Mental Depression Afflicts Millions​—Why?

THE symptoms may not seem overly serious at first. Perhaps a person suffers from fatigue, stomach cramps or chest pains. He may find himself waking up at wee hours of the morning for no apparent reason; or the trouble may be difficulty in getting to sleep. Possibly a change in appetite has led to weight loss; or maybe the problem is overweight due to a sudden splurge of eating.

Who of us has not experienced some of these symptoms? They may indicate a number of simple physical ailments. But what if they persist and an examination by a physician reveals that there is nothing wrong physically? In such a case is the ailment merely imaginary? Not necessarily.

Fatigue, physical pains and change in eating or sleeping habits can constitute what doctors call “the somatic mask of depression.” What is depression? Why does it afflict people?

The Earmarks of Depression

Everyone feels ‘down in the dumps’ on occasion. This should not cause alarm, for off days of this type are not what doctors mean when they speak of depression. During an interview recorded in U.S. News & World Report, a leading psychiatrist, Dr. Bertram S. Brown, explained the significance of the term: “Clinically, we mean something more serious when we speak of depression. In the intermediate stage, victims feel a lack of energy and interest in life that hangs on for a few days or a few weeks and affects their life functions.”

A depressed person finds it difficult to perform even the most routine tasks, such as getting dressed, brushing teeth, preparing breakfast and making routine decisions. “The third level, where no one can doubt that you’re dealing with depression,” continues Dr. Brown, “is when somebody literally sits in a corner​—almost paralyzed—​looking into space.”

And usually depression has another characteristic symptom. Commenting on findings by Dr. Aaron Beck, an article in the New York Times Magazine stated:

“Beck did find, as he reports in his book: ‘Depression: Causes and Treatment,’ that the dreams [of depressed persons] repeated, night after night, constant themes of inferiority, of unattractiveness, deprivation, incompetence. . . . Beck noticed these gloomy sleeping fantasies were matched by an equally negative way of thinking during the day. For example, a depressed woman whose friend was late for an appointment became convinced that the friend no longer cared for her, that no one liked her, and that in fact she was unlikable.

“Beck postulated that almost all the thoughts of depressed patients are ruled by what he calls ‘the cognitive triad of depression’​—negative views of the world, themselves and the future. He found that depression-prone people exaggerated minor obstacles into impossible barriers, considered themselves stupid or hopelessly incompetent and saw the future as only full of more painful failures.”

Doctors often speak of depression as either “acute” or “chronic.” Acute depression sets in from some external cause, such as the death of a loved one, divorce or some other severe loss. Depending on the seriousness of the cause, acute depression may last weeks or even months; but then it disappears. On the other hand, in chronic cases the crippling effects of depression persist month after month.

Another type of sufferer is the “manic-depressive.” This person seesaws between a “manic” (from manikos, Greek for “mad”) state and one of depression. During a manic state, the individual becomes overactive, impulsive, often disorderly in speech and thinking. Then follows a “normal” period, after which he plunges into depression. Some remain in the manic state most of the time, with only brief low periods. Others are just the opposite, remaining depressed most of the time. And there are those who, for the most part, remain on an even keel except for brief ups and downs.

“Common Cold of Mental Disturbances”

How widespread is serious depression? According to Dr. Nathan S. Kline of the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene, “it has been estimated that 15 per cent of the adult population of the United States has some degree of depression which is serious enough to be in need of treatment. This amounts to about 20 million people, which makes it not only the most frequent psychological disorder but also one of the most common of all serious medical conditions.” Depression is so widespread that it has been called “the common cold of mental disturbances.”

Studies report that women outstrip men in suffering from depression by a ratio of about 2 to 1, though some claim that this is because women are more willing to admit that they are depressed. Depression afflicts all races and every social and economic level. While the malady is most common between the ages of sixty and seventy, it strikes all age groups and has been rising among persons in their twenties.

Why do so many millions of persons suffer from depression?

Human Society a Factor

Much study has gone into uncovering the root causes of mental depression. Flaws in human society constitute one main source of the problem.

