Depression is widespread across the globe, affecting people from all cultural and social backgrounds—though it may often be conceived of and named differently in non-western cultures. It has long been reckoned that there must be good biological reasons for depression's global ubiquity.
The biological basis of depression
In evolutionary terms, depression is said to be ‘adaptive’, that is, it has some sort of biological purpose in order to enable us to function more effectively in the longer term, either as individuals or as part of a social group. The discussion has given rise to a number of contrasting hypotheses. Here are just two.
Depression gives information to us and others
Let’s take the Social Navigation Hypothesis, or the SNH, first put forward some nine years ago by two biologists from the University of New Mexico. Paul Watson and Paul Andrews have suggested that depression actually helps with problem-solving, especially problems relating to social situations.
One feature of depression is ‘rumination’ — the tendency to go over and over problems and negative experiences, dwelling on them to the exclusion of other thoughts. This can, they propose, be useful, as it sensitises the individual to information they can use to understand situations better. In therapy, the content of the ruminations can be discussed as part of an awareness raising process–but why are these ruminations dominating at this time? Are they helping the individual learn something?
There are several theories on the evolutionary purpose of depression
An evolutionary cry for help
In addition, the SNH proposes that depression can act as a motivator for the other people in a relationship with, or those sharing a social network with, the depressed person–the ‘cry for help’ signal of depression could ensure help emerges in response from partners and other close contacts. This is not done in a conscious way of course–it’s not that the depression is an ‘act’ or a performance. But it does, say Watson and Andrews, give voice to feelings that indicate a need for social support.
Andrews went on to develop the notion of ‘depression as information’ with other colleagues. The theory posits that as human beings are analytical creatures, rumination is itself a form of analysis–repetitive and often not rewarding in itself, even so. The anhedonia (the technical term for the loss of pleasure in normally pleasurable experiences) that accompanies many depressive episodes is there precisely because it allows for more rumination–lack of pleasure means the brain is not ‘diverted’ by other distracting pleasures from its all-important analytical task.
Depression as a protector
A rather different hypothesis is the one put forward by psychologist Randolph Nesse, a researcher in evolutionary medicine at the University of Michigan.
Just as physical pain can be ‘normal’, alerting us to danger (such as the pain we feel with intense heat or intense cold), depression is a biological warning signal, too. A low mood stops us trying to chase after impossible goals–it tells us that now’s the time to ‘give up’ and move on to something else more achievable. Over millennia, this protective mechanism helped us identify activities or ventures we could not possibly achieve, and so permitted us to focus energy and resources on what we could do instead.
One reason for the high levels of depression in modern-day western settings is, according to this hypothesis, the pressure to succeed–the drive to achieve is not ‘healthy’ for many people, who can become at first mildly depressed, and then more chronically as they carry on ignoring the ‘warning signals’.
The House Partnership, 13th April 2016
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Journalist Phillip Weiss, editor of Mondoweiss, discusses the pressures in modern marriage, especially to do with sex. And how most most studies show, in the US at least, that 25% of married men are unfaithful, and 15% of women.
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Steve Blacknell, 55, used to sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night to eat in secret. He has been recovering from bulimia for 20 years. At The House, our therapists and counsellors are experienced in helping people overcome issues with food and eating.
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A man's problems with his wife keep him awake during a whole night. An animation about insomnia, by Marie-Margaux Tsakiri-Scanatovits, promoting the short story 'Night Thoughts' by Helen Simpson, for Granta magazine's issue on feminism.
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The focus of mindfulness-based therapy is upon recognising and accepting each moment in the present instead of jumping to hasty and often damaging reactions. This is proving to be greatly beneficial to improving our relationships with others.
Professor Paul Salkovskis, a clinical psychologist and director of the Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma, discusses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. And Karen reveals how this form of therapy helped her overcome OCD.
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Cutural and religious rituals and many of the behaviours of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) show striking similarities: washing, checking, repetition... is OCD a manifestation of a deep human need that has spun out of control?
Kadam Morten Clausen, resident teacher at the Kadampa Meditation Centre in New York, discusses how stress is all about our perceptions of others and of the world. Mindfulness practices, as encouraged at The House Partnership, can help you find a path to a life free of stress.
Iain and Susan are struggling to work out why their sex life has ground to a halt. A short promotional film for the BBC animated documentary: Wonderland: The Trouble With Love and Sex.
Levni Yilmazis is an independent film-maker, artist and publisher. This is his ironic take on the less-than-helpful advice some people give when you're experiencing depression.
Though it has been proposed that food issues such as extreme dieting, anorexia and bulimia are on the rise and influenced by media pressures, analysis of texts about and by many of history's key figures suggests that these problems have been around for centuries.
A clip from the BBC's Weird Nature series showing how Vervet Monkeys in the Caribbean have taken to stealing cocktails from people on the beach. Studies show that they have the same percentage of teetotal and alcoholic individuals as the human population.
