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Depression?

IsaiahX

Ape That Loves
Just because someone is resilient does not mean they are not depressed, just as someone being brave does not make them unable to feel fear. Depression is, as far as we know, genetic, and resilence does not cure depression, it simply lets you withstand some of it.
 

Thief

Rogue Theologian

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Yeah, the opposite of depression is mania. That's why they call it "bipolar" disorder.

I respectfully disagree.

Mania is a mental illness just as depression is.

The opposite of being mentally ill is to be mentally healthy and so, resilience is one of the characteristics of a mentally - or emotionally we should probly all be saying - healthy individual.

I know a little about resilience because I have lived over 35 years with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

I was virtually "forced" to become resilient and it has a "happy" ending but not before enduring a lot of anguish ...

All the best!

:)
 

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Found this just recently -

When confronted with adverse situations such as the loss of a loved one, some people never fully recover from the pain. Others, the majority, pull through and experience how the intensity of negative emotions (e.g. anxiety, depression) grows dimmer with time until they adapt to the new situation. A third group is made up of individuals whose adversities have made them grow personally and whose life takes on new meaning, making them feel stronger than before.

Comes from this site -

Resilient people more satisfied with life

Cheers!
 

Axe Elf

Prophet
I respectfully disagree.

Mania is a mental illness just as depression is.

The opposite of being mentally ill is to be mentally healthy and so, resilience is one of the characteristics of a mentally - or emotionally we should probly all be saying - healthy individual.

Well that's just silly. Saying that the opposite of depression (or, parenthetically, the opposite of mania) is mental health is equivalent to saying that the opposite of black (and, parenthetically, the opposite of white) is gray.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Yeah, the opposite of depression is mania. That's why they call it "bipolar" disorder.

Two sides of the same mental illness.

Depression is not a single cause but a lack of vitality, contentment, confidence, inner peace, hopefulness, happiness, positivity.

Im not sure if there is an opposite, closest i can get is euthymic describing a stable mental state.
 

Axe Elf

Prophet
Two sides of the same mental illness.

It can be (which is why I called mania the opposite of depression), but the DSM V contains criteria for diagnosing depression and mania individually, as well as various shades of mixed (bipolar) diagnoses. Even as individual illnesses, though, they are basically opposite in symptoms.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
It can be (which is why I called mania the opposite of depression), but the DSM V contains criteria for diagnosing depression and mania individually, as well as various shades of mixed (bipolar) diagnoses. Even as individual illnesses, though, they are basically opposite in symptoms.

So the opposite of the illness depression is an illness?
 

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
Having suffered from depression for several years, I found that the opposite of depression was wellness or stable mental health. In this regard, defining it as resilience is not far off the mark, as the resiliency of a stable mental outlook actively thwarts depressive tendencies.
 

IsaiahX

Ape That Loves
Well that's just silly. Saying that the opposite of depression (or, parenthetically, the opposite of mania) is mental health is equivalent to saying that the opposite of black (and, parenthetically, the opposite of white) is gray.

I disagree. Black would be a better allusion to normal grief. Depression is complicated and multilayered, but it seems to usually mean a state of apathy, lack of energy, and exhaustion. A better symbol for depression would be transparency, a lack of hope, energy and happiness. Other states of mind could be symbolized by being of any color, mania included. At least in my opinion.
 

Axe Elf

Prophet
So the opposite of the illness depression is an illness?

Of course it is. What else would it be, a fruit?

The opposite of the color black is a color (white).

The opposite of the direction up is a direction (down).

The opposite of an acute angle is an (obtuse) angle.

That's how opposites work.
 

Axe Elf

Prophet
I disagree. Black would be a better allusion to normal grief. Depression is complicated and multilayered, but it seems to usually mean a state of apathy, lack of energy, and exhaustion. A better symbol for depression would be transparency, a lack of hope, energy and happiness. Other states of mind could be symbolized by being of any color, mania included. At least in my opinion.

