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"Is depression a gift?"

I understand how utterly moronic this may seem at first glance, but it's something I've been thinking about recently.

Why are so many intelligent and gifted people so unhappy with life and the way they live? What on earth makes them so utterly deprived of their ability to enjoy themselves?

Or then, is depression something that comes with intelligence... or does it actually cause intelligence? Making us smarter and wiser, causing us to think more. Hundreds of artists, musicians, most talent in the world can be linked with a depressed childhood, and traumatic experiences. Can we link those to our gifts and talents, or is it only a compensation for something that we are born with?

I refuse to believe that a man is born an artist. Perhaps you have stronger muscles which have been genetically inherited... but we are not born with the ability to use a pen. We are not born with the ability to run, and we are not born with the ability to speak. We are basic humans, waiting for the template of the world to be set apon us.

So then, if our lives are not set, then would something like a traumatic experience make that much difference to our lives? Can it change us that much to give us skills and talents that we only ever dreamed of before?

I say yes. For trauma brings emotion, and emotion must be controlled. Once that is learned, then it can be filtered, and through practise of translating this emotion, creativity lives.

Assuming that this is correct... it does bring a huge discussion point, something that I can't decide, for confusion of humanity.

Is it right to traumatize a child, in the hope that the emotion caused by this will make the child stronger? Can something so utterly bad end up making something so perfectly good?

Surely there is another way that emotion can be carried? Surely depression isn't the only way to spark creativity...?

I'd certainly like to hope not... but depression and fear are very strong emotions, and it's hard to equal them with emotions of the other side...

On a last note, creativity and depression I feel are heavily linked. For depression causes so many thoughts to cross you, and creativity is the only real way of expressing those thoughts. Without creativity, we would all probably kill ourselves.

I was just speaking for myself and nobody else.
Sorry for being so full-on Nomad, it's been a bad weekend.

Sunshine and song rules.

I'm happier now than I've ever been at home, and I find myself wantig to write again.

I believe Kitty said that everyone's different (and I'm sure millions of other people have said it too, the world over) and different people are effected in different ways by events in their lives.

Yeah, drepression is a bit extreme; almost suicidal

All I was trying to say was that in order to create something we hope others will find meaningful - something that will go beyond the superficial - we need to explore and have a knowledge and understanding of the darker and deeper side of our nature.

I purposely used the word "melancholy" as I thought the original post should have used this word instead of depression.

Nomad_Soul wrote:
> Melancholy allows us to explore the deepest wells within. It is here amidst the
> inner dark forest that we must gather and absorb without fear or inhibition. To
> create something of true worth self must have stored within much more than mere
> sunshine and song.

What on earth are you talking about?
Purple prose for sure, but based on what?
As a diagnosed clinical-depression sufferer, I can only speak for my own experiences when I say that is a ridiculous and pretentious statement.
Depression is more than just "feeling a bit down" or being "moody".

It can prevent you from functioning at all, when it hits me I spend hours just staring at the floor, unable to do anything but breathe in and out.
As for "inner dark forest", depression is not some romantic ideal of creativity.
It is an all-consuming feeling that robs you of will or desire.
I find it impossible to write or play when I am suffering, it ain't noble.

And "sunshine and song" is a perfectly good muse for those that can attain it.
But I need to stress again, that depression is not just a little bit fed-up or moody.
If you get it, you know it. Trust me.

It can cause you to seriously consider suicide, and not in some "I cant take it anymore!" drama style, but in a "i dont care about anything, it's too much effort to sit here and breathe".

Please, spare me this gothic "Pain = suffering" balls, because whilst it reads like a deep and meaningful statement, it demeans depression sufferers as "tortured poets".

Melancholy allows us to explore the deepest wells within. It is here amidst the inner dark forest that we must gather and absorb without fear or inhibition. To create something of true worth self must have stored within much more than mere sunshine and song.

