Depression seems to me to be similar to hibernation rather than some sort of better-processing state. Social Isolation, the depths of winter, and lack of meaningful tasks in life seem to be the situations where becoming tired, slow to act, and pessimistic are adaptive. If you’re living through the winter in a cave off mammoth jerky, it’s probably better to get depressed than to go stir-crazy. If you have plenty of food and no pressing tasks, you’ll probably live longer if you can’t get up the energy to get out of your house.
As a comparison, consider the effects of a surge of Adrenaline: Higher function, faster thinking, stronger muscles, and insensitivity to pain. You’re more willing to take risks and tire yourself out.
The key difference seems to be urgency: depression might be a chemical state that you go into when you’re in a situation where urgent action is bad, and “fight or flight” when urgent action is necessary.
So how does suicidal ideaton fit with this? Is the benefit of hibernation that much higher than the probability of killing oneself? Also why does being depressed feel miserable then, sleeping for example is a very enjoyable experience, at least for me.
Side effects: Our brains are machines that sometimes have very crude control mechanisms. Floods of certain neurotransmitters to enrage us, others to make us feel love and lust. The sort of chemical conditions necessary to encourage torpor and cautious behavior also make us “sad”.
Depression seems to me to be similar to hibernation rather than some sort of better-processing state. Social Isolation, the depths of winter, and lack of meaningful tasks in life seem to be the situations where becoming tired, slow to act, and pessimistic are adaptive. If you’re living through the winter in a cave off mammoth jerky, it’s probably better to get depressed than to go stir-crazy. If you have plenty of food and no pressing tasks, you’ll probably live longer if you can’t get up the energy to get out of your house.
As a comparison, consider the effects of a surge of Adrenaline: Higher function, faster thinking, stronger muscles, and insensitivity to pain. You’re more willing to take risks and tire yourself out.
The key difference seems to be urgency: depression might be a chemical state that you go into when you’re in a situation where urgent action is bad, and “fight or flight” when urgent action is necessary.
So how does suicidal ideaton fit with this? Is the benefit of hibernation that much higher than the probability of killing oneself? Also why does being depressed feel miserable then, sleeping for example is a very enjoyable experience, at least for me.
Side effects: Our brains are machines that sometimes have very crude control mechanisms. Floods of certain neurotransmitters to enrage us, others to make us feel love and lust. The sort of chemical conditions necessary to encourage torpor and cautious behavior also make us “sad”.