Is depression an excuse for life?

Show all answers

Post your answer

Smile!	Possibly???? Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

sarge_b6667	I'm not a shrink and they say I have PTSD. but sometimes to some people I think it's a choice. I wouldn't put all in that catigory. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Gabe L	No its not Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

woah man!	Are you asking if people use depression for an excuse for those activities? I would say yes, some probably do...some have a serious problem with depression as well and try to soften the emotional stress by drinking, drugs, etc....it's a sad and scary state of life either way. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

prince_henry	well yes anyone can fake it, just like anyone can fake a broken leg, would you question anyone if they turned up at school /work in plaster cast. you can tell who is real by how they try to fight it, if a p1ss head just says well I'm a p1ss head so ill drink then you know they are just using it to carry on. Depression is real i know Ive beaten it but it never fully goes away its always waiting till your at your weakest Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Help Me Out	I think depression is a by product of other issues. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

cricket	i have to agree with wcowell2 he is right well said wcowell2 merry christmas and a menthal illnes is not fake Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Possum	There will be those that fake depression but for many of us its very real and a horrible thing to suffer from. I am bi-polar and my depression hits out of the blue when I am enjoying life. So for me I don't need circumstances to cause depression. It's a chemical thing that de-rails me and keeps me down for weeks and even months. But it seems that these days mental health labels appear to be getting used too liberally and they get branded around by all sorts of people that often don't even understand their true meaning. So often I hear someone say that they have good days and bad days and therefore must be bi-polar. They are mistaking normal mood swings of life for the serious mood swings that bi-polar people have. I'm sure with depression there are people that use it as an excuse for life but those that really suffer the real thing, would do anything to be rid of the curse of depression. Good question. Thanks for asking. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

V	I guess depression is when you cant HANDLE life..and it leads you to do stupid things.. It weird, because every time that I stop talking to my bf, and I stop calling him, I do things that are stupid, like skip school, fight people, drinking...etc.... it makes me feel worthless... therefore performing worthless actions I think that it is because I am sad and have nothing better to do Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Leavesonthelawn	Depression is not an excuse for life because you are not meant to be depressed to live life happily. I go through times where I get depressed yet I don't make it worse by doing things to my body which is only a temporary fix- if you can call it that. My friend has a terrible problem, which I myself am getting depressed about. I have no clue how to help her; she drinks everyday because she is depressed. I have told her time and time again that it won't solve anything yet she doesn't listen. I think it has gotten to the point where she is physically and mentally addicted to alcohol. So no, depression is not an excuse for life. Are you trying to say that you have to be depressed to take drugs, drink etc? because people do these things for a number of reasons, not just because they are depressed. I myself, just dwell and get get myself into an emotional state if I am depressed, but I pick myself up again, because there is no point in dwelling longer than you should, and there is certainly no point in making your misery worse through drugs or drink, I just hope hope and pray my friend can overcome her problem soon. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Mr-K-	totally agree with Vane. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Life_is	Yes, it can be a cover for some lies, yet being very real, terminal. I knew a man depressed by his job, he said, until the truth came into light. His initial girl-lover had shushed him. And he was indeed very depressed, not faking at all. Just the excuse was a fake one. So, there was no truth, indeed, but still real depressed, he was. When I heard the whole story, I got depressed myself without knowing. It's like you have been died - a moving corpse through the surroundings. You don't have any need, any will. How could you want to die when you are already dead !?! The difference is in your foundation probably, for help yourself through this depression, or let everything/some around you to kill you ??? And much worse can be a re-falling into depression, after a better, a promising period. This can really KILL you. There is no joke in here. Talk to someone for help. Don't keep it inside !!! As usually, knowing the reason I had some treatment by myself, involuntarily (spiritual one, this case worked for me, motivating myself, sports, etc.). Chemicals aren't the way. Look first for the reason and do everything for get read of those reasons. Else, everything is in vain. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

weirdo	i dont think you can fake depression. why would anyone want to! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

purplewoman 86	depression is not an excuse for life you are the excuse for life why do you let yourself get depressed that aint nothing but the devil taking over and you are letting him win and you shouldnt if you go to church and know about GOD there shouldnt be any reason you are depressed. you need to pray thats all Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