Does emotional trauma lead to depression and then genius. I'm not convinced. People experience life differently so what is traumatic for one is not so for another. People's ability to deal with life's knocks rely on a range of different things. Social - good support networks mean less isolation. A lot of people belief there is a social model of depression i.e. if you are socially isolated e.g. no friends/family/poverty this can lead to feelings of low self esteem and then depression. Again this varies enormously some people deliberately choose to lead fairly "isolated" lifes. They neither want nor need others. Others are unable to form decent relationships and end up isolated. etc.
Medical - there are chemical changs in the brains of depressed people. But its a chicken and egg syndrome. Are you depressed because of the chemical imbalance or does depression cause the chemical imbalance?. Hence the multi milion dollar industry in pyschotropic drugs. Prozac is the most obvious example of this. It used to be very fashionable to treat mental illness with drugs/medical intervention the film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" deals with this brilliantly.
As for is it a gift. Again depends on who you talk to. Spike Milligan the comedian was a manic depressive. He said if he could have had his life over and just have had an ordinary existence as a postman he would have done. He would have sacrificed the creativity, the celebrity the whole lot so as not to have put his family through his four suicde attempts, hideous mood swings etc. Another writer who's name I can't remember is a manic depressive. Or bi polar as its now called. She said it took years for her to reconcile herself to taking he lithium and regulating her moods. When she was high she was hugely creative. Didn't sleep, didn't eat, spent tons of money, was sexually uninhibated and had huge creative ideas/work done. The flip side is that when she was down she wouldn't work, couldn't get up, felt suicidal etc. She enjoyed the highs and to an extent the lows. Felt like she was living life 100% as opposed to the fairly muted, pedestrian existences most of us had.
I guess what I am trying to say is that you cannot make generalisations on this subject. People are totally individual. Some depressives have hugely miserable, barren existences. They do not write the defining novel of the century or whatever. For others it can be a driving creative force.

I've never been depressed...
unless i'm depressed all the time and I just don't know it!!!

*deep breathing*

Interesting Point.

In my view I had a bloody good childhood to many others... sure I had a few personal battles like anybody else, but nothing big and I would insult many people who have had worse experiences than myself and how great my mum and dad have brought me up.

I am quite a complex character I guess... I am always the one that cheers everyone up, stops arguments, always talks and laughs, makes jokes but really a lot of the time I come home nackered put music on and just sit in my room all night. Doing homework, reading, playing games, talk to mates on phone.

Anyway going back to subject... I can be a very depressed guy, its just part of my character.

Take last week for instance, I was tired few crap things happened to me in a row... and BANG go into a depressign mood. (maybe somebody noticed).

I hate it when I'm like that... mainly because I KNOW I am depressed and sooner or later I'll be fine its just the waits in between. Feeling sorry myself, thinking a lot, thinking of what to do.

Its weird however one I come out the spell I always feel a lot better and either feel more confident in myself, feel I'm more educated... if you know what I mean. Like sharing a lair of skin.... just part of growing up.

I wouldn't say it make me more creative or whatever... just brings me down to Earth, lets me get my thoughts together and I suppose this sounds corny, but get to know myself better and other around me.

So emmm yeah.

I think the depression causes determination, rather than creativity.

Those who have nothing else can give it their all, knowing that their only pupose or desire is to succeed. The determination is the individuals effort to escape from the depression, upon realising that the only person who is going to help them out is themself.

How many potential artistic geniuses just didn't bother to carry it through? How many are praised for their talent in their younger years, but get distracted by life's other appeals? Those with nothing else are the ones that will pursue it to their absolute potential.

I do however, believe that artistic talent or creativity is something you're born with. You don't teach a toddler to use a chair to reach the desk. You can't subject a child to emotional pressures which will cause him to place shoes with only the toes showing from under the curtains in an attempt to fool someone at hide and seek.

Much like intelligence, creative talent can be imporved upon, but predominantly it's something you're born with.

The talent is already there, but the depression gives it focus, drives the person to show to themself that their life can amount to something.