Is mental illness increasing (along with secular atheism)?

[Speakpigeon]

Yeah, well, thing is, depression goes up because people are living older and older but not in a very happy state. People live longer but not healthier. In my parents' generation, bad lifestyle meant early death so the good souls would get to prevail statistically among the survivors. Nowadays, we managed somehow to keep going way past the sell-by date of our brains and depression comes quick. Obviously, it's the whole society that's gearing towards this very end. Migrants have to take all the jobs in our retirement homes because we are all too old to do it! We spend too much time in the toilets! It's a vicious, vicious circle. Even women are getting their children older and older. This is the one main contributing factor. Children are born older and older. And like in old people, the older you get is the cause of this increase in depression. And if you're a bright kid and you're depressed, it doesn't help that people won't let you build that beautiful wall. And everything you do try, they stomp their foot on it and you know you now look like an idiot and it makes you feel even more depressed. I would say, though, try more exercise. It's like untermensche says although with the kids we've got today you'd be better advised to start gently. Kids are not exercising enough. It's now generally accepted that regular exercise helps. I would also say food, which is why this diagram above showing the correlation between science and depression is correct. Science somehow led to more sugar in our diet. Not just a little bit but, like, an atomic bomb of sugar in our body, and the atomic bomb is definitely big budget science so the correlation has to be true. It also looks like the ski slope I did age eleven in the Pyrénées. And the curve showing the level of sugar in our scientifically determined diet. No coincidence that. Also, increased exposure to social media. The diagram above shows the number of connexions to the Internet, with a slight drop in 2003 because of the war on Iraq because some of the guys installing the connexions had to go in the military. Kids nowadays are made to be aware of how inadequate they are like nothing it was in my time. They haven't a chance in the world and they know it. They become angry and cynical. Depressed and suicidal. And they look at Trump on the screen and there's a blank that fills their minds. The curve shows the correlation between depression in kids and the lies by politicos. It is depressing. I exercise so I'm Ok but I do understand how you must feel already aged ten the day you're born into this world and you look at Trump on the screen.
EB

I think depression is on the rise because of the world shortage of paragraph breaks.

You don't break a paragraph if you don't move to a different idea. Surplus paragraph breaks break down ideas and broken ideas is a cause of depression. So, if anything, I think it's a surplus of paragraphs breaks that explain the rise in depression. And the main cause of the recent surplus of paragraph breaks is electronic communication taking over our lives. It's like sugar. People can't resist instant messaging and with it ideas go down the drain. And the young are the most affected. And they are victims of their parents' own addiction, which explains the recent increase in cases.

Superficially, you were right, it seems a few breaks would have been in order. However, you were actually wrong because the idea was to suggest depression. Even one paragraph break would have broken it.

And it would have depressed me.
EB

 

[ronburgundy]

Sure, but that is a bit of a tautology. If something is a "mental illness" then it is something that happens to the person beyond their control/choice. But it isn't clear that most of what the OP is referring to qualifies as a mental illness, and could be forms of self-reinforced negative affect that is under people's control, or at least are learned patterns of responding that they could control.

Basically, clinically diagnosed chronic depression can be a mental illness, but self-reporting the symptoms that qualify as having had an MDE is not a reliable index that one has such a mental illness.

ron,

I'm back on firm ground.

IMHO medical professionals are not fools, and they will know what they are looking at. Whilst they will take serious account of any and all of a sufferer's self reporting, there are many other markers in body language, behaviour and attitude that are quite obvious when you've seen enough of it.

That may be, but the research claiming a rise in MDEs among teens has nothing to do with actual mental health professional making real diagnoses of clinical depression. The data come from the annual NSDUH survey where a private company is contracted to send research assistants (with no mental health training) to random homes and have residents complete a computer based survey on their own with virtually no interaction with the interviewer. Then some other assistant back at the office looks at the data with zero knowledge of the actual persons involved and if the responder clicked "yes" to experiencing at least 5 of the symptoms, they get counted as someone with "major depressive episode" in the last 12 months. How the teen interpreted each question, whether their answers are honest, whether they showed any of the other signs that a professional might have picked up on is all unknown.