wawawebis	The brain is part of the body, but the last part tor science to have the tools to explore. Huge strides are being made that prove that mental health and mental illness are real health issues that deserve to have equal treatment. Depression is caused by a brain chemistry imbalance., seratonin and other neurotransmitters, not hormones...and that same imbalance makes people like to drink alcohol because it effects the brain chemistry the same way that medication can, however, they have to suffer the extra side effect of becoming drunk with alcohol to get the same boost to "normal" . It used to be that people thought if you "bucked up" you could tough out your depression and not do "stupid" things like drink, drugs, etc....but within the past decade, science is showing that people behave that way because they are trying to self medicate the chemical imbalance. I learned this from a psychiatrist who taught me a lot about my son's behaviors and how that is related to my father's alcoholism...and I have become a firm believer in "better living through chemistry" by using prescription medications. Further evidence: since Prozac was introduced about 15 years ago, the suicide rate has declined significantly. Depression can be treated!! And once people aren't depressed, they don't need to drink or do drugs to feel better. Stigma is rather evil: it makes people ashamed as if somehow its their fault that they have a brain chemistry imbalance....you wouldn't do that to someone with diabetes so why do it with a mental health problem? Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Elaine M	It can be an excuse for not living life, but most depression can be helped by a doctor. Not getting checked is going to make things worse for a person. All the things you list--alcohol, past, low self esteem, drugs, sex -- can be changed by someone who wants to start changes in their life to make things better. Small changes start bigger ones happening, and a person can come out of a bad space by taking control of what they CAN change in their lives. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

*"♥عید مبار♥"*	your question is a little confused. Life is for living. Depression disable people emotionally. Its to do with life itself. It's not something that can be cured easily. Its an illness of the mind. There are bad days and good days but the emotions felt are sometimes irrational, inexplainable and unbalanced. People with depression need support and love at this time. The worst thing would be is to be going through it alone. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

cyberjar88	I suffer from depression, and I say that depression is not an excuse, it is a condition. Depression cannot be faked, it can only be diagnosed by a mental health professional. However, there are some warning signs that you can look out for: Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood Loss of appetite and/or weight loss, or conversely overeating and weight gain Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping Restlessness or irritability Feelings of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt, helplessness Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism Difficulty thinking, concentrating, remembering, or making decisions Thoughts of death or suicide or attempts at suicide Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling "slowed down" or sluggish Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain If you, or anyone you know, experience any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor about it as soon as you can. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

ens_imp	This is sort of a loaded question because it assumes a very either/or position. Are there, perhaps, people who use "depression" as an excuse for things? Of course but this does not mean that all people with reports of depression are making things up. In fact, I would say that the vast majority of people are not "faking it" as you would say. Its like your taxes...are there some people who totally defraud the IRS? Sure, but they are a relatively small proportion of people and it would be terribly unfair to audit everyone because of a few bad eggs. Perhaps a bad analogy, I know. People have a lot of misperceptions about depression. Some think its all " a brain chemistry problem". Others think its just "stress" of some kind. Theres no right answer. Depression is incredibly complex. Heres some reality though for you...everytime you have a thought the chemistry in your brain changes. This is because the brain propogates electrical signals in part through the work of something called a neurotransmitter. These are chemicals in the brain the effect its function, i.e. contribute to which nerves fire, when, how frequently, etc.. This then becomes a chicken or the egg type of thing...did you start off with the abnormal chemistry that changed your thoughts of did you have negative thoughts, in reaction to stressors, which ultimately changed the chemistry? We just don't have those answers at this time. What we do know is that depression, commonly known as MDD (major depressive disorder) is very real. It is estimated that it effects 20% of the population at some time in their lives. That rate is even higher amongest female psychiatrists such as myself. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that untreated depression has a number of serious consequences including suicide as well as exacerbation of medical problems such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. I read a recent study that suggested that with all things being equal and accounted for, if you take people with a recent heart attack, those with comorbid depression are 6x more likely to die in the 6months following the heart attack than their nondepressed peers. Furthermore, the WHO (world health organization) has speculated that depression will be the second leading contributer to GLOBAL disease burden by 2020. Its already #4 for DALYs and#1 for YLDs-probably because it effects some 121 million people world wide. It is more often than not misdiagnosed and about 75% of the time undertreated even when it is recognized. Depression is very real. That having been said, people who are depressed can have issues in their lives (alcohol, tragedy, low self esteem) that can complicate the treatment or resolution of depressive symptoms. I do not see this is an excuse. It would be more akin to having someone with a broken foot. They shouldn't walk on the foot while its healing but they may have social circumstances where they don't have someone to help them get around or they can't afford health care. So, they walk on the foot despite the pain. Not getting the fracture properly treated makes it much more difficult for the foot to heal in the long run and may make the foot more susceptible to a future injury. The same applies to depression. Ideally, we encourage patients to learn new coping styles in order to be able to deal with stressors more effectively. In the case of drugs/alcohol, we encourage them to stop and direct them towards treatment. People with problems with alcohol tend to be depressed (alcohol is actually a neurodepressant) but people with depression sometimes turn to alcohol in an ill advised attempt to self medicate. The short answer to your question is no, clinical depression is not an "excuse" for life. Life stressors can contribute to its development. That having been said, there will always be the small few ( and I assure you they are few) that exaggerate symptoms in order to garner sympathy or to get something out of it. Thats not depression-theres another word for that and its called malingering. Best bet, leave the clinical diagnosis up to the clinicians. The best thing that you can do in either case is just to be a friend. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

