I think there was a thread on depression before, but anyway... let's just make it clear we are talking about depression, not having a bad mood every full moon... everyone gets sad, that is not necessarily depression - let's not scare anyone who had a bad day with the thought he has a disorder

I think it has to do with both. Your brain chemicals (whatever) may give you the predisposition to depression, still you may never get depressive if your life experiences/environement don't give you a reason to snap. On the other hand, maybe someone who wouldn't be predisposed to depression would deal better with the same situations... personality is definitely a factor - if you are a repressor (-ser...? whatever ), if you keep repressing for 25 years, and if stuff to repress keeps coming your way, your "repressed to-be-forgotten stuff's warehouse" will eventually explode.

Not much. All you can do is observe and take notes. You may fight it though, you just have to be prepared for the fact that you are going to be taking small steps, falling back into the crap, and you should keep trying. And it is draining. Plus at some points you don't even want to fight it, cause when the depression is deep, it doesn't feel like a disorder; it feels like your eyes just opened and you are seeing life and the world for what it really is. You just have to try and go by reason at that point.

I share the feeling. I just hope they will make it out of that craphole.


Btw, I didn't vote. I am standing on the doorstep of depression one foot out, the other foot still being in - so I couldn't tell what category I'd fell under.

Edit: http://intp.1.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=41 is the old thread on depression. There was also one on http://intp.1.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=38 which was somewhat relative...

I actually did a search for the word "depression" and this thread didn't come up. I just rechecked and I didn't change the dates.. it was an old thread.

But I did this one as a poll because I'm interested in just how many people here have been through this as opposed to the ones who haven't. It was actually due to seeing all the depression-related posts on the board.

Considering the feedback loop between mind & body, there's potential for both. I'm sure it differs on a case-by-case basis.

Depends on the individual circumstances. It's likely that some people could pick themselves up on their own if they both knew how and wanted to badly enough (apathy, anyone?). Others might not be able to do this.

If they're friends of mine I'll do my best to be there to rant at as needed. Not much else I can do without seeming intrusive.

Based on what I experience, the resulting uncontrolable part of depression is caused by brain chemicals or the brain not being able to receive them. I think sometimes environmental situations or elements can help get you there or can be a determiner, in spite of your best efforts. So, I guess it stands to reason that you could change the environmental situation to get you out, but it doesn't work that way. I have found that once I cross a personally diagnosed threshold, I'm unwilling and incapable of making the necessary changes because of the biological chemical functions and there is NOTHING I can do about it. I hit a wall.

I have been diagnosed with clinical depression and I accepted that because I don't have a good enough arguement to refute it YET (and I can argue fairly well ). I have over 10 conceptual solutions that could be effective and they sometimes make me think I'm o.k., but the reality is none of those solutions are being applied in a practical or active manner. Concepts are as inaffective against depression as an empty fire-extinquisher is against a fire.

Depression is something I have always struggled with ever since I can remember.

I have good deal of input (control) over most envirnmental conditions that might cause depression, but I have little control over depression itself.

I don't mind people who are depressed. Active (non-medicated) Bi-polars are extremely difficult for me to get along with. Sometimes, I get sad that depressives are more willing to suffer than actually get help for it. It's a bit like seeing someone walking around bleeding because they don't believe in band-aids or stitches.
I've been there myself as well.

I think that might be a stretch. 20 people voted and there are 173 registered members of this forum. I don't know how many of those users are INTP's, But I think it looks as though we have not established we are more depressed on average amongst ourselves yet.

It isn't based on the poll alone. I see a lot more references to negative feelings and depression on this board than what I'm used to in non-INTP specific groups. 20 out of 23 seems like a lot to me for claiming to have suffered through a psychiatric disorder. 173 members do no not post regularly and a majority of those will likely never vote. Even though other personality types are welcome to the board, most of the regular posters do claim to test as INTP.

Of course there could be a lot of variables, for example depressed people might be more likely to click on the thread to vote. But this was more of an observation and perception of how forum members were coming off rather than a scientific study.

Well your probably right about the whole thing as I'm inclined to intuit the same conclusion as yourself. I just felt it important to point out that the "science" wasn't there to support it.

I'm glad you added that and I think it is true. I'm not always as enthusiastic about it while in it, but in hindsight.....