Living
in a society that is so focused on individual flourishing often isolates people
and makes them feel lonely, and loneliness often leads to or coincides with
depression. Depression rates today are incredibly high; around 10 percent
of people in the United States experience serious depression[1].
Because feelings of loneliness often go hand-in-hand with depression, the
reason for such a high rate of depression may be because of the isolation we
are faced with in society. There are ways in which this loneliness can be
prevented, which may result in a happier society overall.
Philosopher John Rawls writes that, “it is a normal and necessary condition for
gaining self-respect and self-esteem that one experience one’s life as
respected by others one respects.”[2] In order to
have a sense of self-respect and self-esteem, it is necessary for people to
feel a sense of community and approval from other people. School can definitely
cultivate a sense of community for children, but it often does the opposite.
Many children and teens in schools are bullied to the point of feeling
helpless, and despite being around plenty of people every day, they can feel
incredibly alone. Because our society is mainly focused on individual
flourishing, problems like these don’t usually get the attention they need.
In high school, I often overheard people making jokes about self-harm, saying
that, “this person probably cuts himself” or, “this guy is so emo.” As someone
who struggled with my own depression, I constantly felt ostracized, like nobody
understood what I was going through. I thought that if people were making jokes
about something so serious, they must have no idea what it feels like. Though I
had friends, I never felt comfortable enough with them to tell them how I was
feeling. I felt as if I was the only person in the world who felt the way I
felt. Obviously this wasn't true; if 1 in 10 people struggle with
depression, I may have known someone who was in the same boat as me, maybe even
one of the people who was making jokes about it. But at the time,
I didn't have anyone to turn to, and I felt completely alone.
I know that people everywhere joke about self-harm and suicide, which can make
those struggling with it feel alone or embarrassed. An easy solution to this
problem would be to require every person to become educated on depression and
its symptoms, outcomes, and statistics. It could be taught as a class in school
or be a mandatory event in every town and city, but every person should be
required to attend. If more people understood about this issue, they may take
it more seriously.
Some symptoms of depression:
Source: www.focuspsychotherapy.com
Some symptoms of depression:
Source: www.focuspsychotherapy.com
Obviously, medication is an option for helping people with
depression; around 3 in 100 people take medication for depression [3]. But that can be an expensive and
sometimes unhealthy alternative to talk therapy and should be used as a last
resort. A healthier way to treating depression could be to require people who
are depressed to attend regular meetings of anonymous support groups in school
or work. It is important for those who are depressed to know that
they aren't the only ones feeling this way, which could help them greatly.
These support groups don’t have to be limited to depression; there are plenty
of issues people deal with that they don’t always have a chance to talk about,
and these groups would be a safe and supportive space for them to talk about
their problems. Schools should be required to have more programs which bring
people together for mutual support and understanding. This would result in
happier lives for individuals and would promote human flourishing.
Source: www.cdc.gov
Source: www.cdc.gov
[2] Varieties of Moral Personality: Ethics and Psychological
Realism by Owen Flanagan, p.131
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