Coming out of depression, a devastating reconstruction of life

Low mood is the result of evolutionary selection, and eliminating it is not only impossible, but dangerous. Such an evolutionary perspective requires us to manage our emotions patiently and more wisely, to learn to tolerate a certain degree of depression, to learn to listen to what depression tells us, and to live in a way that is consistent with evolutionary intended.

Before, when failure strikes, we can pause, recuperate for a moment in the spiritual fortress of meaning and hope, and rethink "me." Just as religion provides a broader sense of time and space, so much so that man is so small in the larger vision, the failure of the individual becomes insignificant.

Over the past half-century, trust in God, community, nation, and family has been severely eroded. When we search for a safe haven, we find that the sofas and recliners that once gave us comfort and support are gone. Now, the only thing left is a fragile and massive ego, like a crumbling little bench. In such a situation, it seems that we can only blame this magnified self for our failures, and we seem to have no choice.

It sounds plausible, but this theory is not enough to explain the pathogenesis of depression. Because in addition to personal failure, depression involves biological, psychological, and social overlaps. Neither psychologists nor scientists have yet to decipher the complex causes and methods of depression.

Stills from "My Husband Has Depression" are inDepth: The Evolutionary Origins of Depression (the depth: the evolutionary origin of depressionIn the book,Jonathan RottenbergLooking at depression from the origins of evolutionary theory, an interesting hypothesis is proposedDepression is a black hole of human motivation

This hypothesis sounds strange and contradictory, but it has strong explanatory power – it can be used to explain the origins of the depression epidemic and why depression is so difficult once it takes root (3 to 4 patients are at lifetime** risk**).

RothenbergHe also suffered from major depression at a young age, an illness that robbed him of his mind, self-esteem, and almost everything that mattered. However, he developed a deep respect for the tenacious power of depression and a burning desire to understand. This experience led him to completely change his career direction, from a historian to a psychologist.

InRothenbergIt seems that most of the theories about depression in the past have been limited to disease models. This model argues that because depression is so painful and devastating, it's hard to imagine any other way to look at it. These bad things must be diseases. The logic is also very simple, eliminate the underlying defects (whether it is low serotonin, or pessimistic thinking) and remove depression from people's emotions.

However, this model of disease also poses a number of problems. Some patients have been labeled for it".DefectsReluctant to ask for help. And those who are helped are often constantly told in the psychiatric system that they are flawed, but they never know the root cause of these flaws.

Stills from "Female Psychologist" So, he thinks, there is another perspective to look at this issue. Depression is a mood illness, and the core symptom is low mood. Then we should look at the problem in terms of emotions themselves. Why do people feel depressed?

fromEvolutionary PsychologyOur bodies are a series of adaptations, evolutionary legacies that help us survive and reproduce in the face of uncertainty and risk. But that doesn't meanEvolution is perfectTarget. In fact, even the greatest adaptation comes at a cost – bigger brains give humans higher cognitive abilities, but it also increases the risk of pregnant women giving birth. Walking upright frees your hands and helps with hunting and toolmaking, but it also puts more stress on your spine and makes your back more susceptible to injury. Most mammals evolved into warm-blooded animals and can hunt in cold weather, but they also need more food than reptiles and are at greater risk of starvation and malnutrition.

The emotional system, too, is the result of evolutionary selection, with its benefits and costs.

It's a little ridiculous to say" stillsEvolutionary strengths and weaknesses of the emotional system

There are three theories about the evolutionary advantage of depressed mood:

The first is that depression contributes to anxiety in the conflict, which degrades the conflict – the loser admits defeat without dying in battle;

Second, depression is a "stopping mechanism" that prevents a person from pursuing an unattainable or dangerous goal.

Thirdly, depression is a decision-making tool that puts us in a "reflective mind" and helps us to better analyze the environment, especially when they are faced with very difficult circumstances.

Of these three theories, none of them is enough to explain the causes of depression, but when the three are put together, we begin to understandWhy is low mood so difficult – because it is very useful in many cases.

