This blog is just a grab bag of thoughts and useful links. However, as the name suggests it may be interpreted by some as a wee bit challenging, if not, activist. Hence the use of the term "Left" in the title.
The views expressed are strictly my own. The mention of any software or service is not to be taken as an endorsement or criticism.
Can the depressive state some people fall into become a habit? --That is can it become the default behaviour when facing something the individual does not want to deal with. My initial answer to this question is a gut feeling of "Yes, it can become an automatic reaction." Over the course of the coming days and months this article will expand as I find related documents and topics either disproving or proving this question. In actuality it probably will be somewhere down the middle of the road, but we shall see.
My family, especially the males in my family, have all suffered bouts of serious depression, occasionally becoming clinical. So I'm very familiar with the question above. Currently I'm going through a mild depressive state and it annoys me because there are things I must do in life. Yet I have noticed that whenever I approach the actual task my emotions tend to tank. Today is no exception, and I have a large amount of paperwork waiting for me on my other desk. I really feel of resistance yet and I will get this done today. But it does annoy me having to go through this mental brick wall. Even five shots of pure espresso to didn't help the matter.
Just a thought on the spur of the moment... I decided to ask Chat GPT this question. Can Depression Become a Habit. Here is its response verbatim. Note remember this response is generated by an AI. To make it clear in the text is a different colour.
Depression is a complex mental health condition influenced by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. While it's not accurate to characterize depression itself as a habit, certain behaviors and thought patterns associated with depression can become habitual over time. For instance, persistent negative thinking, social withdrawal, and avoidance of activities once found enjoyable can reinforce depressive symptoms, creating a cycle that's challenging to break.
Understanding these patterns is crucial in addressing depression. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and modifying negative thought patterns and behaviors. By recognizing these habits, individuals can work towards developing healthier coping mechanisms and breaking the cycle of depression.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, it's important to seek professional help. In Canada, resources such as the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) offer support and information. You can visit their website at https://cmha.ca/ for more details. Additionally, consulting with a healthcare provider can provide personalized guidance and treatment options.
Remember, reaching out for help is a vital step towards recovery, and support is available.
The following is most definitely my personal opinion. Depression can become a habit. A knee-jerk reaction, if you will to any sufficiently distressing situation. After all is the ultimate disconnection a method of letting go of all issues and responsibilities. Your subconscious doesn't care however if this hasn't any negative impact on your conscious mind. The subconscious just knows this is one way of immediately resolving the situation. Especially if it is something you truly don't want to do. Your mental circuit breaker has just blown wide open and you stop and so to speak.. Even if that means falling into the sea. You have changed things.
If an hypothetical "Operations Manual for the Human Brain" was ever written, it most certainly did not take into account the current environment the human brain and mind are currently in. It may be, trite to say but, life and society are moving so fast and there is so much information needed to be filtered and processed that evolutionarily it is just not prepared. Like a Commodore Vic 20 compared to a current smart phone it has not yet acquired the processing power meeting to keep up with things. Yet, in society's race to discover new things we have not considered this fact. Now, I am not saying we should slow down progress, what I am saying is we need to consider the impact before we bring something new to the party.
By not considering the impact of new technology and social change we end up overwhelming our minds and brains collectively. I remember many years ago I was working with a gentleman who was very excited to look up a new laser printer to his computer. Initially I got a phone call from him saying that the print out from the brand-new printer was very slow. When I took a look at the computer it was obvious what the problem was, the machine was ancient I think it actually might've been an early Pentium and of course whenever it needed to produce his company logo the amount of data he needed was just beyond what the old computer could produce at a reasonable pace. To be clear it worked, but you could have a coffee break in the time it took to print a single page.I believe this is the situation some people find themselves in now and it is no wonder that depression appears more frequently in modern society.
A partial solution to this is then not so much to slow down, rather it is to realize the impact life is having on the individual and make appropriate adjustments. Depression can show up when one least expects it but in my experience that means that things in one's life need to be paid attention to. "Timing is everything." as they say.
An Aside: Artificial Intelligence Does Something Interesting with a Photograph.
While trying to think up an image for the top of this article I decided to use a photograph of an atomic bomb exploding and render it through some AI software I have. What it came up with is so unusual that I just have to posted here
I did give the AI a little
direction saying that I wanted it rendered in a comic book style with
saturated colours. My idea was to create something which depicted the
"explosion/implosion of the mind" a person sometimes feels with
depression.