Given that methodology, it is beyond any doubt that there is plenty of measurement error in categorizing someone as having a real MDE.

Also, the fact that there has been no corresponding increase in actual treatment for real depression further supports that most the reported increase in MDEs is not about an increase in serious depression.

Finally, the real danger is failing to take reports seriously enough. I have personally known two young people who committed suicide, both under the age of 25. Once that has happened it is too late.

The parents of these teens should look more closely into it. However, that is beside the point of the OP, which is whether there is in fact a truly seismic leap in teenage clinical depression of 37% in just 9 years. It is dangerous to ignore instances of real depression but it also dangerous to sound panic alarm bells based on lousy data, diverting important resources to a non-existent outbreak.

 

[another1]

I think depression is on the rise because of the world shortage of paragraph breaks.

You don't break a paragraph if you don't move to a different idea. Surplus paragraph breaks break down ideas and broken ideas is a cause of depression. So, if anything, I think it's a surplus of paragraphs breaks that explain the rise in depression. And the main cause of the recent surplus of paragraph breaks is electronic communication taking over our lives. It's like sugar. People can't resist instant messaging and with it ideas go down the drain. And the young are the most affected. And they are victims of their parents' own addiction, which explains the recent increase in cases.

Superficially, you were right, it seems a few breaks would have been in order. However, you were actually wrong because the idea was to suggest depression. Even one paragraph break would have broken it.

And it would have depressed me.
EB

Twitter barely lets you get a paragraph out. U hav 2 chnge th lnguage u use 2 make 1/2 ur point. It sticks and people start using it all the time. That depresses me. Twitter depresses me. The things on it are fine I guess but the way people behave is just icky. Isolated and stuck up. young people depress me. They're screwed. Too late for them.

Because of Twitter, huh. Twitter and their careless (or perhaps intended) mangling of language. The people changing words need to ease up a bit. The youth learn to read where? The internet I'd think. Maybe they should learn how to spell before they dive into their budding life-brands and constant pursuit of social media's perverted and life destroying demands. What is the average age of first profile creation?

Eight? Maybe even earlier. Once they're in there - you can count them out. Won't be long now, huh. Books will be obsolete for more than one reason but both reasons will be due to this suffocating and dumbifying tech. On one hand, there will be no need for physical books, and on the other, nobody will know how to read in the way the books were written. Ever tried to play a game online with children? Call of (desensitizing mentally devolving) Duty? They have a language of their own. It goes far beyond acronyms. I know I'm being ridiculed for my old, slow and stumpy hands, but I can't decipher the language they use to belittle me. Where do they learn to communicate like that?

 

[WAB]

Is there any way to bypass the quick reply screen and go headlong into advanced? I need all those gadgets and thingies and emoticons in order to go about my job of confusing people.

Anyway, I have found that being active and doing productive work, regardless of its nature, is a boon and benefit to me, personally. I wonder sometimes why I write "me, personally", since no-one will think I mean, "me, but with Bob, Alice & Tim on board for extra"?

Personally (see what I mean, I keep on doing it, like these sausages on the end of my wrists just keep doing what they want, without consulting me), I am in big trouble when I fall in love with my bed. I went through a very (and very is another word I hate!) rough time, which lasted over a year, wherein I did nothing but work at my day-job and lie in a fetal position in bed, staring at my desktop theme photos, some of which were really hot, by the way, but didn't stir me in the least.

WORK, WORK, WORK!

DO something. Have projects, have things to look forward to, to think and reflect on while you're earning your living. For those of you who actually (I use that word all the time and I really hate doing it, it's almost as useless as the word 'basically', but these sausages with bones in them do what they want. Seriously, I've complained, but it does me no good) are able to earn money doing work that you love: my cyber hat is off to you! I envy you.