I'm Good in a Foreign Country" stills In psychology, emotions are a very important concept. Rothenberg defines "emotion" as "the internal signals that drive behavior in the right direction." It sounds complicated, but in fact, each of us has a very daily experience - when a person is in a good mood, he will be willing to do something, such as hanging out with friends; When you're in a bad mood, you don't want to move and want to retract. It can be said that emotions are the organizers and regulators of actions.

High emotions encourage the organism to take action and chase rewards. Low emotions focus on threats and obstacles, and constrain behavior. When the situation is not good and the goal is not very feasible, the depressed mood will pause the action to ensure that the organism does not make unnecessary efforts. In a world where time, resources, and action are limited, evolving such a mechanism is important for survival. A bear will starve to death if it wastes too much time in a dry pond with no fish.

Of course, humans have a more complex relationship with the emotional system than animals. Because we can choose to act on emotions, or ignore them. We can tell ourselves to keep pursuing a goal that is failing. The result is a confrontation between man's will to conquer heaven and an ancient system of emotions. What does the emotional system do to resolve disputes? It can turn off a motive, not just one, but a series of motives. Eventually, when the emotional system wins, it leads to a total breakdown of motivation, including tiredness, sluggishness, lack of motivation, and finally lying in bed doing nothing. In a room, the bed is the most natural place for behavior to freeze, and the person who lies in the bed, not because of a lack of motivation and purpose, but because the motivation is so strong that the emotional system is like a black hole that eventually engulfs all the motivations, so that a person with sound limbs cannot get out of bed at all.

Stills from "My Husband Has Depression".This raises an important philosophical question: Is perseverance necessarily a good thing? Sisyphus pushes stones up the mountain again and again, which is a symbol of the noble spirit of mankind. But when low emotions warn you again and again to let go, should you listen to instinct, or do you listen to your will? We are taught to have high ambitions from an early age, but too high ambitions can also lead to depression.

Animals can also be depressed. Anyone who has ever owned a pet knows this. With the exception of "guilt" and "suicidal thoughts," the following pet dog has almost all the symptoms of depression in humans.

The transition from depressed mood to depression is rarely gratuitousFor example, "loss" is the most common psychological trigger, loss of food, loss of a partner, loss of a job, loss of a lover, ......For example, the reason why this pet dog named Ollie showed these depression-like symptoms, according to the author's analysis, was because it had just lost a companion.

Gorillas don't say, "I'm sad," but when a female orangutan faces the death of her child, the changes in her body and behavior are very similar to those of a human mother who has just lost her child, including hormonal changes (such as high steroid secretion), a suppressed immune system, and a disturbance of the biological clock.

A data from the United States shows that depression in 1 in 4 humans is associated with bereavement. The loss of a loved one is probably the most universal grief. A mother was pregnant for ten months, but her child died. It's time to stop and think about what to do next. The depression will force her to stop and think about what this child means to her? Now that the child is gone, how should she move on with her life. Bereavement is the most universal kind of grief, transcending history, transcending culture, and although the rituals of various human cultures are different, there is always such a pause, giving you a period of time to soothe your grief, reevaluate the environment, and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

I Really Love You" stillsOne of the theories that has been repeatedly tested about the evolutionary advantages of depressed mood is that depressed mood makes people better able to analyze the environment. For example, American psychologists Lyn Abramson and Lauren Alloy found that people who are depressed (and present with certain symptoms of depression) are more accurate in assessing control over an event, while people with normal emotions tend to overestimate their control over an event. Australian psychologist Joseph Forgas found that a brief period of depression can improve one's ability to debate. When subjects are placed in a negative mood (watching a 10-minute movie about a man dying of cancer), they are able to make a more convincing argument about a topic (e.g., tuition increases, indigenous land ownership) because they are more cautious, skeptical, and careful in their handling of material.

So, what about the cost of low mood?

