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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Fi on November 9, 2004, at 16:16:17
Just general thoughts on this theme after I had a quick look at the results of a search in Google images for ‘depression’. I found it a lot more thought provoking than I expected. I'm not expecting any responses to this. The things that are written as questions are ones I was asking myself.
Of course, there are images relevant to all meanings of the word, including ones relevant to geography and engineering, and those about the Great Depression.
There are some that just look like diagrams from teaching notes:
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/lexcie/psych/psych-depression-wallchart16.gif
http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/images/depression.gifAnd ones making jokes- the one below doesn’t seem funny to me, but maybe I just don’t have the right sense of humour!)
http://psych.wisc.edu/henriques/resources/Chicken%20of%20Depression.GIFBut down to the ‘Classic’ images
The kind of image that I was expecting was the sort that has an image of a figure curled up with their head down, as in
http://www.orakul.ru/sonnik/image/depression.jpgOr the ones of someone with their hands up to their face, in the way you also see in adverts of headache tablets. Particularly ridiculous in the depression context as she has immaculate make-up..:
http://www.healingdaily.com/sam-e-to-relieve-depression.jpgPerhaps these images are used a lot for depression as a general indication of some distress, as seen by someone external? And of course once these sort of images are used frequently, they are more likely to become quickly recognisable as symbolising depression, so they get used even more often..
One image that I initially misunderstood is at
http://www.ltl.appstate.edu/litcircleunits/litcirunits_Fall00/depression/title1.jpg
In fact, it’s a (well known) picture of a woman during the Great Depression. I think it has been seen by some people as expressing the strength of people in their ability to cope with dire poverty. Do you think that is what she is like, or is she also depressed?Its more of a challenge but maybe more meaningful to represent some aspect(s) of the internal experience of having depression. Harder to put into an image, and our experiences of depression vary such a lot too.
An interesting one which uses a warning sign by water which is also very relevant to how it can feel:
http://www.rettet-die-depression.de/images/rettet-die-depression.jpg
Then there is expressing the experience by using images of clear physical barriers/problems:
http://www.stanfordalumni.org/images/news_magazine/magazine/janfeb00/articles/depression/depression.jpghttp://www.alternativeapproaches.com/graphics/magick/depression/depression.jpg
Or a suitably generally challenging environment:
http://www.user.cityline.ru/~stryker/graphics/dark/depression.jpgOr by how it can feel expressed in relation to our body:
http://www.why-me.org.uk/streetscene/resourcezone/galleryimages/depression.jpg
Maybe not surprising that ‘The Scream’ has been linked to depression by someone- but why is it on a chemistry website?!http://www.wellesley.edu/Chemistry/Chem101/depression/scream.jpg
Then the image may not include a figure at all. There is a striking image that could represent the implosion of depression- or the release from it:
http://vcl.ctrl-c.liu.se/vcl/Artists/Erin-Lynn/depression.JPGSome of the images are clearly by people who have experienced depression, and others who obviously havent! Intriguing re some of the others- have they experienced it? Or have good empathy about it, tho they havent had it themselves?
And finally, a beautiful and unexpected image as there is apparently there is a range of ‘antique depression glass’
http://www.depression-glass-antiques.com/depression-glass.jpgFi
Posted by octopusprime on November 9, 2004, at 16:31:21
In reply to Images of depression (long), posted by Fi on November 9, 2004, at 16:16:17
thanks fi
those are interesting
i'm surprised that there's not more outer space related imagery. i don't know how one would visualize a black hole or sucking entropy, though ...
maybe that's just what depression is like in my head.
Posted by 64bowtie on November 10, 2004, at 9:28:55
In reply to Re: Images of depression (long), posted by octopusprime on November 9, 2004, at 16:31:21
JuJuBe,
Thanks for the great pics and the hard work.
As adults, we discover our unheralded successful new attributes, skills, abilities, and talents not available to us in childhood. One is our ability to focus via visual and identify "messiness" in our lives, relationships, and processes. When we look closely, diligently comparing "messiness" to what is really happenning around us, we see and recognize the part that must be corrected.
Since 95% of new stuff in our adult life sometime or other is passed by our visuals, after awhile we get pretty adept at "SEEING". The trick is to update and replace the distorted stuff with accurate stuff.
Now that we have started looking at "depression images", ones we recognize can be updated with "less" or "un" "messy" stuff. Our lives might change if we no longer hold "messy" depression images as a higher value. Instead perhaps, we can seek out images of Goodness, Truth, and Beauty to update our images by replacing the "messy" stuff.
It works. I've seen it work hundreds of times. This technique is not understood today. As successes rack up, complaints about "meds" will become a thing of the past. We got all the tools. ......and you know I'm not quiet about it!!!
Rod
Posted by 64bowtie on November 10, 2004, at 9:34:23
In reply to Images of depression (long), posted by Fi on November 9, 2004, at 16:16:17
> FI,
>
> Thanks for the great pics and the hard work.
>
> As adults, we discover our unheralded successful new attributes, skills, abilities, and talents not available to us in childhood. One is our ability to focus via visual and identify "messiness" in our lives, relationships, and processes. When we look closely, diligently comparing "messiness" to what is really happenning around us, we see and recognize the part that must be corrected.
>
> Since 95% of new stuff in our adult life sometime or other is passed by our visuals, after awhile we get pretty adept at "SEEING". The trick is to update and replace the distorted stuff with accurate stuff.
>
> Now that we have started looking at "depression images", ones we recognize can be updated with "less" or "un" "messy" stuff. Our lives might change if we no longer hold "messy" depression images as a higher value. Instead perhaps, we can seek out images of Goodness, Truth, and Beauty to update our images by replacing the "messy" stuff.
>
> It works. I've seen it work hundreds of times. This technique is not understood today. As successes rack up, complaints about "meds" will become a thing of the past. We got all the tools. ......and you know I'm not quiet about it!!!<<< Fi, how do you spell, "I blew it!!!"?
Rod
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