Illustrating an aspect of this are comments by Dr. John Schwab, of the University of Florida College of Medicine: “We’re in an era of change right now. Old values such as the old work ethic are being rejected and people are caught in an ideological vacuum. Kids see that the fruits of four hundred years of scientific progress may be more bitter than sweet​—but they don’t know what to put in its place, and consequently there is a sense of futility.” Because of this, many disillusioned youngsters seek “escape” through drugs and other means. “The search for highs among the young,” observes Dr. Schwab, “is often only a flight from the lows.”

Also contributing to the rise in depression is “supermobility.” Families that keep changing their places of residence, hopping about from house to house and city to city, do not stay in one place long enough to build solid relationships with other people. A psychiatrist at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center wrote: “Psychiatrists around Boston have been aware for some time of what is called ‘the Route 128 syndrome’ or in Florida ‘the Cape Kennedy syndrome.’ It is found in young families who have moved too much, and its components are a husband too centered in his career, a depressed wife and troubled children.”

Sometimes depression results when a person reaches a “plateau” in his life after many years of painstaking labor. A hard-driving business executive may finally achieve the top position in his company, only to realize that he no longer has a goal in life. Housewives in their forties and fifties often suffer from what psychiatrists call “empty nest syndrome.” By this time their children usually have grown up, their husbands are at work for most of each day and they must face lonely hours in houses devoid of people.

What about the feelings of inferiority that often accompany depression? Here too the responsibility may rest with human society. How so? Because it is often at a tender age that children are made to feel unattractive. Their peers may ridicule them if they are unable to do what the majority consider the “in” thing. If a youngster tends to be clumsy and uncoordinated, schoolmates and playmates can influence the child to believe that he “can’t do anything right.” Children of this type often combine the generalization: “I am weak,” with the value judgment: “It’s disgusting to be weak.” Such youths are likely candidates for depression.

Biological Factors

During recent years considerable research has gone on to show that in many cases depression may be due to faulty chemical activity in the brain. Throughout the brain are scattered “biogenic amines.” These chemical compounds are especially concentrated in the “limbic system,” a part of the cerebrum that has much to do with emotions. Scientists have connected three of these amines​—dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin—​with the transmission of impulses from one brain cell to another.

Interestingly, experiments with both animals and humans have shown that depression results from taking drugs that reduce the level of amines. On the other hand, experimental animals showed notable liveliness when their amine level was increased. Notes the New York Times Magazine:

“An international research team of British and American scientists in 1968 added new circumstantial evidence to support the amine theory when they found that the brains of patients who had committed suicide seemed to show some evidence of reduced amine levels. And a recent study of manic-depressives added further support: The urine of manic-depressive patients during their manic period showed increased excretion of norepinephrine, and the exact opposite after they had shifted to the normal phase or the depressed phase.”

Do you have symptoms of depression? What can you do to cope with melancholy feelings? These questions are discussed in the following article.

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Mental depression is “one of the most common of all serious medical conditions.” It afflicts all races and every social and economic level.

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“Depression may be due to faulty chemical activity in the brain.”

What Can You Do About Being Depressed?

DEPRESSION presents serious problems for millions of persons today. Does it affect you or persons you love? What can you do, either for yourself or for others, to ease the crushing burden of depression?

Likely you will find it helpful to discuss your distressing circumstances with someone close to you. Seeing a difficult experience through the eyes of another can aid you to develop a more realistic outlook. Often this alone will bring a measure of relief from depression.

At times the reason why individuals become depressed is frustration at daily tasks that are repetitious and boring. Does that describe your situation? If so, some simple changes in the order of your regular routine may help. For instance, tackling the more unpleasant tasks earlier each day will leave later hours for activities that afford greater enjoyment. Another thing you can do from time to time is to seek out a change of pace. Something as simple as taking a walk, a brief period of exercise, or getting away to an area of different surroundings for a weekend or vacation can do much to chase away the “blues.”

One thing that depressed persons must strive to overcome is the temptation to withdraw from other people and “vegetate” in a pool of despair. Keeping busy at some helpful service, a hobby, or other type of activity will help grief-stricken persons to keep their mind off unpleasant circumstances.