The most obvious is the weakness of action. In a changing world, sluggishness or even paralysis is a great risk, and the hunter may eat it or lose the opportunity to catch the prey. Mood is further depressed, and the excessive release of stress hormones not only causes damage to the body, but can also lead to cognitive weakness. For example, people with major depressive disorder often fall into distorted negative thoughts: "I am sinful", "I don't deserve to live in the world", etc., and these distorted thoughts can lead to self-destructive behavior.

The authors argue that it is still necessary to make a distinction between "shallow depression" and "deep depression" – that shallow depression has adaptive value, while deep depression is a disabling mental illness.

Emotions are a continuous spectrum, not a dichotomy between health and disease. The evidence is that many of the risk factors that may contribute to major depressive disorder, such as lack of social support, a stressful environment, poor sleep habits, and an anxious personality, are the same as risk factors for mild depressive disorder. So, in the spectrum of 50 shades of gray, when exactly did the depressed mood go from beneficial to harmful? Science can't give an answer to this for the time being. But the author spends a lot of time talking about how the seeds of depression were planted in the first place.

If the Voice Doesn't Remember" stills study found that most mood swings are short-lived, and that the impact of external stress on mood usually doesn't last more than a day. Couples will quickly reconcile when they quarrel, friends will quickly apologize when they get angry, and a leaky roof will be repaired quickly. This shows two things, first, people are active participants in emotions, we can not only be aware of bad emotions, but also take the initiative to repair them, walking, chatting, listening to songs, watching TV series, are all effective ways to relieve stress and calm emotions. Second, the emotional system is self-stressed, it is most concerned about what to do next, and it is also good at letting go.

But,There are three interrelated triggers that can lead to a persistent build-up of negative emotions and indulgence: events, personalities, and habits in everyday life.

OneEvent. Modern psychological theories suggest that if we can explain it in time, we can recover from a bad event more quickly. Confused thoughts, mixed feelings, are the help of persistent low mood. The timing of things is also important. Many studies have found that early life trauma (physical, a-to-be) provides a breeding ground for the slow spread of depression and anxiety.

The author mentions in the book a middle-aged woman named Jane, who has suffered from mild depression and anxiety for a long time, her father has been an alcoholic since she was a child, and she was ** by a neighbor at the age of 13, she did not dare to tell anyone, for fear that her mother would blame her, and her father would be angry. Jane's anxiety and sadness are a natural response of the emotional system. In this world, when a child's primary continuum – the parents – is emotionally unreachable and unable to help, the emotional system will always be thereforward lookingBad things have happened and it will happen again. It's better to be prepared for worse things to happen. Anxious emotions can always be dangerous (especially in relationships), and sad emotions can analyze what was lost and why it was lost, as a line of defense against greater harm in the future. ”

Stills from "Little Joy".SecondPersonality. Evolutionary biologistd**id sloan wilsonIn terms of personality, evolution does not have an optimal solution for survival. But there's a lot of evidence that the personality traits that are most likely to be depressed are:Nervous, impatient, sensitive, nervous about small things, overly worriedWait, you can make up for Woody Allen's appearance. Many people are familiar with the story of ants and crickets in Disney cartoons: autumn is coming, the fallen leaves are scattered, the hard-working ants are busy storing food for the winter, Mr. Cricket is still carefree and playing the violin, when winter comes, Mr. Cricket is very miserable and hungry, and finally eats a full meal under the alms of the ants. Highly neurotic people are much like prophesied ants, always worried about what bad things will happen in the future, and are sensitive to threats, including those that are distant, hidden, and subtle.

ThirdThe habits of daily life – how we spend our time, how we care about our bodies and mood – have a lot to do with emotions. There are some habits that build physical and mental resources and improve mood; There are also habits that are contrary to the will of evolution and can lead to serious dysregulation of the emotional system.

The emotional system is an evolutionary rather genius design. It is sensitive to many cues related to survival and reproduction, such as sunlight, and during the day the animal is more alert and energetic, because it is easier to find prey during the day. By the same token, people are more likely to experience depression in winter, and the high incidence of depression in the Nordic countries has a lot to do with the short hours of sunshine in winter. Health is also very important, when you are sick, your mood will be low, which is also the emotional system forcing you to slow down and wait for the body first. The emotional system is also sensitive to mental states. If you fail an exam, fall out of love, or have a problem at work, your emotional system will react because you are in an awkward position and you have to figure out what to do next.