You seem to have misunderstood my analogy. I'm not trying to assign colors to mental illnesses in some synesthetic way, I'm making an analogy between the opposites "depression" and "mania" and the opposites "black" and "white." Whereas mental health is the midpoint between depression and mania, it cannot properly be called the opposite of either of them, any more than gray (the midpoint between black and white) can properly be called the opposite of either of them.

If you can't get past assigning colors to mental states, then scratch the color analogy and consider the opposites "day" and "night." Whereas mental health is the midpoint between depression and mania, it cannot properly be called the opposite of either of them, any more than dusk (the midpoint between day and night) can properbly be called the opposite of either of them.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Of course it is. What else would it be, a fruit?

The opposite of the color black is a color (white).

The opposite of the direction up is a direction (down).

The opposite of an acute angle is an (obtuse) angle.

That's how opposites work.

I dont think you read my post did you?

And the opposite of illness is wellness.

Thats how it works
 

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
I dont think you read my post did you?

And the opposite of illness is wellness.

Thats how it works
And I'm living proof. :)

I remember when I finally went to my doctor, years ago, for depression, he consoled me by saying something like 50% of the patients he was seeing was for depression and anxiety. That news didn't really cheer me up at the time but it was helpful knowing I wasn't the only one. Ironically, alienation is often a key feature of depression.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
And I'm living proof. :)

I remember when I finally went to my doctor, years ago, for depression, he consoled me by saying something like 50% of the patients he was seeing was for depression and anxiety. That news didn't really cheer me up at the time but it was helpful knowing I wasn't the only one. Ironically, alienation is often a key feature of depression.

My brother in law is seriously ill with schizophrenia, depression is part of his package. He gets the same message of his phyc team. It doesn't really help much but it is good to know that one is not unique having a mental illness
 

Axe Elf

Prophet
And the opposite of illness is wellness.

In the category of mental or physical fitness, yes--just as the opposite of chromatic (having to do with color) is anachromatic (absence of color or grayscale). But within the anachromatic scale, the opposite of black is white. And within the category of mental illness, mania is the opposite of depression.

Wellness is the opposite of ANY illness, in the general sense, but within the category of illnesses lay the opposites to specific conditions, such as hypothermia and hyperthermia, hemochromatosis (too much iron in the blood) and anemia (too little iron in the blood), and depression and mania.

It would be odd to say that normal body temperature is the opposite of hypothermia, or that normal iron levels are the opposite of anemia, just as it is odd for you to suggest that normal emotional control is the opposite of depression.

I'm going to assume you're not five years old and leave it at that. If you would like to try to convince readers of your inability to grasp the concept of opposites any further, you'll have to do it on your own. There are better uses of my time than to educate purported adults on elementary concepts.
 
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ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
In the category of mental or physical fitness, yes--just as the opposite of chromatic (having to do with color) is anachromatic (absence of color or grayscale). But within the anachromatic scale, the opposite of black is white. And within the category of mental illness, mania is the opposite of depression.

Wellness is the opposite of ANY illness, in the general sense, but within the category of illnesses lay the opposites to specific conditions, such as hypothermia and hyperthermia, hemochromatosis (too much iron in the blood) and anemia (too little iron in the blood), and depression and mania.

It would be odd to say that normal body temperature is the opposite of hypothermia, or that normal iron levels are the opposite of anemia, just as it is odd for you to suggest that normal emotional control is the opposite of depression.

I'm going to assume you're not five years old and leave it at that. If you would like to try to convince readers of your inability to grasp the concept of opposites any further, you'll have to do it on your own. There are better uses of my time than to educate purported adults on elementary concepts.

I am not bothered about straw men. The opposite of mental illness is not mental illness.

There is no precise opposite of depression but the term used in medicine is euthymic, it is often used to describe a stable mental state.

And your ignorant attempt at sarcasm based on your inability to actually read my posts (which others have no problem with) only leaves me assuming that you are functional enough to able you to use a dictionary once in a while.
 
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