Depression is not a "lifestyle choice"
I was telling someone yesterday that I had been feeling somewhat down lately. Unexpectedly, this person became quite upset with me, saying he was tired of hearing about my low moods and that whether someone is of a happy or sad disposition is a choice, and not the result of genetics, body chemistry, or earlier experiences. Basically, his argument was that my episodes of feeling low were a "lifestyle choice". Sort of like deciding what color socks to wear each day, I choose what my emotional state will be.
Whenever someone talks about a "lifestyle choice" it is never meant in a positive way. You never hear (in disparaging tones) "yeah, that' s his lifestyle choice to be a law-abiding citizen and have a successful career". It's always said in a critical way if someone is does not meet so-called "approved standards", whether it be for sexual orientation or whatever. But I beg to disagree. Just as people have different sexual orientations for reasons that we don't completely understand yet, people also have different emotional dispositions. Just don't call it a lifestyle choice.
Whenever someone talks about a "lifestyle choice" it is never meant in a positive way. You never hear (in disparaging tones) "yeah, that' s his lifestyle choice to be a law-abiding citizen and have a successful career". It's always said in a critical way if someone is does not meet so-called "approved standards", whether it be for sexual orientation or whatever. But I beg to disagree. Just as people have different sexual orientations for reasons that we don't completely understand yet, people also have different emotional dispositions. Just don't call it a lifestyle choice.
posted by Kia at
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
1 Comments:
A couple of times when I've been in the middle of a serious depression, my "choice" was to try and reset my brain chemistry with Prozac. The depression certainly wasn't a choice - my preferred choice would have been to deal with it without the drugs and concomitant side effects...but that wasn't working.
You and my friend Megan both seem to use exercise for the same reason. My mother's friend Janice uses a bright light to combat SAD, but that doesn't stop the SAD from happening in the first place (if you look up SAD, they think the propensity for it has a genetic factor).
I hope you feel better soon...and don't wear any blue socks :-p
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Laurie, at 8:00 PM
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