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Grand Magnate
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Default Jan 02, 2020 at 10:27 AM
  #1
This rings true for me:

Experiences of Depression Connected to Declining Sense of Purpose

Or, maybe, for me after so many years of "depression" an ABSENT sense of purpose?

But, maybe, in identifying and naming it there is hope, somehow? How, may be a good question, though. Any ideas?
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Default Jan 03, 2020 at 03:22 PM
  #2
I've sometimes wondered about this. To me, it seems like a "chicken & the egg" sort of thing. Did the experiences I've had (thwarted hopes, dreams, goals, etc.) cause me to become depressed or were the failures I experienced the result of me battling a mental illness that went unacknowledged as far back as childhood & remains largely undiagnosed to this day? Obviously I don't know the answer to that. (I wish I did.)

So how does one break free of this conundrum? I don't know the answer to that either. (And in my case I'm really too old for it to make much difference either.) But I've sometimes thought that, perhaps, one has to find something (a hobby, a job, a cause, etc.) one loves strongly enough that, if one pursues it passionately, it can overcome one's depression. But then, if one is so depressed one can't even think of anything one could feel passionately about, then we're right back where we began. So I don't know. I suppose that's what makes it a conundrum...

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Default Jan 03, 2020 at 03:49 PM
  #3
Great study. Makes sense to me.

Quote:
“The problem for participants was a world in which they now faced a declining sense of purpose and incapacity to reach goals. During moments when various individuals did reflect on their situation, the experiences in question were viewed more in terms of their biographical import (e.g., a “noble struggle” for social justice), rather than as a biomedical illness or disorder.”
This is 100% true -- and for a high number of the human population, I'll wager. Whether they admit to their depression publicly or not. I also think it can be tied to how our society changes culturally over the decades and the impact that has one a person's sense of purpose.

I just deleted a long essay-format response. I do think it's totally normal to feel depressed over time, the older you get. Because, you feel like, you had all this time to find what what your purpose is in life, and pursue it successfully to your benefit. But if that doesn't happen, I don't think it means you are mentally ill. That is the problem I have with America's mental health system.
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