Dagobahn Eagle Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 Have anyone else than me noticed the way humans today seem to be unable to cope with negative emotion, bodily changes, and so on? This one's a bit long, but I love writing (you know me ) First of all, 20% of the population of the USA is taking some sort of anti-depressive drug. Seeing the USA is the eight best country to live in, 2 out of 10 seems a too big number. In my opinion, the reason is that we cannot accept feeling depressed, which is a bodily emotion. Even if we function in our daily lives (go to work, school, etc.) we want to take medication to make us feel better. For example, if one of our friends die, we take a drug and become all hyper and forget about him. Even if we, without a drug, isolate ourselves by for example just lying in bed crying part of the day, we want to feel good. Something bad has happened, but for some reason, we no longer feel it's okay to cope with it. You'll also notice that when a kid/teen is depressed, his or her parents or teachers are the ones contacting a doctor and getting a medical subscription. So is it part the fact that you don't want people to be sad? Being depressed is good for you: You know how boys are thaught not to cry and "bury" their emotions, while girls are thaught that it's okay to just "let it out"? What this results in (source: Reader's Digest) is that boys suffer from more depressions than girls do and are also less able to cope with traumatic events (such as the 9/11 terrorist attack). Eventually, when girls grow up and become adults, and also don't cry as much, they start developing depressions more often than guys do. Can we draw the conclusion that the more you cry, talk, and show your true emotions, the less depressed you are? Certainly. * My question is, can drugs have the same effect as not crying? We just don't think about what has happened, or we don't grieve, which means we don't judge the event the same way as we would otherwise. Humans are the only animal that cries. We are a thousands of years old species, formed by thousands of years of the same evolution that took away our tails and fur. If crying is bad for us, then why hasn't evolution taken that away too? What classifies machines is that they are cold and emotionless. Are humans becoming like machines? I guess so. Do we want to? Apparently, many do. Should we become like machines? In my opinion, no. We've got other ways of coping that helps just as well: Drawing, writing, exercise, talking, crying, and you and others giving you time. All that without the possible side-effects of medication. What are your views? * Please don't flame or start a debate in this thread over this. This thread is not for the war of the genders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clefo Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 I doubt we're THAT close to being machines, I mean even the most erstaz of us are individuals, and I have yet to meet ANYONE who is Cold and without emotion.... Nobody at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zygomaticus Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 eighth best country to live in? Where'd you get that? And like Clefo, i haven't seen anyone who is cold beyong emotion...even Darth Vader has emotions But i've seen or heard of people who got close. Some choose not to feel it, some like to, some don't want to show it...It's just a question of what YOU want... Again, just like any other race, IMHO, "humans" is an overly broad term to make justifications and draw conclusions on. Every single human, in fact, i believe, every single being on earth is unique in it's own way and have a different way of dealing with 'things'...machine-like or human-like.. And there's a difference between showing and feeling emotion. I'm sure everyone feels it. Few show it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherack Nhar Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 Originally posted by Dagobahn Eagle Being depressed is good for you: You know how boys are thaught not to cry and "bury" their emotions, while girls are thaught that it's okay to just "let it out"? What this results in (source: Reader's Digest) is that boys suffer from more depressions than girls do and are also less able to cope with traumatic events (such as the 9/11 terrorist attack). Eventually, when girls grow up and become adults, and also don't cry as much, they start developing depressions more often than guys do. Can we draw the conclusion that the more you cry, talk, and show your true emotions, the less depressed you are? Certainly. * * Please don't flame or start a debate in this thread over this. This thread is not for the war of the genders. Sorry for commenting on this paragraph but I could not help myself. When I'm sad and depressed, I don't hold back my tears (except when I'm in public but that's for not making the others feel uncomfortable). I've never been told to do so, and I don't intend to. It does ease the pain in most cases, but it certainly doesn't help being less depressed. On the contrary, I've noticed that I have become even more sensitive than before. Men don't want to become machines. They want machines to do the work for them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toonces Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 No, If