Enemies of Reason Poundshop potshots at the media moral maze.

Depressed people give BBC’s HYS bastards a pasting

Wonderful, wonderful stuff. I opened up the antidepressants debate on the BBC's Have Your (Reactionary) Say messageboard, expecting the usual drivel. But, no. As I've said before, it's generally stories about race/immigration that are hijacked on messageboards by a foaming minority of scumbags, whereas other subjects can see almost rational and liberal views predominating. And here's a case in point.

Sure, there are a couple of

Depression? Stuff and nonsense!! I simply don't believe in it, nor do I believe people can get depressed because of bereavement. Death happens, go the the funeral and then get on with your life.
A mate of mine was 'depressed', gave him a good slap and now he's as right as rain.
We need less emotion and more backbone in this country.
Life is Great, London

(is it a joke? I can't be sure)

The best way to treat depression is to move to a country where:
a) You actually receive more than two thirds of your pay
b) There is a government that you can trust
c) There is a population more interested in personal development than fashion and culture
george flecknell, oxford

*sigh*

and

I was sexually abused as a child. I came from a broken home. I am bringing up 3 children after their father (yes I did marry him!) ran off with a younger model. No he doesn't pay anything towards them, yes I am on full benefits. You know what, I am so busy dealing with the day to day stuff of my life I don't have time to be depressed. Stop spending all your time sitting on the sofa thinking how rubbish your life is, get off your lazy butt and do some thing about it.
Sarah, Gosport, Hampshire.

But...

People who have never suffered this, PLEASE realise there is a massive difference between "depression" and "feeling depressed".
I've been both - "feeling a bit down", can be easily cured - yes, go for a walk, watch a film you enjoy, etc etc.
However for more serious chemical depression medication is needed.
However sadly I expect the usual know it alls on here to come out with the "pull yourself together" rhetoric, or for some reason make cheap politicak cracks about it. Grow up!
M Morgan, Ireland, Ireland

Hooray!

There are so many people here who clearly do not understand the difference between unhappiness and depression. Unhappiness or "self-diagnosed depression" can be cured by simple things such as a change of lifestyle and anti-depressants are never going to help.
Clinical depression is an illness and ignorant comments such as "pull yourself together", "work harder" and "when I was young this never happened" show a total lack of understanding of the condition. If you do not understand it, shut up
Tom, Watford

Good man.

The "pull yourself together" comments are horribly damaging and ignorant, clinical depression is a real disease! These sort of comments undermine the suffering of so many peoople who do all they can to help themselves, eat better, regularly exercise, positive thinking etc etc etc, just to reitterate the comments below.
I do agree, however, that talking therapies are the only way of tackling the *cognitive* side of depression, anti depressants are and should be only a small side of recovery.
Kathryn, N. Yorkshire

Superb. So I think I'm seeing a pattern here. When the debate isn't about race/immigration or JockMcHaggis, there appears to be a reasonable level of debate on both sides of the argument, without the issue getting jumped on by another agenda. Indeed, in these kind of debates, the more liberal views appear to predominate. Which is a surprise, but certainly not an unpleasant one.

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