Is There A Cure For Pessimism?

[Keith Maitland]

"Rampant pessimism underlies diseases of anxiety and depression. While there is no known cause (or cure) for such an outlook on life, researchers from MIT and Kyoto University decided to investigate whether a specific brain region can be implicated in fomenting pessimism. They believe they might have found it"


https://bigthink.com/21st-century-spirituality/is-there-a-cure-for-pessimism

[Rhiannon]

A cure for pessimism? What would be the point?

[Nearly Sane]

What the feck is 'rampant pessimism'? And in what way would that 'underlie' depression? Surely logically some form of physical/mental cause underlies 'rampant pessimism' which is actually what the majority of the article argues?


It's also horribly simplistic to suggest that depressed people don't take risks, or that it holds them back career wise. Things are way more complex than that, and I suggest that the research here has been simplified and sensationalised.

[Rhiannon]

Ok, I decided to take the article seriously and read it, and I agree with NS, it's a load of old pony. What actually is 'rampant pessimism'? One feature of anxiety and depression is that you know that life can be good but you just can't access it. When it comes to personal success, I know a lot of people who have MH problems and who are high achievers. And as for risk taking..ffs. Go and read Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon for an account of how she dealt with her OCD with drugs and sex.

[SteveH]

The article seems reasonable enough to me. I think NS and Rhi are trying to find fault.

[Rhiannon]

The article seems reasonable enough to me. I think NS and Rhi are trying to find fault.

Do you have experience of anxiety and depression?

[Nearly Sane]

The article seems reasonable enough to me. I think NS and Rhi are trying to find fault.

You need to work on your mentalism act.

[SteveH]

Do you have experience of anxiety and depression?

I've had a brush with reactive depression in the past.

[Rhiannon]

I've had a brush with reactive depression in the past.

So have friends of mine.

I have had both anxiety and depression (primarily the former, which sometimes comes back to bite me), and I'm not a pessimist. I've also been alongside a lot of people who have both, and OCD, both as a fellow traveller and a volunteer, and again, I've not noticed a large degree of pessimism. I have noticed risk taking (self-medicating with drugs and sex are big ones as already mentioned) and I have noticed a high proportion of high achievers (successful business people, education experts and scientists among them). Do you think the this is reflected in the article?

[SteveH]

You need to work on your mentalism act.

What on earth is that supposed to mean?

[Roses]

I have always been an anxious person, many of the photos of me as a child, going back to infancy, picture me with a worried frown. It is so much part of me I wouldn't be me if I didn't have something to worry about, however unwarranted it might be. This poem of mine states my case quite well.

Wot, Me Worry?

A worry gene is implanted in my DNA
It predisposes me to attacks of anxiety!
Each new day is greeted with a frown,
What problem will disquiet my breast today?
Will World War 3 eliminate the human race?
Or a meteor hit my house before I break my fast?
The news bulletin provides an endless worry opportunity.
Earthquakes, floods, interminable bad news items
To add to my already overfull lexicon of cares.
I find a lump in my bra, PANIC, OH GOLLY GOSH!
Relief as the large crumb of toast is revealed!
The day rolls on, no major disasters to report,
Then why is my face still puckered with concern?
I am worried because I have nothing to worry about!!!!!!!!!!!

RJG

[/b]

[Nearly Sane]

What on earth is that supposed to mean?

That your attempt at mindreading about other people's motivations isn't hugely impressive.

[SteveH]

That your attempt at mindreading about other people's motivations isn't hugely impressive.

If I think that the article is reasonable, but you pick holes in it, it's reasonable to assume that you're trying to find fault.

[Nearly Sane]

If I think that the article is reasonable, but you pick holes in it, it's reasonable to assume that you're trying to find fault.

No, people disagreeing with something are more likely to just be disagreeing with it.

[SteveH]

Do you pick arguments with yourself when there's no-one else around?

[Rhiannon]

If I think that the article is reasonable, but you pick holes in it, it's reasonable to assume that you're trying to find fault.

I actually like articles that go some way to explaining the topics under discussion. I want to understand. This is full of lazy generalisations. And wtf is 'rampant pessimism'? That alone is just made-up shit.

[Nearly Sane]

Do you pick arguments with yourself when there's no-one else around?

I disagree with the article, why is that problematic for you?

[Rhiannon]

If I think that the article is reasonable, but you pick holes in it, it's reasonable to assume that you're trying to find fault.

No, it means that NS and I don't agree with it and see it differently from you.

Do you think that every time someone disagrees with something they just want to 'pick holes' in it? Are no other opinions allowed?

[Roses]

Do you pick arguments with yourself when there's no-one else around?

I do, I am always telling myself what a daft old bat I am.

[Robbie]

I thought mentalism referred to magic, psychics and that sort of thing.

Rampant pessimism is an extreme term. However people who take a lot of knocks (despite trying to think positively and believing 'this time it will be different'), will become pessimistic and if they're depressed & anxious the pessimism will feed the depression & anxiety. It becomes a cycle.They no longer believe in themselves which is demoralising. I'm not sure calling it 'rampant pessimism' is helpful but sort of get what the writer is saying. It means fear.

[Nearly Sane]

I thought mentalism referred to magic, psychics and that sort of thing.

Rampant pessimism is an extreme term. However people who take a lot of knocks (despite trying to think positively and believing 'this time it will be different'), will become pessimistic and if they're depressed & anxious the pessimism will feed the depression & anxiety. It becomes a cycle.They no longer believe in themselves which is demoralising. I'm not sure calling it 'rampant pessimism' is helpful but sort of get what the writer is saying. It means fear.

But that isn't what depression is for many people so to portray that is as Rhiannon has pointed out a lazy generalisation. Plenty of people who are depressed don't have a lot of hard knocks. Furtherthe article doesn't even say that it is about hard knocks but part of the brain.

[Robbie]

Oh yes NS I agree with you there. Many forms of depression& anxiety (I have experience). Presumably the writer was concentrating on one particular type. Might have been helpful if he/she had said as much. Gottago back to work, laters.

[Rhiannon]

I thought mentalism referred to magic, psychics and that sort of thing.

Rampant pessimism is an extreme term. However people who take a lot of knocks (despite trying to think positively and believing 'this time it will be different'), will become pessimistic and if they're depressed & anxious the pessimism will feed the depression & anxiety. It becomes a cycle.They no longer believe in themselves which is demoralising. I'm not sure calling it 'rampant pessimism' is helpful but sort of get what the writer is saying. It means fear.

That sounds to me to be a description of someone who has had a tough time, not someone who has depression or anxiety. In fact a common thing that depressives hear is 'what do you have to be miserable about?" IIRC that was John Gregory's response to Stan Collymore.

[Nearly Sane]

Oh yes NS I agree with you there. Many forms of depression& anxiety (I have experience). Presumably the writer was concentrating on one particular type. Might have been helpful if he/she had said as much. Gottago back to work, laters.

That doesn't make much sense either since it is written to suggest that the 'rampant pessimism' is somehow the cause of the depression rather than a symptom as you have described it, and which makes more sense, Also the rest of the article itself doesn't really tie up with the idea that 'rampant pessimism' is a cause, and further it sensationalises the idea of a 'cure' at this stage.

[Rhiannon]

I'm not sure that it's especially helpful to link the 'glass half full' mentality with not having depression or anxiety either.