I know, envy is a useless emotion, but I'm envious a lot. Spinoza would hit me with his pipe if he knew me. And he was a really nice guy who never got steamed. Well, there was this one time...

The things I love to do are: make music, and write poetry. Occasionally plays, like my last one, called "The Betrayal of Judas." It's one page long and is very good, if I may say so.

But no-one ever got rich writing poetry. Well, alright, there have been a few.

And no-one ever got rich making music. Never. Not one single time. Ever.

**^Not a single gadget or emoticon was harmed in the making of this post.











Dammit!

 

[Angry Floof]

Click "Reply to Thread" at the top left of the page. That goes to the full reply page.

You can also do the quick reply and then click Go Advanced at the bottom of the reply window.

 

[Philos]

But no-one ever got rich writing poetry. Well, alright, there have been a few.

William,

I was once paid £10 for doing 15 minutes of performance poetry in a London nightclub. Not much, but that note felt very special. I should have framed it.

A.

 

[LordKiran]

But no-one ever got rich writing poetry. Well, alright, there have been a few.

William,

I was once paid £10 for doing 15 minutes of performance poetry in a London nightclub. Not much, but that note felt very special. I should have framed it.

A.

I got like 30 bucks for winning a competition which involved publishing a short story in a book for my highschool once. I guess I'm a regular Charles Bukowski!

 

[Speakpigeon]

Ever tried to play a game online with children? Call of (desensitizing mentally devolving) Duty? They have a language of their own. It goes far beyond acronyms. I know I'm being ridiculed for my old, slow and stumpy hands, but I can't decipher the language they use to belittle me. Where do they learn to communicate like that?

Languages are conventions and we all have broadly the same kind of brains so all we need is a willingness to communicate with each other. And most people crave that. Hey, what am I doing in here?!
EB

 

[WAB]

Click "Reply to Thread" at the top left of the page. That goes to the full reply page.

You can also do the quick reply and then click Go Advanced at the bottom of the reply window.

Thanks, Floof. I knew about that second thing - but that's what was annoying the crap out of me, having to click "Go Advanced" all the time, when I clearly need advanced. Or sometimes, at least. Unlike now, when I'm using the quick reply option.

I didn't know that I could simply click that button at the top of the thread, and bypass the silly "quick reply" window. Thanks for that! Whoo-hooooo! You really do learn something every day. One has to wonder, nonetheless, how someone (me!) who's been swanning about on BB's for the last 16 years would not know this simple trick?

It's mind-boggling, and just goes to show how deteriorated my noodle is. Too much Mary Jane and hootch back in the eightees and ninetees.

I only just noticed the "top" button a few months ago. Can I tell you the number of times I sat here scrolling back up to the top of the page, NOT seeing the "top" button, right under my nose? Perhaps that was the problem all along - my nose was in the way!

 

[WAB]

Ever tried to play a game online with children? Call of (desensitizing mentally devolving) Duty? They have a language of their own. It goes far beyond acronyms. I know I'm being ridiculed for my old, slow and stumpy hands, but I can't decipher the language they use to belittle me. Where do they learn to communicate like that?

Languages are conventions and we all have broadly the same kind of brains so all we need is a willingness to communicate with each other. And most people crave that. Hey, what am I doing in here?!
EB

Kids are vastly more intelligent than we "adults" can ever realize.

One need only go to Youtube (or whatever tube one prefers) and type in "child geniuses musicians other" or somesuch, and one will be overwhelmed by these just-out-of-diapers (and some of them IN diapers) geniuses doing all manner of amazing, astonishing things.


Wordsworth wrote, a long time ago, "The child is father of the man", and it remains true. It's ALWAYS been true, but now we have Internet, and easy access to being able to appreciate all of these little geniuses. Nothing remarkable going on. We just have a better world where children can spread their wings and have decent parents who are not jealous or afraid of them!



This post called for the running man.


PS: "Man reduced to machine" my eye. (Or a55 - if you prefer.)

