The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a report stating that the number of people who experience depression is doubling every ten years and that by 2020 it will be the most pervasive illness in the world and the second leading cause of death.
Why is this happening in an affluent society such as ours that currently spends more money on medical care than at any other time in history?
There are many factors contributing to this increase in the number of people who are suffering the debilitating effects of depression.
This article will shed some light on some of these factors.
1. The News Media
Our news media is a major contributing factor to the rise of depression. Out of all the good things that happen every single day, the news on TV, the radio and in newspapers focuses almost exclusively on the small percentage of things that are wrong in our world.
Believing what you hear or read in the news leaves you with the feeling that the world situation and the physical condition of our planet are in a downward spiral with little hope for improvement.
If you watch, listen to, or read the news everyday you are feeding your mind with the equivalent of garbage. Have you ever heard the computer term "garbage in, garbage out?" This is not only true with computers, but also the human mind.
2. Pharmaceutical Companies
Prescriptions for antidepressants issued to children and adolescents grew three to tenfold between 1987 and 1996. Between 1998 and 2002 there was a 50 percent overall increase in antidepressant prescriptions despite the lack of proof they cure depression.
The April 2004 issue of the journal "Psychiatric Services" reports findings of a study conducted by Express Scripts. This study shows that the use of antidepressant medications continues to grow by about 10 percent annually among children and adolescents.
U.K. and U.S. studies indicate there are increased suicidal tendencies in many young patients taking these drugs. Children and teens are at a stage in their lives where their brain is developing rapidly. This raises a question regarding unknown and long-term side effects of these drugs being prescribed during this critical stage of growth.
While natural remedies are an option, doctors rarely suggest their use. When discussing natural remedies in her book "Molecules of Emotion," Candace Pert, Ph.D., (recognized as the world's foremost brain researcher) has this to say in regard to natural remedies: "The answer reflects the economics of medicine. Since the natural substances are not patentable, there is no incentive for drug companies to study their benefits, and so the vast majority of M.D.s, who get their information about drugs from the drug companies, don't even know about them."
Pharamaceutical companies are publicly traded corporations that have a legal responsibility to their shareholders to increase profits. How do they do this? According to Kevin Trudeau in his book "Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You To Know About" they do it by "producing their product at the lowest possible cost, selling it at the highest price, and selling as much as they can."
According to Mr. Trudeau, "the health care industry, defined as the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of disease, is the most profitable industry in the world." It is true that enormous amounts of money will continue to be made as long as people stay sick. It is not in the best interest of the pharmaceutical companies for you to get healthy and stay healthy.
3. The School System
Our school system is still pretty much focused on learning the three R's: reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic. Yes, these are important fundamentals that one needs to function well in society. But, one needs to know more than these basics to succeed in life.
Have you ever studied for a test in school and passed with flying colors only to forget all the answers when they were no longer important for you to remember them?
Well known and respected financial author of the "Rich Dad" series of books, Robert T. Kiyosaki, touched on this subject in one of his earlier books, "If You Want to Be Rich & Happy: Don't Go to School?: Ensuring Lifetime Security for Yourself and Your Children" published in 1995. He believes there's a flaw in a system that rewards students for memorizing facts, but fails to help teach them to succeed in the real world.
Today a standard is set in all subjects and every child is expected to achieve that standard. If they don't, they're looked at as deficient in some way, or less than perfect, by their teacher and the school system in general. This system of comparison is detrimental to the self-esteem of the child which leads to depression.
4. Concern Over What Other People Think
People often worry about what others will think of them if they seek help for their depression, especially males. There is the erroneous belief that depression is something only women have, causing men to feel they are "weak" when they are depressed.
Also, people who are depressed have the tendency to look at themselves as failures and to adopt the belief that other people see them as failures. They end up expending a lot of energy worrying about this and doing little or nothing to get help with their depression.
5. Our Natural Tendency Toward Dependency
From the time we are born most of us are taught to depend on others to know what is best for us and to tell us what to do.
We have been taught to depend on our parents to know what is best for us when we are young and even into adulthood. We have been taught to look to our teachers and schools to know what is best for us if our parents don't know. We have been taught to depend on our preferred religious organization for our spiritual needs, on doctors and conventional medicine for our health needs, on the government to provide for and take care of us after retirement (or before), etc.
This attitude has led us to believe we aren't in control of our lives or our destiny. This fosters feelings of powerlessness that naturally leads to depression.
Now that you know more about what is causing the number of depressed people to increase so rapidly, what can be done to counteract these conditions? Are there solutions?
Gwynne Curry, who suffered with depression for 30+ years, reveals the proven method she personally used to overcome her depression in her eBook "You Can Heal Your Depression Now! No Expensive Therapy... No Dangerous Antidepressants..." Gwynne has now lived depression free for more than five years and shares with you everything she learned during her 20+ year search to find the answers to living depression free.
If you, or someone you know, suffer with depression, don't pass this by. Just imagine, you could be feeling better in less than 30 days.
No comments:
Post a Comment