Mainstream book/article links depression and authoritarianism with energy metabolism

Sefton10

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"We often think of depression is a mood disorder, but depression is also metabolic disorder – meaning that, fundamentally, there is something wrong with your metabolism and your energy regulation. When you experience depression, you don’t experience that metabolic difficulty directly; you experience it as fatigue or distress, and it’s those symptoms that send you to the doctor. But under the hood, there are real metabolic issues."

"Now, what does it mean for a brain to stop spending? Well, it means that you don’t move around as much and you don’t learn new things. You stay “in your head” too much. Maybe you isolate yourself or surround yourself with people who are really predictable and like you. Maybe you don’t expose yourself to people who are different from you. Maybe you tend to avoid complexity and ambiguity, so you want simple single answers to complex issues and questions.

That, by the way, is the path to authoritarianism and totalitarian thinking. I’m not simplifying things to say, “look, if you’re metabolically compromised, you’re going to become like an authoritarian.” What I’m saying is that while we experience and understand things at the mental and social level, there’s this really basic metabolic level that we’ve been ignoring, and it’s important to understand as a piece of some of the biggest challenges that we face personally and also as a society."

 

gaze

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when i try to tell people depression can be a metabolic disorder and may be caused by a variety of things in the environment that can be changed with a little bit of experimentation, they get visibly angry.

for some reason they prefer to think of depression as an altered brain chemistry either from genetics or trauma that can't be fixed other than drugs to regulate supposed permanent alterations in neurotransmitters. I've heard of plenty of people who claim they've been diagnosed with clinical depression, and they seem to think just the diagnosis itself solves a lot of their problems because they can now get on "proper" medication

it seems a lot of people prefer to avoid any effort to change aspects of their life, and would prefer to just get a prescription for something. I can empathize with people in a weakened state having that outlook, but that's becoming the primary ideology even in healthy people when talking about depression.

most surely won't listen to someone like Ray who says even eating something as simple as beans can cause depressive symptoms:

 
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Lollipop2

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"We often think of depression is a mood disorder, but depression is also metabolic disorder – meaning that, fundamentally, there is something wrong with your metabolism and your energy regulation. When you experience depression, you don’t experience that metabolic difficulty directly; you experience it as fatigue or distress, and it’s those symptoms that send you to the doctor. But under the hood, there are real metabolic issues."

"Now, what does it mean for a brain to stop spending? Well, it means that you don’t move around as much and you don’t learn new things. You stay “in your head” too much. Maybe you isolate yourself or surround yourself with people who are really predictable and like you. Maybe you don’t expose yourself to people who are different from you. Maybe you tend to avoid complexity and ambiguity, so you want simple single answers to complex issues and questions.

That, by the way, is the path to authoritarianism and totalitarian thinking. I’m not simplifying things to say, “look, if you’re metabolically compromised, you’re going to become like an authoritarian.” What I’m saying is that while we experience and understand things at the mental and social level, there’s this really basic metabolic level that we’ve been ignoring, and it’s important to understand as a piece of some of the biggest challenges that we face personally and also as a society."

Very interesting. Thank you for posting.
 

Lollipop2

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when i try to tell people depression can be a metabolic disorder and may be caused by a variety of things in the environment that can be changed with a little bit of experimentation, they get visibly angry.

for some reason they prefer to think of depression as an altered brain chemistry either from genetics or trauma that can't be fixed other than drugs to regulate supposed permanent alterations in neurotransmitters. I've heard of plenty of people who claim they've been diagnosed with clinical depression, and they seem to think just the diagnosis itself solves a lot of their problems because they can now get on "proper" medication

it seems a lot of people prefer to avoid any effort to change aspects of their life, and would prefer to just get a prescription for something. I can empathize with people in a weakened state having that outlook, but that's becoming the primary ideology even in healthy people when talking about depression
I have also faced this same feedback when trying to help people understand that the underlying problem in ALL of these chronic problems is metabolic energy. I am at best ignored and often ridiculed that I am not an MD so who am I to suggest.
 

