depression - read this - which you can download here:
And this:
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Todd B. Kashdan is the author of several books including The Upside of Your Dark Side (Penguin) and The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively (Avery/Penguin) and Professor of Psychology and Founder of The Well-Being Laboratory at George Mason University.
For Some Ideas On Getting Unstuck:
What Can You Do in 5-Minute Gaps? Suggestions for Meaningful Moments
Welcome to Provoked - your one-stop source for insights on Purpose, Happiness, Friendship, Romance, Narcissism, Creativity, Curiosity, and Mental Fortitude! Support the mission (here) as a premium subscriber with benefits:
I was trying to explain a lot of these concepts to Cassie this morning, who is feeling disheartened that she needs to switch one of her medications. This article was exactly what she needed to hear! She particularly appreciated the part of the extra nipple, which she referred to as weirdly amazing. You in a nutshell, Todd. Weirdly amazing!
Thank you. I have depression. I have been medicated. I have read a thing or two. And as you say, the important thing is: find whatever works for you.
In other words, the journey will teach you. Be mindful. Study. But most importantly, experience. Notice if it feels right. If medication works but you feel addicted to it, stop. If exercise works a bit but you don't like it, find something else.
And maybe we shouldn't talk about depression as something to "get out of" or to vanquish it.
Maybe the answer is to give it some space, talking with it (as IFS therapy suggests) and see what actions help you to bring the upside of that depression. (See what I did there?)
Short post but highly enjoyable. We need to talk more about this!