When Feeling Worthless and Guilty

What about the feelings of incompetence, worthlessness and guilt that frequently accompany depression? Could it be that worldly standards of “success” have led you to believe that somehow you do not measure up to others? It will be worth while to consider the Scriptural view of this matter. The Bible assures that what the world considers popular, flashy and appealing “does not originate with the Father [God], but originates with the world.” (1 John 2:15, 16) The Scriptures also make it plain that everyone has positive qualities that can serve for the benefit of others. Concerning the correct attitude for Christians, the apostle Paul writes:

“For the body, indeed, is not one member, but many. If the foot should say: ‘Because I am not a hand, I am no part of the body,’ it is not for this reason no part of the body. And if the ear should say: ‘Because I am not an eye, I am no part of the body,’ it is not for this reason no part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If it were all hearing, where would the smelling be? But now God has set the members in the body, each one of them, just as he pleased. The eye cannot say to the hand: ‘I have no need of you’; or, again, the head cannot say to the feet: ‘I have no need of you.’ But much rather is it the case that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.”​—1 Cor. 12:14-18, 21, 22.

Regarding a tendency to do things wrong, the Scriptures place all humans on the same level. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) The Scriptural term “sin” means “to miss the mark” in the sense of failing to reflect perfectly the qualities of God’s personality. This tendency spread to all mankind from the first human pair, Adam and Eve. (Rom. 5:12) If one misses when shooting at a target, it matters little whether the error is due to shooting above, below or on either side of it. It is reckoned that one simply missed the mark. So likewise your own inherited weaknesses do not in God’s eyes put you on a lower level than fellow humans.

As to the comfort gained from talking to a trusted friend, King David, who underwent numerous hardships, said concerning the Creator: “Jehovah is near to those that are broken at heart; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.” (Ps. 34: 18) Approaching God in prayer during times of distress is especially helpful. Do you do that regularly?​—1 Thess. 5:17.

What can relatives and friends do to assist depressed individuals? Persons who wish to help should avoid blurting out things such as: “Oh, why don’t you snap out of it!” Much more helpful is heeding the Scriptural advice: “Speak consolingly to the depressed souls.” (1 Thess. 5:14) A way to do that is to notice things that they do well and give commendation. When persons have totally lost confidence in themselves, some have helped by giving them simple tasks that they obviously can perform. Then they provide more difficult things to do, gradually rebuilding the depressed person’s self-confidence. Might you be able to help someone in this way?

But what if suggestions such as these do not bring much improvement? What other types of treatment are there?

Treatments Some Have Tried

Treating the mentally depressed has run the gamut from kindness to horrors. Today when doctors fail to aid a person to a better frame of mind through psychotherapy, they may resort to “shock therapies.” This procedure dates back to the early 1930’s. Manfred Sakel pioneered insulin-induced shock in psychotherapy back in 1933. Two years later a Budapest psychiatrist, Van Meduna, used Metrazol to produce epileptic-like convulsions. In many cases these shock treatments relieved symptoms of severe depression for a period of time. However, to be most effective insulin shock had to last 30 to 50 hours and the patient required costly attention. Metrazol shock resulted in a high incidence of fatalities and fractures.

These treatments have been largely replaced by “electroshock therapy” (EST), also called “electroconvulsive therapy” (ECT). This procedure, which is still popular, involves applying electric currents to the brain, which causes the body to convulse. Usually a drug is given in advance so that the patient does not feel anything. However, a confused state of mind follows electroshock therapy; and, on occasion, it has brought about amnesia that lasted for weeks, as well as permanent brain damage. Moreover, as noted in the book The History of Psychiatry: “Shock treatments effect only a relief of symptoms. They do not reach the basic psychological disturbance underlying the illness.”

Another way of treating depression is psychosurgery. This involves cutting certain nerve fibers that connect the frontal lobes of the brain with the thalamus. If successful, this operation may bring about relaxing of tension and anxiety. However, it has caused some patients to lose contact with their past and to become passive and lead an almost vegetative existence. And once performed, psychosurgery cannot be reversed.

Because of the frequent failure of earlier methods of treatment, some doctors have begun viewing depression from an entirely different direction. What does this involve?

Coping with Defective Body Chemistry

In an effort to treat depression from the standpoint of body chemistry, scientists have developed certain “antidepressant drugs.” These are not sedatives that induce dependence. With very rare exceptions persons can discontinue or restart antidepressant medications without adverse effects.

