Posted by mila on April 18, 2001, at 0:22:23
In reply to Another Question, posted by DarkWind on April 17, 2001, at 15:00:29
Hi DarkWind,
every society so far has dealt with depression according to one of three models of understanding: supernatural, biological, or psychological. so you either see a magician or a healer of some sort, or drink potions and/or alter your diet, or become psychologically treated in a different way (sent to live in a country, subjected to storytelling, etc.).
you do not hear much about depression in other cultures because it goes there by different names. instead of talking about the depression many people describe its physical symptoms and are treated accordingly. Feeling of weekness and tiredness that is accompanied by mental or physical slowing down or retardation might be called 'heartbroken' (among Hopi), or loss of meaning of life ( in societies that focus on the group instead of individual), or creative illness, or mourning/grief, etc.
Since depression is substantially genetically determined, its prevalence doesn't change much across cultures or times within a given adult age/sex group. But in western societies today there is a trend for an earlier onset of depression, and a substantial increase in depression among elderly (mostly, because our population is aging and the structure of family life too).
I think cultures value suicide only if the society is benefitting from it in some way. When elderly or widows are expected to commit suicide, for example in some cultures. Or when you are expected to go on a suicide mission in times of war in the name of your country. Suicide that doesn't benefit the community has always been seen as "throwing the baby out with the bath water", as a mistake, at least, as a regretful event, or as a plain stupidity. there are as many reactions as people around. In cultures that are aware of a heritability of a major depressive illness for the siblings of a deceased it would be much more difficult to marry.
mila
poster:mila
thread:5711
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010417/msgs/5720.html