 

[another1]

"The child is father of the man", and it remains true. It's ALWAYS been true

Kids have an honest, unblemished sense of wonder until they crack open a laptop and enter. Then, their beautiful fascination eventually turns into repetition, addiction, social uncertainty, general desperation, undeniable (yet still unapproachable) brainwashing and so on. Same systematic gelding of all that is good in humans always happens without the net, but not nearly as brutally and fast, huh. I think it should happen slowly, if it has to at all.

But on the real, yeah.. kids are unquestionably getting sharper and more skilled at all things - really fast. It is more unsettling than inspiring.

 

[fromderinside]

So many thoughts, so many armchairs, so little rationality.

care to be specific? Or perhaps you are unable to rationally address any opinions here? Any facts stated here that a Google search can show are incorrect? Have you anything to contribute besides putting your fingers in your ears and singing "la,la,la,la".

Since no one has bothered to address my Rings of Saturn observation - statistics with added variables just add to correlation, not substance. - to the 'increase-ed' notion, I see no reason to add more shit to the mix.

Specifically with respect to your last post redefining is nothing more than adding variables - see above.

My best estimate for the changes are both in the properties of bureaucracy and taking from the increase in our understanding of the science of the area trying to find an existing application in which to invest, ie making an existing bureaucracy bigger.

If mental illness is a personal disease which I believe it to be, or even if is a social diseases which I concede it may be then it's extent should remain more or less fixed since genes nor societies are changing all that much. All that is really changing is population density which also include more opinions. Basically nothing to see here.

 

[fromderinside]

"The child is father of the man", and it remains true. It's ALWAYS been true

Kids have an honest, unblemished sense of wonder until they crack open a laptop and enter. Then, their beautiful fascination eventually turns into repetition, addiction, social uncertainty, general desperation, undeniable (yet still unapproachable) brainwashing and so on. Same systematic gelding of all that is good in humans always happens without the net, but not nearly as brutally and fast, huh. I think it should happen slowly, if it has to at all.

But on the real, yeah.. kids are unquestionably getting sharper and more skilled at all things - really fast. It is more unsettling than inspiring.

I'm on the downward side of my life and competence. Still, there's not a twelve year old I know who can do or say the things I say mostly out of training and subsequent experience. So that to you "unsettling". If one has never gained the skills 12 year olds now have available to them then of course go ahead and make your ego feel better.

 

[Speakpigeon]

Languages are conventions and we all have broadly the same kind of brains so all we need is a willingness to communicate with each other. And most people crave that. Hey, what am I doing in here?!
EB

Kids are vastly more intelligent than we "adults" can ever realize.

I'm no longer the kid I was so I didn't understand anything you said except the line left above.

It's simplistic to say kids are more intelligent. I know because I vividly remember when I was vastly more intelligent.

So it's only now I understand that kids are vastly more intelligent but without the backup (some) adults have in terms of both experience and abstract thought, and that these two things can give you the advantage, at least in some areas.
EB

 

[another1]

Kids have an honest, unblemished sense of wonder until they crack open a laptop and enter. Then, their beautiful fascination eventually turns into repetition, addiction, social uncertainty, general desperation, undeniable (yet still unapproachable) brainwashing and so on. Same systematic gelding of all that is good in humans always happens without the net, but not nearly as brutally and fast, huh. I think it should happen slowly, if it has to at all.

But on the real, yeah.. kids are unquestionably getting sharper and more skilled at all things - really fast. It is more unsettling than inspiring.

I'm on the downward side of my life and competence. Still, there's not a twelve year old I know who can do or say the things I say mostly out of training and subsequent experience. So that to you "unsettling". If one has never gained the skills 12 year olds now have available to them then of course go ahead and make your ego feel better.

I Don't understand that post at all. Downside is that it is probably more about you. I'm genuinely concerned about things, and if you aren't, and think that I'm 100% ego-driven in stance on things ... that is on you. Mentioning your subsequent experience and training pertained to what, exactly? Ego? I still don't understand your post. Hold up, I'll read it again. Nope, still says nothing about me. Clarify maybe?