anything boys in todays society are encouraged to show their emotions much more than in past generations. Are Anti-Depressants over prescribed? Yes, very much so, but for a large number of people they do quite a bit of good. I have a feeling that you dont understand who they are for, and how they actually work. People on them hardly turn into unfeeling robots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tie Guy Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 Here's my thoughts on emotions. Disagree if you want to (and probably will), its just my opinion. I always try never to show emotions, especially not around others. Note, this does not mean i don't not have emotions, i'm a normal person to. Here's why i try not to: 1) As Sherack said, most people don't want to here about your problems and/or joys. It normally just makes them feel uncomfortable and makes them distance themselves for you. Second, in today's male society, men aren't supposed to wear their emotions on their sleeves. It may be changing a little, but thats still basically what it is. So, if you are a guy and you show lots of emotions, especially of sadness, they tend to distance or look down up the individual. Now, this is completely different from conforming to society, this is about considering the thoughts of others. 2) I do not believe that emotions alone are the basis for any decision, period. Sure, emotions may have a part in some things, but they tend only to rush and warp the desicion making process. A decision made in heavy emotion can be quite the opposite of what you might want to do had you been calm and thought it through. Therefore, emotions, negative or positive, really only hamper and scew situations that could be handled more easily if calm. "Keeping your cool" applies not just to temper, it is very applicable to all emotions 3) Emotions, in my opinion, are an inferior way of portraying an image. Voice tone and body language, though more subtle, are much more effective in sending an image to someone, and they don't come with any of the consquences mentioned above. I like to think that i'm good and portraying the image i want to portray, which is not neccessarily what i'm feeling. Which leads me to my next point... 4) Emotions are harder to "fake." While you may not think thats useful, i find it very much so. Sometimes, what you are feeling is not what you need to show, but really how many of you can put on a smile when depressed, or laugh when you feel like you need to cry. Its much easier to carry your body normally and talk in an even tone. Its still not really easy, but its easier than holding back tears, or making yoursef cry. This could be used for good and bad purposes, but that decisions lies in each individual. 5) Finally, emotions betray you. Wear your emotions on your sleeve and everyone around you knows what you are feeling, whether you like it or not. I mean, you don't walk around saying your thoughts aloud, even to yourself (not all the time, anyways), so why should you walk around braodcasting your emotions to everyone? But to answer your question directly, i do think that anti-depressenets are overprescribed. Heck, i think ALL medications are overprescribed. People have a problem, but instead of dealing with it within themselves, they get the illusion that they need a drug to deal with it. I'm sorry, but people need to be able to deal with problems. If you get depressed, don't be. It may sound harsh, but even things like losing family isn't any reason to be depressed or get medication. I've lost family, and i was sad, but i was never depressed. I believe good is the root of all things, even if it isn't always apparent. There may be a lesson to learn from the event, but if you don't look to yourself and solve the problem, you'll never gain anything from it. How often you cry, laugh, talk, or whatever has abolutely nothing to do with it, IMO. What keeps people from getting depressed is how well they can deal with their problems, and getting medication is not a way to do that. If you take medication once, you're likely to need it again, because it doens't solve the problem, just the symptoms. It may be that people who show openly their emotions more have to deal with their problems when they are open with them, and that would result in a person that is better at solving those problems. But i don't think that showing emotions is necessary to staving off despression, i'm living proof of that. However, people who aren't open with their emotions aren't forced to deal with them in the same way. So it may be a little more difficult to deal with your problems if you aren't open only because it requires an additional step, the will to deal with problems. But, as i've said, the true problem only surfaces when people refuse to deal with their issues, being open or not has nothing to do with it. So, to sum it up, i think medication is a barrier to becoming emotionally strong, and thats not a good thing. We certainly don't need to become mindless drones that feel nothing, but if we cannot deal with ourselves, how do we expect to deal with others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy_dog no.3 Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 I know what I mean to say on this issue, but I don't know how to say it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfnshannon Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 