I suppose it boils down to the nature nurture thing?
I think certainly people can be genetically predisposed to depression (there's a family history of it with me, and I cant think of any experiences per say that could have caused it) but also I think someone's experiences definitely can be a major if not all encompassing factor, which is possibly where CBT can be most effective?
Back when I did Psychology AS level there was a good explanation of another way of seeing the nature nurture argument. With Autism it was argued that its a bit like seed which needs the right conditions to grow? So someone could be genetically predisposed towards autism but it would require certain experiences (I'd imagine difficult to avoid or define experiences) for that predisposition to develop into autism?
I'm sorry to hear that your experience with your doctor left you feeling that way? I guess there are as many types of depression as there are people, there's no Haynes manual for the mind. GPs obviously have to know a certain amount about a lot, which is why there needs to be more mental health care provision so they can refer patients to more specialist diagnosis?
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Jorvic, Sun 6 Mar 2011, 18:25,
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I imagine that each side can induce the other,
futile circumstances disturb your brain chemistry, and brain chemistry makes your circumstances seem more futile than they really are. Perhaps when this happens it doesn't matter so much which one came first as long as you can break the cycle, but if the original cause is still there when you come off the meds, you'll only end up back on them again.
I had to practically beg to be referred to a specialist, and then I was on a waiting list for months, and eventually my therapist was bloody useless.
What I really needed was some kind of coaching in my social skills, because basically I've been bullied since I started school with jam jar glasses and a funny accent, was too intellectual for my own popularity at a rough state comprehensive, and then wound up in a university with a seeming public-school educated majority. As a result I ended up finding it difficult to relate to people face-to-face.
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Moon Girl Technologies horrendous beanbag, Sun 6 Mar 2011, 18:38,
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I think what you were talking about is the difference between reactive depression and clinical depression
The two can overlap but anti-depressants are only really effective for clinical depression.
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Sheriff John Bunnell https://twitter.com/thewonderfulgam, Mon 7 Mar 2011, 0:18,
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