Comment by W4ldi | Hacker News Reader

Comment by W4ldi | Hacker News Reader

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The more I think about this comment, the more it just seems so wrong. Yes, depression is not always caused by lifestyle, but it definitely can be. What you are saying just sounds like an excuse for taking the easy path. If trying to change your lifestyle to fix your mental health is a bad thing, what is your counter suggestion? Taking pills that make you addicted, not solve the problem and make everything worse if you stop taking them?

I know there are cases, where medication is inevitable and is the only option. But this is a minority. The vast majority of mental health issues we have today, are caused by lack of virtue and values, choice of diet, sleep and lack of social interactions.

The vast majority of mental health issues is caused by a lack of virtue?

Sure. General issues, maybe. Actual clinical diagnoses? Absolutely not. Yet you decide to paint both with the same brush. there are 3+ million diagnosed bipolar people in the US. Clinal depression, anxiety, and ADHD rates are higher. This is not a mere “minority”. There are significant numbers of people with chronic mental health problems.

The attitude people have towards mental health is horrible. The first assumption is always that the person with the issue is at fault and it’s up to them to convince any given person they meet that person’s bar for not being at fault for their problems. Even if you meet that bar, they still treat you like shit.

An alternative which has shown substantial empirical success is clinical treatment with a qualified psychotherapist experienced in the treatment of depression through the application of clinical treatment in a clinical setting. Such treatment may or may not involve the use of pharmaceutical and/or alternative medicines and/or medical and alternative treatments.

Incidentally, this is the context from which the study draws validity and makes rational sense to conduct. Without the clinical context depression is not a medical diagnosis.

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