Eastern perspectives of depression
Depression is a mental status. It carries a function: survive adversity. It is a mental status in which a person can rest and restore the energy, so to recovery; or go deeper: Pause, reflection, examinate the course, reset, and redirected, or even go to a deeper level: not only examine the course toward the original destination, but to set a new destination. The metaphor here is navigation. If we use military advance as metaphor, depression is like the general calling back his soldiers: re-treat. The purpose of retreat is to preserve his army in the face of defeat. Use the time to rest the exhausted soldiers, heal the wounded and Re-group, re-strategize, wait for a different kind of weather, or change the point of attack to a different location. Or wait for re-supply, reinforcement.
Depression is like animals going into hibernation. When food is scarce, it takes more energy to search the food than the energy gotten from the food, it is better to reserve the body energy than searching for food. The animals go into hibernation and wait for spring.
In the economy, financial depression, the flow of transaction slow down, the over expanded finance shrinks. The over expanded economy is corrected.
In politics: those with power in governmental institutions oppressed the people with less power. Oppression leads to submission, prolong submission leads to depression. Various symptoms of depression play out in different segments of society: some die of starvation or injuries; others go into minimum existence, just hanging on there; still others turn into covert underground militia: guerrillas which lead a revolution. Through revolution, the oppressive government institution is destroyed. People live on, but in another government institution. Depression leads to reform.
In Labor scenario: workforce strike: work stoppage by a body of worker to enforce compliance with demands made on the employer. From the employer’s stand point, it is a defunction of the work force. From the workers stand point, it is a crisis in which working condition can turn better.
Depression is a crisis in which change may occurs. Life emerges from depression with a renewed direction, condition and meaning. It never means just to get back where it was. Many good-willed mental health professionals come to help depressed people, with the determination to help the depressed people get back where they were just prior to the depression. Some of them success, some fail. For those who are “success”, they are like capturing and returning the runaway slave to their owners. The status quo is kept. They are back to where they were. For those who “fail”, they give the runaway slave a chance to start a new life.
Good willed mental health workers, you rather capture the runaway slave and return them to their owners or let them run away?
Eastern psychological Services understand the meaning of depression. We have the client achieve their goals. Getting back where they were, is not their goals. But the culture is dominated by those with capital, people are brainwashed. Many mental professionals are brainwashed too. Mental health professionals are eager to bring the depressed back to the workforce. Keep the status quo going smoothly.