It seems to me that before Prozac and such there was a more robust "depression" culture. People tried to make meaning out of their persistent sorrow and anxiety. Maybe that's for the better that that's somewhat of a relic of the past, but I would like to be convinced otherwise.
That was a 1950s thing. "Death of a Salesman", "Krapp's Last Tape", "Waiting for Godot", and most of Harold Pinter's works. They're either about depression, or after you watch them, you'll be depressed.
Tom Lehrer on this, in the 1960s: "The characters in these books and plays and so on spend hours bemoaning the fact that they can't communicate. I feel that if a person can't communicate, the very least he can do is to shut up."
Practice, or mentally inhibited. Either way Lehrer's response is a selfish and horrid thing to say, as it attacks those who are already unable to defend themselves (can't communicate).
I'm looking to use my long standing depression to actually motivate me. I've drift for years with enjoying much. Now I'm talking with myself to see where the problems are and how to solve them.
For the most part I've avoided pharmaceutical solutions. I'm trying to get away from booze. I'm using internal talk therapy with natural antidepressants like lemon balm and sardines. Time will tell.
