Thursday, November 16, 2023

terminology

Just like 'recovery' I think 'depression' is a bit of a misnomer. It implies a slump - a downward movement - with an inability to lift back up. We even talk about being 'down'. 

But that link between a mental state and direction is problematic. You could say that depression is characterized by a lack of certain things, and that's why the idea of 'low' fits, but you can equally describe depression in terms of a surplus of some things. 

The whole concept of depression evokes a sense of being subdued and low energy, and in a way that's true but it's oversimplistic. The experience of depression is not subdued and muted. It's intense and painful. 

No comments:

Post a Comment