camdfw	Depression is real. Most all people have bouts of depression w/in their lifetime (any number of reasons: losing a job, a break-up, a bad day or two, etc....but we always snap out of it) but clinical depression (long term depression) is REAL, its an imbalance of neurotransmitters within the brain. I wouldn't call a person whoses an alcoholic a depressed person, they may blame their drinking on depression, but really blaming it on depression is just a MEANS to an END for them. They don't want to admit they might have a drinking problem because then it would be an END to a MEANS. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Caleb F	There are a lot of answers here and none really tells the story of depression as a chronic illness. It is due to chemical imbalance in the brain and not mental illness as some believe. True depression can be treated with drugs yes, but even then it cannot always "make it right". Depression as with most of the psychologically founded illnesses is used by many lay people who do not suffer from it and have no idea of the devastation that it can cause a life. Until you know what you are talking about I suggest you shush. Go and read a few medical journals and then come back with your apology and no I do not suffer from this debilitating illness but know a few people who do and others who have. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

julie	Someone who is genuinely suffering with depression doesn't use the excuse for sex, drugs etc etc... To me, these people are not depressed , they are just looking for an excuse to do these things..The genuine people sometimes are hospitalised and sometimes take their lives because of severe depression,. So my answer to you would be, you make up your mind about things... Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Mitch Connor	Its a cry for help. Don't be cynical about someone needing help. Regardless of how it may appear sometimes people need support in their lives. Happy Christmas Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

snoopy	Why would anyone want to fake being depressed? Why would they want to cry, sleep all day, not eat, and throw away their life? No depression is a serious mental health problem. I don't think people fake being depressed. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Kevin M	Depression is a very real thing and more people have it the you may realize. Many people suffering from depression don't know they have it or choose to deny that they have it and never get help for it mostly because there are so many people who believe they are faking it or just can't handle life. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Pink¥	People can truly be depressed. I dont see it as an excuse. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

cynthisizer_x	I think depression is as real as any disease. It's not something you can fake, a lot of people wake up each day and wish they could stop being depressed. People make up a lot of excuses, so anything can be an excuse! Ive lived with a depressed mother all my life, I know she never used it as an excuse. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

wcowell2000	No, it is a medical condition. I suffer from Bi-Polar disorder. When I take my meds, which I always do, I feel fine. When I didn't I was a train wreck. We need to take mental health more seriously in this country. All we have to do is look at our soldiers coming home to see that. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Gavin T	Unless you've been unlucky enough to suffer from depression or any other form of mental illness I don't think you should be making comments about it, especially inane ones likes this. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Eraserhead	You've obviously never had depression if you think that. Not the real kind. No, it's the same as having Cancer. If I was sick from Cancer, no one would accuse me of faking my symptoms. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Adorable!	it is a part of life Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No