On NPR I heard a Mayor from Colorado opposing restrictions or mandates regarding our pandemic. He stated something to the effect that individuals should have freedom and choices regarding decision-making as opposed to government regulations. That rationalization was nonsense. We have speed limits on our roads, highways and have police and sheriffs giving tickets to lawbreakers. I would not like to drive my automobile on Highway 80 without any speed limits.That sick response from that Mayor was associated with disease for our Republic. This disquisition pertains to non psychodynamic factors associated with depression .
A diseased organism exhibits signs or symptoms indicative of its abnormal state suggesting a harmful deviation from its normal functional state. This suggests being In a non homeostasis or Yin and Yang state . An epidemic is an outbreak or spreading of a disease.In essence, we have a pathological process that occurs in our body.That occurrence results in pain and /or a negative valence.
With that being said, let's focus on symptoms of depression which are an unbalanced emotional brain state. More specifically, there are chemical disruptions within the neurotransmitters Norepinephrine {regulates arousal, sleep, attention and mood),Dopamine {involved in movement, attention and feelings of pleasure} and or Serotonin{ involved in regulation of mood,emotion and sleep} that can interact in varying degrees and specifics. These chemicals , in essence, are involved in producing high levels of fear and sadness which are the forces behind developing a depressed mood. More on the brain,emotions, moods and major depressive disorders at a later date.
Recently, my AT&T phone line constantly gave me a busy signal on my landlines. I called AT&T on my cell phone. I received a number of voice prompts and subsequently left a message. The AI recording said it would call back within an hour and ½ . After an hour and ½, I made a second call. This time after going through all the prompts, the AI response indicated that others had a similar problem and that the phone line would be fixed by February 2. I did not talk to anyone alive.
In the old days,one would actually have a conversation but not today. There are additional insignificance and powerlessness components in our society. We are just a number, a cog in the bigness of these corporations. As individuals we don’t count anymore. We have become more impersonal and irrelevant. Emile Durkheim referred to this as Anomie while the Existentialists called this a loss of meaning, nothingness, inauthenticity and alienation. One sees this in individuals that have given up hope, in despair and they become irrelevant .Additionally, this alienation interferes with meeting one's dependency and affiliative needs .It’s harmful effects result in being out of interpersonal balance . This insignificance, powerlessness,alienation and being cut off from individuals are also associated with mental problems and symptoms of depression.
Individuals claim they are bored and do not know what to do with their time. Some do busy work while most consume and consume. One used to go to the malls, for consumption , shopping and human interaction . Material production and consumption has not brought happiness.Today, one goes online and consumes without any human interaction. One doesn’t have to use the telephone anymore, one can just go online for consumption. Loneliness has been exacerbated by the virus as well as by social media. One can’t be touched, held, loved on the Internet.Again affiliative and dependency needs cannot be adequately met on social media and reinforce depression.
Boredom, more specifically, has been accelerated by the pandemic. However, boredom has always been a thorn for many. Consensus and sameness is all around us. At one time, one could identify the various makes of automobiles. How many can identify and distinguish Corvette differences,the top car, produced in this country? Changes year to year are minimal. Today, it takes a nameplate to identify the various brands and makes of the vehicle. Movies and remakes continue. Even though the actors or actresses change, the same plot is repeated over and over with insignificant changes.
Boredom takes place in many avenues in the workplace. Boredom, on the assembly line, in the old days,was especially prevalent In the automobile industry. Worker absenteeism,drug and alcohol abuse were major problems regardless of employee compensation. The Japanese model included teams that decreased the amount of boredom and satiation during work hours. US management then made changes. Satiation was a good example of boredom and disinterest. Jacob Kounin provided a terrific example,from Kurt Lewin’’s Field Theory Model of satiation - going from a positive to a negative valence. A task in the beginning can be fun, enjoyable and interesting. Repetition over time changes an individual's motivation. A fun task in the beginning was referred to as a positive valence. Over time, that task became less enjoyable and the positive diminished. At some point that task becomes boring and a negative valence becomes established.With negative balance, one loses focus and begins to think and pay attention to something else with obvious mistakes and distortions occurring. Boredom, satiation becomes the norm in so much of life. It’s a threat to creativity and emotional wellness. How many times can you watch the same movie over and over again? TV is a good example of boredom and satiation with the repeated programming. How many talk shows; how many reality shows; how many sitcoms; how many sporting events; and how many James Bond movies - the sameness or satiation continues? Boredom and satiation are associated with symptoms of depression.
Another aspect of depression is suicide. According to the CDC, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in United States. In 2019 there were 47,511 Americans that died from suicide with an estimated 1.38 million suicide attempts.More specifically, there were 13.93 deaths by suicide per 100,000 individuals in our populatio Suicide is highest in middle-aged white men and men died from suicide 3.63 times more often than women. White males accounted for 69.38% of suicide deaths in 2019 and firearms accounted for 50.39% of all suicide deaths. Way to go guys. Yin and Yang are not at work here.
Additionally,the inability to sleep is another major symptom of depression .73% of people in the US reported nighttime impairment ; 38% reported difficulty initiating sleep at bedtime and 61% of patients reported frequent or prolonged awakenings throughout the night . Insignificance, powerlessness, boredom, meaninglessness, satiation, sleep issues,loneliness and needless buying are all symptoms of depression.
Depression is among the most serious health problems facing our society causing unfolding human suffering and enormous economic cost .Depression is considered the second-most prevalent illness in the United States. Research shows that only 50% of patients respond to existing medications.Further, depression affects over 18 million adults or one in 10 in any given year. It’s the leading cause of disability for ages 15 – 44. This disease caused $490 million in disability days from work each year in the US and accounted for $23 billion in lost workdays each year.
In summary, this disquisition points to a few variables associated with sickness, disease and depression. Biologically, when not in the state of homeostasis the individual is in a functional disease state. Likewise, Chinese philosophy incorporates yin and yang. It is a description of an impediment or blockage to the body . The flow of energy is interrupted within the body. Given that sick and diseased individuals have made poor lifestyle decisions and are not in a state of experiencing homeostasis, they have demonstrated that personal freedom for them is related to irrational self-destructive actions and behavior. Therefore it is total nonsense to allow these individuals to infect and transmit the disease to society as a whole. One does not give keys to a drunken driver nor should public health be in the hands of sick, diseased, intellectually,emotionally inappropriately limited, childlike adults. Statistics indicate that within the last five years there has been an increase in depression and a decrease In life expectancy. A repetition of the same lifestyle factors contribute to this insanity. With that being stated, for the public health of the country, mandates regarding the virus are required and necessary.
Reference
Understanding Depression and Bipolar Disorder. Institute for Natural Resources.
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