How do these special drugs fight depression? Scientists have noted that chemical substances called “biogenic amines” are highly concentrated in the part of the brain that controls moods. “In depressed individuals,” explains Dr. Nathan Kline, “there is fairly good evidence that certain ‘biogenic amines’ are either not produced in sufficient quantity or are destroyed much too rapidly.” A group of drugs called “monamine oxidase inhibitors” (MAOI’s, for short) has been developed to retard the breakdown of amines that appear to be needed to maintain a pleasant mood. One medication, lithium carbonate, has been quite effective in leveling off the alternate highs and lows of manic depressives.

Concerning the merits of antidepressant drugs, Dr. Kline writes: “Certainly, when extensive psychotherapy has proved to be ineffective in relieving symptoms, there are strong reasons for trying antidepressant medication. One school of thought, increasing all the time, is that medication ought to be tried first. In many cases this proves to be all that is needed. Medication not infrequently is helpful in combination with psychotherapy. After all, a depressed person is not the world’s best subject for intensive psychotherapy.”

However, there are many people, perhaps 40 percent of depressives, that do not respond to these drugs. Too, the medications have unpleasant side effects and can be dangerous if not used under the careful oversight of a doctor.

With regard to proper functioning of the brain, a reasonable safety measure would be to make sure that your body receives proper nutrition. After citing evidence that mental depression results when there are deficiencies in vitamins and other nutritional elements, biochemist Roger J. Williams observed in his book Nutrition Against Disease: “The safest assumption we can make is that every essential nutrient is needed by brain cells and that the inadequate supply of any one will cause trouble.” Of course, this is not to suggest that a person simply stuff himself with a random assortment of vitamin capsules. Requirements for optimum nutrition often vary from person to person. It would be wise to seek out expert advice as to any deficiencies of this type that you should correct. However, this is an approach to depression that is often overlooked but sometimes successful.

The Permanent Cure for Depression

If you suffer from depression, perhaps one of the suggestions mentioned above, or a combination of several of them, will afford a measure of relief. However, a permanent cure for all depressive illnesses is now at hand. What is this?

As noted earlier, the basic reason why the human body is defective and subject to various diseases, including depression, is that all humans inherit sin. According to the Scriptures, the removal of inherited sin through the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ will eventually lead to disappearance of all diseases that afflict mankind.​—Isa. 33:24; Col. 1:14; Rev. 21: 1-5.

The Scriptures assure, too, that all unpleasant aspects of human society will disappear when God’s heavenly Kingdom government replaces human political governments with divine rule of the earth. (Dan. 2:34, 44) Bible prophecy schedules this cleansing of the earth for the present generation.​—Matt. 24:3-8, 14, 32-34.

Even now, before complete fulfillment of these sure promises, the Bible can help to uproot deep-seated depression. How so? Because persons who live according to Bible principles can offer one of the most important elements in treating any mental disturbance.

According to the Scriptures, persons practicing true Christianity heed the advice: “Clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, and long-suffering. . . . But, besides all these things, clothe yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union.” (Col. 3:12-14) Depressives will surely profit from association with persons who live according to such principles. A chairman of the Mental Health Research Fund in London said: “By far the most significant discovery of mental science is the power of love to protect and restore the mind.”

Time and again Jehovah’s Witnesses have noted the effectiveness of Bible knowledge and application of its principles in lifting people out of depression. For example, a woman from the western United States writes: “I was in a very low mental state, depressed, and had entertained thoughts of suicide. I turned to Jehovah’s Witnesses and began studying the Bible seriously. It was like God answering my prayer. My depressions and loneliness disappeared and a new hope grew in me, namely, to serve Jehovah. Today I am happy as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, knowing that there is a real reason to live and that my children can have a hope for a better life. I thank Jehovah for his loving-kindness.”

Would you like to know more about how God will soon replace this depressing system of things with a new one of peace and happiness? This information, along with sound principles for happy everyday living, is found in the Bible. Would you enjoy getting better acquainted with the Word of God? Jehovah’s Witnesses will be glad to help you to do so.

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Might talking to a trusted friend help you to cope with depression?