Unfortunately I cannot display the original
photograph due to copyright restrictions. Of course the above picture
has no such restrictions, so feel free to download it and use it as you
wish.
Even though that the feeling of depression can become a reaction to any sufficient the negative situation, this does not mean it set in stone. Reactions can be altered by changing a routine and the first step to that is to recognize that something has become a routine. Sometimes this is not the easiest thing to do in the moment, so we visited when the situation is different, perhaps later in the day. There are always ways to alter one's interpretation.
Imagine, that you are in the life situation where all your basic needs are met. All of the following items are optional, work, buying groceries, medical care, a place to live and money to spend. From my point of view, 99% of the people on earth would be overjoyed to have such a situation. When you think about it it would be the solution to most of life's problems. You would be absolutely free to do what ever you wanted, and let your creativity fly!…
But what if a person was born into this situation? I have met people recently who are in this exact situation, to be clear these are bright people, but they seem lost. These are adults in the ranges of 27 to their early 30s, who at the slightest problem will blow it out of proportion and are unable to conceive of the way to begin to address the issue. They just don't know where to start. They have no faith in themselves and there is a tendency to panic immediately. With all the free time available to them instead of taking advantage of the multitude of opportunities out in the real world they have become reclusive and overthink everything. I find myself saying to people in this situation:. "Just start. Don't try to be perfect in your analysis of the issue. Just begin with what you think might work. If it doesn't, try a different approach."
Human beings I fervently believe need legitimate challenges and problems. To be clear, this is not a negative. By overcoming and going through the process of understanding what works for oneself the person inevitably grows. For this to work however, one must have some procedure for dissecting and understanding parts of the issue. This comes usually early in life dealing with small problems and slowly over time tackling bigger ones. If it all occurs at the correct time the individual is not even aware they are learning the skills to coping with life's "curveballs". People who learn these lessons later in life tend to be very resistant because it does take effort and getting used to coming out of one's comfort zone. To some degree everyone has to learn to be somewhat comfortable with being uncomfortable. That is not adverse to challenge. While I was thinking about this the simple statement in the poster below occurred to me "To Benefit From Challenge, Is The Meaning of Life."...
Click the picture to download a printable version on your computer.
Please feel free to download and print out the image if it inspires you. If you would like a unique hard copy version of this printed on steel as a poster it can now be purchased at "Displate" in several sizes. Full disclosure, I do receive a percentage of every sale.
... You may have discovered though that depending on the person as they get older their resistance to breaking routines becomes entrenched. This is the situation I find these people in. To be honest it has driven me to my own distraction, as the same issues come up over, and over again. It really makes me appreciate what my parents and others in my early life did. They made sure I faced challenges. Most of them want planned, I think my parents just really resisted the urge to over protect me. I am not perfect and of course have many foibles but being fearful of challenge is not one of them. To be honest I actually like a good bit of difficulty now and then thrown at me. Nothing reminds you you are still alive and engage with the world and an unexpected issue you must resolve! 😀.
I am reminded of one of the early "Matrix" movies, in which everyone is living in a simulated life, here the protagonist Nero, asks (paraphrasing) "Wy did you make the simulation, so dystopian, why not make it pleasant?" The answer he receives is that without challenge people just give up. -If you haven't seen the movies by the way they are well worth the watch. I believe they are available on YouTube as a rental.
If you have difficulties in your life, try to reframe them, they may not all be problems, you may get some benefit from dealing with issues. People are always learning, but not always aware of what they are learning. Just understanding that can change your outlook. Reality is not perfect and that's probably a good thing because it always means there's an opportunity and a chance to grow.
For all the negativity that the words Problems, and Challenges receive we must all remember that without a problem, in the first place people would not be inspired to create a solution. It is frequently that very process which results in positive discoveries. Human race initially needed to find a way to generate heat to avoid freezing to death and that resulted in the understanding of fire and which way down the road led to the steam engine and the industrial revolution. So make sure something in your life matters and don't take anything for granted. Life goes in one direction and it cannot be rewound.
If you find yourself in a situation where "Nothing Matters" and it is time to extend your boundaries and explore a little of your unknown. But to get out there and continue to sample whatever you find. Below is the companion video for this article.
This article was written in pieces over a lengthy amount of time so I apologize for it being a bit of a patchwork but I think the general idea still comes through. If there are any typos in the text I will address them shortly but I am bound and determined to get this post out today! :-)
I am so in several thankful to have the life I have had and continue to have.
Feel free to leave a comment and have a great day.