GENDER WAR!!! HAHAHAHA - no really. Only kidding! First of all I personally have debated this issue. Last couple years I'd say 3 or 4 years ago I was severly depressed. I can't begin to tell you guys as it is too personal. But I know what it is like to feel and be on the rock bottom with no one to talk to. Lots of people didn't want to hear it - they want to tell you to go to a councelor or you need medication. Well I never did either of those and I got better. People like to think that it is just easier or a quick fix to say "go take these drugs to help you feel better". See I knew that if I did that - yes it probably would be an easy answer - it would work etc. But I didn't want to be dependent on anti-depressants or etc. I just didn't feel that was the right answer for me. Even when my friends tell me they get on anti-depressants I feel uncomfortable about it. I think its an easy solve. But gosh now your stuck being dependent on these drugs! You see it on tv and all those advertisements..."If your sad, and you feel like you just can't go on" I mean...really?? Doesn't that happen to every one of us EVERY once in awhile?? It is too generalised and you have to realise...these aren't people trying to reach out to depressed people - these are people trying to make a profit. Why else would they advertise?? Then at the end of the commercial they go off like speedy gonzales about the side effects!!!! Reality is. People get sad. People have bad days and yes we go through periods in our life where we are depressed. I think all of us can relate. I don't think that every man, woman and child on this earth simply are just HAPPY and never have an emotional day. I understand that the drugs help SEVERELY depressed people...but the average joe - having a bad year should not take these anti-depressants. Its a crutch and could be abused. As for society making it so people are uncomfortable to display their feelings?? Well I think now-adays we are more open to people un-vailing their feelings. It isn't the 50's where the men can't shed a tear. We have movies showing the real pain Soldiers felt and etc etc etc. It is widely accepted if someone crys. I feel that now-a-days kids are taught how to deal with their emotions on a more open basis. We have the net to vent to - we have msn - we can access very extensive web sites to help us understand that yes...other people go through the same things and have made it through. There are books out there and a whole bunch of other stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy_dog no.3 Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 Well I still haven't figured out how to say what I meant to say, but on a more light-hearted note, I think the last time I cried was when my Tamagochi died. Anyway I try not to cry these days becuase it makes me look/feel weak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tie Guy Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 Originally posted by Crazy_dog no.3 Well I still haven't figured out how to say what I meant to say, but on a more light-hearted note, I think the last time I cried was when my Tamagochi died. Hehe. Hmm...the last time I cried because i was sad, not because I was hurt (which hasn't happened very often either), was when my grandmother died a few years ago. But i'm not all depressed or anything because i dont show my emotions, I just work things out with myself, no need to get others involved. STTCT, you're right, the anti-depressants are a crutch and are abused. But i'm not so sure anyone should take them, even severely depressed people. I mean, if you are depressed and you take medication, you feel less depressed, right? Well, what happens the next time you are a little sad, you go immediately back to the drug. Why? Its the only way you know to solve your problem, whatever it may be. I'm not sure whether anti-depressants are adictive or note (in scienctific terms), but once you take those drugs, you'll probably be using them for the rest of your life, especially if you are severely depressed. You said you were feeling severely depressed a while ago, but you didn't take drugs, right? You fought through it and solved things yourself, without the help of medication, no? Well I think you made a wise decision, because I believe that you are now alot less likely to be depressed again. Do you agree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfnshannon Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 I completely agree with you Tie. Yes I dealt with all the depression on my own and came through with flying colors. No drugs.. no shrinks nothing. It is possible to do it without the aid of drugs but you do need a strong support system. I also was very resoursful and started reading a lot. Eventually the good stuff out weighed the bad and I was able to become a much happier person. I also have friends who are "depressed" or sad about stuff. I just try to be there for them. To listen to them and to tell them what they are going through is normal. I recognize their feelings and don't ignore them. I know that the world can be a pretty lonely place when people ignore the way you feel. You just have to go through the motions on stuff. People deal with sadness in there own ways. Sometimes it may not be the right ways but they do deal with