Depression and intelligence - linked?

The answer (really!) is: try not to think too much. Specifically stuff that''s not that important. You know, "don''t sweat the small stuff." Focus your brain power on doing things. Live minute to minute instead of worrying about the future. I am quite the "worrying" kind, but I''m trying to be more positive. This is one way in which people who don''t think much are really at an advantage.

Here''s an example: Sometimes I think I''ll start some programming project, and then I start thinking of how huge it is and all the things I''m going to have to do, and then AHHHH! So the idea is to JUST DO IT (tm)! Tackle things a piece at a time. Ok maybe I''m a little off-topic now

Firebird Entertainment

Not at all, that''s good advice.

I think if people give examples of what they do it will help others see where they might be making similar mistakes.

I used to be a very unhappy person (about six months ago): I was constantly depressed, and positive thoughts were sadly few and far between. I would get stressed out about the most pointless things, i.e. schoolwork overload, important exams, uncomfortable social situations, etc. My problem was definitely that I thought too much about everything, and I would always convince myself that ridiculously awful scenarios were the most likely. The good side of this was that I was always being pleasantly surprised.

Anyway, after a long time of suffering from perpetual mental anguish (artifact of teenagerhood, pehaps?), I decided to re-evaluate my attitude toward life. I resolved that I would never worry about anything. Ever. Surprisingly, I now find that I am capable of quashing any negative thoughts before I start to dwell on the bad things in life. I no longer spend all my time playing out unfortunate scenarios of the future in my head, so I can concentrate on enjoying the moment.

I''m a lot happier now. I haven''t suffered from even the slightest bit of depression. My school workload has only increased, but I have no trouble dealing with it. I do a lot less of my homework now because I don''t care as much, but my grades have actually increased (maybe because I can weed out the important things?). Things usually tend to go my way now, or maybe it''s just that I see everything in a better light. Life is good.

To conclude my semi-off topic rambling, I agree completely that depression is usually a result of thinking too much. Speaking from personal experience, I can attest that spending a lot of time thinking about what may happen almost inevitably degenerates into playing out depressing scenarios in your head. Brain power can be put to much more productive uses than worrying.

Why fight with your brain''s natural tendencies?

Being depressed to me is giving up on something I really like doing because I can''t figure it out. For some reason this type of frustration leads me to depression.

I usually have to just give in for the moment and distract myself long enough to give myself time to think of another approach to take a better crack at the problem. I find I have to do that by totally changing what I''m thinking about for a while which can require a lot of effort.(especially when I have been fighting with a problem for some time)

I find laughing at the problem, myself, or at something unrelated for a while gives me the chance to change what I''m thinking about. But sometimes it still is hard to leave the problem alone.(i''m a stubborn bastard sometimes)

Hey guys, if you're ever feeling depressed, listen to this song from Chrono Trigger. It always makes me feel like there's something to look forward to in the future.

Firebird Entertainment

[edited by - Tron3k on February 25, 2003 11:41:17 PM]

I agree that depression is linked to over thinking. I have a really bad problem with insomnia and i find that most of the time when i can't sleep it is because my brain is working on some problem( usually programming related) and I can't make it stop. I went to the doctor and told him about my sleeping disorder and he prescribed me anti-depression drugs. I thought this was interesting because I never told him I was depressed. I do have periods of depression every once in a while but I was just there to see about getting a sleep aid. Suprisingly the anti-depression medication did help to curb my nightly over thinking spells, and help me to sleep. If anti-depression medication has this effect maybe that is part of the reason it can subdue depression as well. I don't claim that this proves the link between depression & intelligence, but it is sort of an interesting parallel don't you think.

-Jake


[edited by - jakerrz on February 25, 2003 12:32:28 AM]

I agree with OP. I've been thinking about this for a long (years) time.

I think the depression comes when you realise you can't understand everything (or what you would like to).

This "Intelligence" makes you see that the things the majority of the people bases their lifes on is meaningless, trivial even stupid. The you start asking yourself why they do that, but the hard part comes when you ask yourself what you should do with your own life.

Everyone has a unique way to see the world, and a unique story behind their lifes. One shouldn't judge people for what they do (I think this is pretty hard to acomplish).

I think one solution for this is trying to find a reason for you being alive. A good one, one that convinces you truthfully. And then start living your life for that reason and enjoing every second of your life as if it was the last one.

Or something like that

[edited by - xaxa on February 25, 2003 12:52:56 AM]

lol, so many people have opinions about depression.. i wonder how many of them actually had a chance to experience it first hand... like they say, dont judge a man, until u''ve walked a mile in his shoes..

"imo these "smarter people" are more often nerds/school addicts who are have more often a hard time at school or in other places"

Nerds tend to be some of the dumber people I''ve ever met. I get served by nerds far more often in fast food places than by cool kids. Cool kids get cool jobs like being a waiter at a classy restaraunt or a bar tender or a retail job. Nerds don''t fair well in retail (especially clothes) because they don''t make the product look good. Image is important.

