alt Hacker NewsSometimes the root problem is that your neurochemistry is FUBAR and no amount of counseling with overcome a biological cause.
Frankly, I see this as similar to telling diabetics that they should use just enough insulin to get them to learn to stop being diabetic. That’s possible for a few type 2 diabetics who could make lifestyle changes that got them back into good ranges. It’s completely useless for type 1 diabetics, or type 2 who can no longer go back.
I’m neither diabetic nor depressed. I don’t have a dog in this hunt. I’m just always astonished at “have you tried not being depressed?” Some people can “snap out of it”. Many times that number of people cannot.
> I’m just always astonished at “have you tried not being depressed?”
There's a lot of this attitude, at least in the USA, when it comes to mental illness in general. I have ADHD, it's a common trope/meme at this point of "Have you just tried focusing?" "Gee thanks, I'm cured!"
It's a form of institutional ableism, particularly prevalent in the US I think because of our hyper individualist culture. A lot of people tend to assume that you are just lazy, or not trying hard enough, as if it was just a matter of willpower.
Kind of frustrating, because those same people would never walk up to someone in a wheelchair and say "have you just tried walking?" but for some reason mental illnesses get a free pass to be ableist.