it. Its the people who choose not to deal with it that will run into some big problems down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishflesh Posted December 9, 2002 Share Posted December 9, 2002 Originally posted by Clefo I doubt we're THAT close to being machines, I mean even the most erstaz of us are individuals, and I have yet to meet ANYONE who is Cold and without emotion.... Nobody at all you are clefo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagobahn Eagle Posted December 10, 2002 Author Share Posted December 10, 2002 People telling me they're on drugs make me feel uncomfortable I completely agree with you Tie. Yes I dealt with all the depression on my own and came through with flying colors. No drugs.. no shrinks nothing. It is possible to do it without the aid of drugs but you do need a strong support system. I also was very resoursful and started reading a lot. Eventually the good stuff out weighed the bad and I was able to become a much happier person. I also have friends who are "depressed" or sad about stuff. I just try to be there for them. Funny it'd be that way, but I'm about the same way as you others. Whenever I hear about someone taking a drug against depression, I feel sorry for that person. I'd rather be there for him/her, talk to him/her, call him/her, hug her (guys don't really like being hugged, you know ). Myself, I went trough a bad depression recently. It got that bad I was absent from school several days and just lay in bad and.. well, read, slept, didn't do much. Eventually they took me to a doctor who prescribed an anti-depressive, which I didn't take because I thought I could handle it on my own -which I could. Today I'm over one of the worst months in my life, and I really care when someone else is depressed -whenever I see a sad face it makes me sad (actually, I think I care too much, as I've been told time and again I've got a "rod up my butt". Oh well... ) How often you cry, laugh, talk, or whatever has abolutely nothing to do with it, IMO. What keeps people from getting depressed is how well they can deal with their problems, and getting medication is not a way to do that. Right. Taking a drug won't give you your dead friend back. You take a drug, you feel better, then it wears off and you think you need the drug again... About the boy thing, I think the gap between the genders in general is closing. Girls wear less, girls cry more, boys show emotions more -heck, it's almost attractive to some girls if you "dare to show emotions" , and in general, discrimination is going down. It's the way I look at it, at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jatt13 Posted December 10, 2002 Share Posted December 10, 2002 well, i agree on some things and disagree on otheres. the easiest way to do this is by number, so here goes: 1. yes, i think anti-depressants and other drugs are over prescribed, but i think they are useful in some cases. if someone's extremely depressed, they could commit suicide. i think that given the choice between someone taking their own life or taking a drug, i'd say there's no choice at all. they should take the drug. well, my parents want me off right now. i'll come back and edit this later. bye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagobahn Eagle Posted December 10, 2002 Author Share Posted December 10, 2002 Off course SOME are useful. I'm not saying that we should ban all anti-depressive drugs or anything, but I am saying it's overused. Same goes for stuff like anti-wrinkle cream, divorces, suicide rates. They are all, except from the suicide rate, going up because people don't want to face their problems. Well, the world is not perfect. Haven't ever been, will never be. You just need to face that. Oh, and STTCT, I'm flying a flag too Seeing it's the United States, I don't even have to wait until a holiday or celebration of something to do it . and you have to realise...these aren't people trying to reach out to depressed people - these are people trying to make a profit. Why else would they advertise?? Then at the end of the commercial they go off like speedy gonzales about the side effects!!!! Exactly. Don't see why health is an industry instead of a sector of the government... (realises he's about to set off a debate, so he shuts up). Really, if you want to discuss private hospitals vs. Socialized hospitals, PM me. Point is, my experience with the US Health Industry isn't too good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tie Guy Posted December 10, 2002 Share Posted December 10, 2002 Originally posted by Dagobahn Eagle Exactly. Don't see why health is an industry instead of a sector of the government... (realises he's about to set off a debate, so he shuts up). Really, if you want to discuss private hospitals vs. Socialized hospitals, PM me. Point is, my experience with the US Health Industry isn't too good. Don't want to ignite the powder beneath my foot so i won't say much. But private everything is better, trust me. Sure, they are out to make money, but that also means they provide the best services possible to attract the most customers. Personally i believe practically everything but law making and defense/war should be privatized, but thats just my far right-wing opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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