Slashdot had a big article on this not too long ago. I don''t think the guy who wrote the article (which was also posted here in the lounge) got nearly the response he was looking for. Basically everyone ripped into him for being an elitist jerk who probably wasn''t nearly as smart as he''d like to think he was. That comming from Slashdot surprised me.

The illusion of being picked on because you''re "smart" breeds depression because it fosters the idea that you can''t change. The fact is, kids pick on your for things you can change like you hair, your glasses, your clothes, your amazing ability to depress people, ect. A bully is generally just a nerd who takes out their frustrations physically.

Smart people are most likely more depressed because they work far more strenuous jobs and generally do more than sit around and watch TV all day. They have a lot more to worry about. It has nothing to do with being a "nerd." I get stressed out because I''m going to school full time, working part time and working side projects. As well as trying to maintain at least some kind of social existance. I get "depressed" when things are going wrong because I have no real time to deal with problems.

So yes, I can imagine that intelligence leads to depression but not because intelligence makes you an outcast (which it doesn''t) but because it leads to you putting yourself out there doing things which inevitably don''t always go the way you wanted. The key is to just find things that reduce the stress. Which again is completely unrelated to your "nerdiness."

Ben

quote:

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Original post by mentalstatement
lol, so many people have opinions about depression.. i wonder how many of them actually had a chance to experience it first hand... like they say, dont judge a man, until u''ve walked a mile in his shoes..

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That interesting maybe you should take your own advice

I''ll spare everyone about my own personally conceived experience with depression.

personally blaming your intelligence for depression isn''t what I would suggest but that even an intelligent personal can fall on hard times for different reasons

feeling unneeded, worthless, invisible, and losing what little joy in life you once thought you had and having no one to turn to can lead you to depression unless you really understand what is happening and can actively change your own perceptions

just my thoughts

quote:

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Original post by CodeJunkie
personally blaming your intelligence for depression isn''t what I would suggest but that even an intelligent personal can fall on hard times for different reasons

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Yes, people get depressed for all sorts of reasons.

And intelligent people are not doomed to be depressed either. Maybe over thinking coupled with being paranoid and a perfectionist and having a pessimistic view of life is the combination you''re looking for which leads to depression. Most of the very intelligent people I know are very well adjusted and stable people.

Thats Great!

However the people I''ve had the chance to get to know have not given me the feeling they were so called ''well adjusted''.(and some might fool others into thinking they''re smart)

Maybe I need a therapist??

NAA
He/she would probably kick me out of the office.

quote:

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Original post by CodeJunkie
Maybe I need a therapist??

NAA
He/she would probably kick me out of the office.

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Only if you can''t pay.

No, I could'nt even make it in the office then!

Besides I'm to cheap when it comes to mental health.

[edit] and for education, Damn

[edited by - CodeJunkie on February 26, 2003 6:32:47 AM]

hehe

Problems:

a.) if you are depressed and assume "depression is linked to intelligence" you are conceited.

b.) if you are so smart, use reason to get out of depression.

c.) depression is a real and serious problem for many people; however with many real and serious problems it is used as an excuse to be a big baby. boo hoo I am depressed. I can''t get out of bed or do my job or feed my kids. Hoo boo I am byslexic and kan''t speel so pleas don''t make fun fo me becuase lettters looked jumbled too me. Thus, I won''t maek an effort to speel corrrectly -it will be too no avale.

Solutions:
Make friends of your ilk and hang out with them.

Consider:
The brain could be considered to grow and develop in the way muscles do. (If it does or not literally, I don''t know, as I don''t care to research it.) Going to the gym fatigues your muscles and then makes them bigger. Thinking fatigues your brain and then makes you smarter.

Thinking too much causes fatigue (in a way that running a marathon or working out causes fatigue in muscles). Perhaps depression is equivalent to pulling a muscle(?). Rest your brain. Watch an action movie (Asimov''s suggestion), read a pulp movel. Go dancing or something. Do something that engages you mind enough to not allow you to think, but not too much that you are still thinking. Hanging out with friends is a way of doing this. Talking utter bollocks about foreign policy on gamedev is another one.

Yes once in a while a little crap posting can relieve some stress
Sorry if anyone got offended. (feeling stupid but i can laugh at myself)

Like I suggested learn to see the funny side of things it can come in very handy.

Depression for a short while is a problem most can learn to cope with.

Long term depression can require professional help!!!

People can use anything as an excuse. Yes, I have personal experience!

[OH NO i thiK te kiz kned sum foo ad i caz got ap]

[edited by - CodeJunkie on February 26, 2003 9:07:29 AM]

I think twitchiness is related to intelligence, but just because all of the really smart people I know twitch.

--------------------------------------------
"Wait, so Bush is pro-life AND pro-death penalty? Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this?

Hmm, twitchiness could mean borderline Tourette''s syndrome. Tourette''s, in its more pathological forms, is highly debilitating (very strong impulse behavior with very little control), but in very mild forms, it''s beneficial. People can think and react faster -- MUCH faster. A tourettic person has about 1/6 of the response time of a normal individual -- the inhibition systems of the brain that allow greater control also slow processing.

It''s possible these people are smart, in part, because they think faster with mild Tourette''s.