Has anybody heard anything about depression being a sort of "diagnostic mode?"?

Do you mean depressive realism?

How come I can’t do anything right? What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I be like the others? They all have such an easy time of it.

Well, you feel bad and you sit around, feeling defeated and useless, and you think about yourself a lot.

I do believe that the function of depression is to push someone to figure out how to do something better. It’s a high pressure way of doing so—so high, that some people die before figuring it out.

It can also come from growing up in a family that expects high achievement and perfection—goals that are impossible. Yet, growing up in such an environment, one feels like perfection is not an unreasonable goal. So when you keep on missing the target, you have to wonder what’s wrong with you.

I suppose you could call it a diagnostic mode, although I would prefer to call it a problem solving mode. Diagnostic is too neutral. I mean, you can diagnose a problem and then not fix it. That’s hardly useful.

Your question reminds me of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumination_(psychology)

@the100thmonkey That looks to be on the right track. Thanks.

I’m sorry but I am unsure what you mean. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable on the subject of depression.

a diagnostic mode in terms of self-diagnosing? For some people I think this does happen, although I don’t think that all people that are depressed have the power of this introspective thought..and some that do get so far deep into depression that they forget how to come out of it….

I think depression is the malfunctioning of a diagnostic mode, if we’re looking at it like that. Introspection should be almost constant, without causing any actual dysfunction in one’s life.

Maybe healthy people go through natural cycles where they spend a few days in deep introspection and show symptoms of depression because of it, but I’m not sure depression is a good word for that. Just seems like coping or self-development.

depression comes from alot of different things. loss of friends and loved ones, how you were treated growing up. it can come from a chemical imbalance in your brain. if you dont have enough happy chemical then you will feel sad, depressed, tired, ache etc. everything will seem gray instead of the vibrant colors that they are.also a hormonal imbalance, thyroid, certain medications will make you feel sad. trying to feel the empty hole in food, alcohol, or other addictions wont help. forgiving yourself and others will help if that be the case. God my friend will help you too. sometimes that hole is a spirital hole that needs filling.