For example, we get less and less sunlight and sleep, we often have to sacrifice our health and rest time for work, we often have to stay away from our loved ones and fight alone in the metropolis, and the corresponding is the rising prevalence of depression in industrialized societies.

Even more ironic,Depression is much more severe in humans than in animals, not because of our deficiencies, but precisely because of our unique abilities. Depression feeds on many qualities that we are proud of, such as the ability to think and use language, the ability to self-examine, the tendency to stick to ambitious goals, and even our urge to pursue happiness.

For example, language. Emotions, like all adaptations, evolved without language and culture. One of its key features is that it operates outside of consciousness. The only faculties required for emotions are waking sensations and conscious perception, including the perception of pain and pleasure, which is present in all animals. But when humans talk about emotions, the first thing that comes to mind is language – we are "angry", we are "sad", we are "happy". We always try to explain emotions and the reasons for their occurrence in words, but people with depression will feel "sad" and "depressed", in fact, it is difficult to truly describe their inner emotions and experiences.

Home at One Point" stills Although we are so eager to explain emotions, it is actually difficult for ordinary people to see the really important factors behind emotions - from the external environment (food, allies, potential partners) to the internal environment (fatigue, hormone levels, immune system), which can lead to changes in the emotional system. And the stories we tell ourselves about emotions are often just stories. For example, let's assume that we feel depressed because we are falling behind in our work, but maybe it's just a cold and weakness. Sometimes we can't find any reason for our emotions (I don't know why, we just feel bad), so we have to rely on a counselor to help us find the reason.

The puppy has lost its companion, and all it can do is look out the window and look for the return of its companion. We hope to rely on thinking to get out of emotional predicament, but it often backfires – a meaning-making machine that overworks and explains low mood all the time, and eventually becomes a kind of rumination, why me? Why is my life so unsuccessful? Our powerful capacity for self-examination makes all of this worse: Why can't I let go, why am I so incompetent? We are always aware of our failures in trying to change our emotions. For each day of depression, our frustration with our inability to change our mood increases by one point.

**Stills from "The Son Trapped in My Heart" of the Ten Thousand Fans Incentive Plan.

For example, humans are very good at setting goals, including some abstract goals, such as happiness. More and more people set their life goals as "I want to be happy", but the purpose of evolution has never been about happiness, but about survival and reproduction. When you meet someone you like, or buy a new car, the emotional system will of course give a pleasant reward, but this pleasure will not last. No one can be happy forever, and those who aim for happiness keep asking, why can't I be happier? Especially when you see those happier people in your circle of friends, more perfect holidays, you begin to feel the pain of failure deeply, the pursuit of happiness eventually becomes an obstacle to happiness, and the gap between ideals and reality determines the degree of depression you have.

However, the author reminds us that the emotional system is evolutionarily shaped, and it is difficult to resist it. But that doesn't mean we're slaves to our emotions. On the contrary, it is precisely because the emotional system is sensitive to so much that it means that there are many paths to **, to change the mental picture, to change events, to change relationships, to change the relationship with the body (diet, exercise, meditation or to change the brain with drugs). In that sense, the book is a positive thing. We may not be able to change our personality, but we can regulate our daily routines. Maybe we can't change the things that happen to us, but we can change our perspective on them. We can try to change our relationships, or learn to be more tolerant of low feelings. We can also re-evaluate and adjust our goals. Many times, people with depression are unable to escape the Black Forest because they refuse to withdraw from a goal that has already failed (whether it is a failed marriage or a failed career).

As the author says, those who eventually come out of depression usually make major adjustments in their lives that recognize that they are more resistant to future threats. In this sense, the disease was a devastating reconstruction for their lives.

I am Yang Huabing, a professor at Hubei University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, if you have any questions related to mental illness, you can talk about it in detail, I am willing to talk to you, and I hope I can help you and your family.