Green Dot

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it seems a lot of people prefer to avoid any effort to change aspects of their life, and would prefer to just get a prescription for something.
I have also faced this same feedback when trying to help people understand that the underlying problem in ALL of these chronic problems is metabolic energy. I am at best ignored and often ridiculed that I am not an MD so who am I to suggest.
current society and a metabolic harming diet has really instilled that way of thinking

some people just unfortunately can't be saved, many want a quick solution, funnily enough, mental rigidity in itself is a sign of metabolic dysfunction

 

Lollipop2

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current society and a metabolic harming diet has really instilled that way of thinking

some people just unfortunately can't be saved, many want a quick solution, funnily enough, mental rigidity in itself is a sign of metabolic dysfunction

Exactly.
 
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Sefton10

Sefton10

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when i try to tell people depression can be a metabolic disorder and may be caused by a variety of things in the environment that can be changed with a little bit of experimentation, they get visibly angry.
I have also faced this same feedback when trying to help people understand that the underlying problem in ALL of these chronic problems is metabolic energy. I am at best ignored and often ridiculed that I am not an MD so who am I to suggest.
some people just unfortunately can't be saved, many want a quick solution, funnily enough, mental rigidity in itself is a sign of metabolic dysfunction
You are all describing my mother to a tee. She has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for 35 years. In her mind it is simply genetic and there is nothing you can do. When I dare suggest there could be a metabolic/environmental angle and she has way more control over it than she might think, she loses the plot. It is total submission to the perceived authority of doctors and the NHS. Whenever they suggest a new drug or treatment she will take it unquestioningly. She’s had both knees replaced now and has regular transfusions with god knows what. The most she will go with diet is a belief that the Mediterranean diet (whatever that is) is best, because that’s what the nurse says, yet her diet still essentially consists of porridge, sandwiches, chocolate bars and chicken. In her mind some of the only pleasure she has is what she eats so she’s not giving that up. It’s insane.
 

Lollipop2

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You are all describing my mother to a tee. She has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for 35 years. In her mind it is simply genetic and there is nothing you can do. When I dare suggest there could be a metabolic/environmental angle and she has way more control over it than she might think, she loses the plot. It is total submission to the perceived authority of doctors and the NHS. Whenever they suggest a new drug or treatment she will take it unquestioningly. She’s had both knees replaced now and has regular transfusions with god knows what. The most she will go with diet is a belief that the Mediterranean diet (whatever that is) is best, because that’s what the nurse says, yet her diet still essentially consists of porridge, sandwiches, chocolate bars and chicken. In her mind some of the only pleasure she has is what she eats so she’s not giving that up. It’s insane.
Yes insane. Frustrating for you to deal with I bet. It is nuts how people and their ideas and beliefs are so distorted these days. Was humanity always this way or have we recently descended?
 
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Sefton10

Sefton10

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Yes insane. Frustrating for you to deal with I bet. It is nuts how people and their ideas and beliefs are so distorted these days. Was humanity always this way or have we recently descended?
It definitely seems to have ramped up with the post WW2/boomer generation. Throw in the influence of the pharma industry and the tribalism of the online/24 hour news cycle and it’s a recipe for disaster.
 

Ben.

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when i try to tell people depression can be a metabolic disorder and may be caused by a variety of things in the environment that can be changed with a little bit of experimentation, they get visibly angry.

for some reason they prefer to think of depression as an altered brain chemistry either from genetics or trauma that can't be fixed other than drugs to regulate supposed permanent alterations in neurotransmitters. I've heard of plenty of people who claim they've been diagnosed with clinical depression, and they seem to think just the diagnosis itself solves a lot of their problems because they can now get on "proper" medication

it seems a lot of people prefer to avoid any effort to change aspects of their life, and would prefer to just get a prescription for something. I can empathize with people in a weakened state having that outlook, but that's becoming the primary ideology even in healthy people when talking about depression.

most surely won't listen to someone like Ray who says even eating something as simple as beans can cause depressive symptoms:


a 100 % this.
 

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