TEDxMaribor - Neel Burton - The Anatomy of Melancholy: Can depression be good for you?

Dr Neel Burton is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and writer who lives and teaches in Oxford, England, where he also runs the Oxford Wine Academy and the Meaning of Madness Course. He is the recipient of the Society of Authors' Richard Asher Prize, the British Medical Association's Young Authors' Award, and the Medical Journalists' Association Open Book Award.

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[msdaisycheng]

this just made me cry.

[aelaineg]

YES! They tried too hard! Cared too much! And life let them down exactly! Thank you

[traeht]

I really don't get it. Psychiatrists say there are genes that make you susceptible to depression, while in reality most people with depression had a childhood trauma. Who is here wrong, coz i don't believe there are genes that would make you susceptible to childhood trauma.

[YogitheYogaBear]

When we deal with ideas and concepts regarding the mind there is no absolute. Unless we are talking about very core concepts.

[mtb416]

I'm definitely a believer in depressive realism.

[Mike Power]

Misfortune and bad decisions can certainly be a catalyst for depression. It simply is not possible to decide what is or isn't a "valid" cause of depression. Unless you are coming from a particular viewpoint, like Scientology, that is.

[Mike Power]

His genetic/evolutionary ideas are simply speculative and have no basis in fact. I strongly suggest checking out the latest evidence on depression in this brilliant lecture by Stanford Professor Robert Sapolsky here: youtube.com/watch?v=NOAgplgTxf­c

[KEN KROEKER]

me too! ...and now I'm depressed {

[steviegblade]

Yes. So right! They were courageous enough to admit that something was in a mess!

[kpuketza]

Thank you. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 20 years of psychiatrists, psychiatric meds, psychologists, alternative medicine, you name it. Finally someone understands.

[karuzelastudio]

I don't believe what you're describing is a case of depression. All you've mentioned are either genuine misfortunes or results of bad decisions. Not being in a relationship is neither a cause or a symptom of depression.