In an email conversation recently with a dear friend, we addressed the dilemma of pharmaceuticals and the epidemic of depression that so many are getting diagnosed with. What causes depression anyway and how revealing it is that many doctors are now saying their knowledge of these so quickly medicated “disorders” is more limited than they may have previously admitted. Here were my thoughts:

Thanks for all the thoughts. This is all so complicated, that’s for sure. I don’t obsess about this, and I won’t really take the time to go through all the videos. It does make me mad though, and I have some strong opinions, just from listening to many different people and also listening to my heart and soul. I suppose my thoughts come from A LOT of exposure to people’s thinking and ideas over time and their deep soul-searching and prayer with God. I have also seen a lot of people with effects from antidepressants and have observed their lifestyles.

You are right, in that most people are selling something. It’s the world we live in. But some people have a deep passion for helping people and the best way they know how is to market their research and sell products that are going to make a difference in people’s lives. We have to make a living, right? And it is much better to get paid doing something that helps people or that is our deep passion than something that rips people off or lies to them about what is going on. I think this is perhaps the case with pharmaceuticals. I think some people might need meds if they are seriously depressed, but as Kat just said (referencing something we heard on NPR), a lot of docs take advantage of anxiety and give meds rather than tools to help with the process. It seems to me that people then get entirely dependent on drugs to curb their anxiety (which our culture exacerbates!!) while at the same time having to deal with the side effects of those drugs leading to other drugs, or finding the “right cocktail” of meds for them.

Personal example/admission, I LOVE coffee. I love the taste of it, the routine of it, and my body loves the effect of it. Only at certain times of the day though. And while I am drinking half-caf now, sometimes I drink too much and get shaky. There is nothing that helps with coffee shakes like a couple sips of beer… even if it is at 10am in the morning (usually when those jitters hit me). So I take one drug for the other. Now, I am a conscious guy and I can do this intentionally without getting too locked into the pattern, but I think for the majority of the public, theirs practice is many times worse.

What I believe is that we live in a culture that is busy, hurried, anxious, loud, distracted, and selfish. We want what we want and we we want it now. We are too hooked on screens and television programming, which is geared to get us to watch more. We watch violence on tv which causes fear and keeps us indoors watching more violence. People are willfully ignorant because they are afraid of what it will mean to admit the truth. The whole thing with GMOs and maltreatment of animals makes me so incredibly sad and angry, but I know that people want chickens with fat breasts and apples that are big and resistant to all kinds of bugs. We don’t want to see the animals die, we just want to pop a tray in the microwave and pretend that its meat. Too much sugar and too much tv. Video games, cell phones… all of it willful ignorance. Oh yah, and debt.

I do think people can break out of it all though. Plotkin says we have nature deficit disorder, which is entirely true. If people would get out into the wild world, where they could not control things, they would find themselves healing. We also don’t have the tools to listen to our hearts or to God, however people want to refer to the divine mystery / Creator. I do not think the church is helping with this much AT ALL. Yes there are some, but there are so many who just want a community of people who have similar values, can feel good about affirming the same good news (that I am going to heaven), and who aren’t going to cause them to think to hard or change their lives THAT much. There are many people that talk also about being part of a meta-narrative, meaning a belonging to a bigger picture, or having a cosmic consciousness. Plotkin give some really good insight into this in the book I gave you. When people begin to see where they fit, and they really feel it, so much anxiety is GONE. But our society does not want us to feel this. So much control and influence is being paid for (billions of dollars) so that people stay small.

Because of all of this, I don’t think that “depression” is really being helped that much. The average person feels depressed and wishes they were better, but they don’t want to help support someone else get through that depression. They don’t know how. And they don’t want to work hard to get out of it either.

Don’t get anxious about all of this. I know you tend to. Don’t run away from it or try not to hear it. Anger is ok. Let it fuel you to be different. But don’t let your frustration, fear, anxiety, worry, or desire to be better be the things you talk about all the time either. Don’t be known for the things that you are against. Just be different and love people. Listen to them. Encourage them to be outside in nature or together with other people. Be the one who brings healthy food or doesn’t eat sugar or refuses soda. Sign off Facebook. Read things that help you, really help you, to increase your awareness and to grow.

This got long. I love you ,

Nate