Sometimes the root problem is that your neurochemistry is FUBAR and no amount of counseling with overcome a biological cause.

Frankly, I see this as similar to telling diabetics that they should use just enough insulin to get them to learn to stop being diabetic. That’s possible for a few type 2 diabetics who could make lifestyle changes that got them back into good ranges. It’s completely useless for type 1 diabetics, or type 2 who can no longer go back.

I’m neither diabetic nor depressed. I don’t have a dog in this hunt. I’m just always astonished at “have you tried not being depressed?” Some people can “snap out of it”. Many times that number of people cannot.

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thewebguyd 3 hours ago | parent [-]

> I’m just always astonished at “have you tried not being depressed?”

There's a lot of this attitude, at least in the USA, when it comes to mental illness in general. I have ADHD, it's a common trope/meme at this point of "Have you just tried focusing?" "Gee thanks, I'm cured!"

It's a form of institutional ableism, particularly prevalent in the US I think because of our hyper individualist culture. A lot of people tend to assume that you are just lazy, or not trying hard enough, as if it was just a matter of willpower.

Kind of frustrating, because those same people would never walk up to someone in a wheelchair and say "have you just tried walking?" but for some reason mental illnesses get a free pass to be ableist.

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pixl97 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

>in the US I think because of our hyper individualist culture.

Calvinism.

There's been a number of papers written about how pervasive Calvinistic ideas are in the medical community. This tracks with the New England area of the US pumped out the most doctors while medicine was 'growing up', and protestant christianity was the most common form there. When you view the creation of the US medical system with that view many of our screwed up systems make sense. A lack of willpower is a failure of man to be in touch with god, and not a problem a doctor should solve.

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kstrauser 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

That was my experience with ADHD. In retrospect, I clearly struggled with it my entire life, with it starting to cause problems around middle school age. I started getting treatment a couple years ago and it was like someone flipped a light switch. Wait, this is what it's like for everyone else? They can just decide to start doing a necessary thing before it becomes a crisis?!

In before "of course things are easier when you're taking stimulants!", which is another dumb thing I hear too often. I feel basically nothing from taking Adderall, and not in the least stimulated or more alert or more awake or anything. I can just concentrate on boring things afterward.

	▲	pixl97 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		What is that they say, if you have ADHD then ADHD medication doesn't act like a stimulant in the same way it affects non ADHD people.