straight talk

Depression, the Silent Scourge of the Modern World.



Posted: Friday, February 29, 2008

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I said to my wife last night I have come to realize more and more through my writings I am truly not of this earth. Hey I expect many of you might agree? My spirit and soul rejects what many aspects of this earth has to offer and particulary what people bring not Gods natural creations. Am I saying all, certainly not, but many. That many are found in those critical relationships that impact us all directly or indirectly. It is defiling and abusive to me and I expect only those who feel the same, to truly understand my disdain for it. All that I see and much of what I have experienced as I walk through life are the signs and symbols of a corrupt world satisfying themselves via their deeds, their works, their indulgences their wants for their own needs and justifications without a true concept, care or concern evidently for the common good. Now certainly, as I have stated, not all but the majority. If you want to say I am depressed then I will accept that. Depressed in the systems and workings of man. If I a mere mortal can be depressed, how much more is a just God offended? How much more is He abused?

Yes, I identify depression as the silent scourge of mankind because millions are walking around suffering in one form or another depression. I guess one can say some adapt more then others to be able to survive and continue functioning. None the less it impacts many struck by the ravages of this epidemic severely from health to mental impacts, to social, work and relationships in varied form. It also impacts society and the economics of that society in many ways. Ask any police officer about the number of domestic violence calls, battery and suicides they receive? Read the statistics on health costs. look at the internet at the chat rooms used to meet someone. Think about it in the silence of your room when alone on a special day. Yes you may not care to admit it but many are depressed and crying out.

How does it come about. Well age is not an issue here, it can strike anyone and any economic or social class, race, creed, origin, religion, all are not inhibitors. Basically it can strike anyone. Root causes are situations of any and all varied types from financial, employment, personal, sickness, rejection, acceptance and on and on and any combination thereof.

Certainly in today's modern age acceptance, self esteem, net worth and perception are all predominant factors. You are accepted by what people see and believe not who you really are. Hence the signs and symbols we project to be accepted are an expensiveand right car, the home, the clothes, the jewelry, the degree on the wall, the title, the club membership, etc, all to send a message. Yes all living in the Easter Bunny hollow world of make believe and facade. Poor, excluded, overweight, excluded, bald, excluded, low paying job, excluded, unemployed, excluded. and yes even when we have all the beauty in the world exterior wise and internally we sometimes never see it that way and wind up excluded. Just ask anyone who is out of work how their friendships are afterwards and how many last?

So, who and what are the major causes? Well in my opinion and frankly speaking, people are the prime cause because they initiate and are the direct cause of it starting. In my opinion it is caused by every single human interaction that this world can contrive. Of course circumstance, situation, disease the unexpected play a huge role but in my opinion predominantly people.

In what way you may ask? Well at work by the nature of the stress we place on people deliberately or otherwise through unrealistic expectations. At play or when off by a failure to be accepted socially either by physical, financial or any other variables. Sensitivity and reaction and a lack of love, understanding, caring. The again there is the one I keep coming across, especially in this day and age which is getting trammeled, exploited, excluded, used, demeaned, ridiculed, fired, lied to or about and on and on and on.

What are the outward signs. Well the drug user is one, the thief, the suicide possibility, the silent and alone, the drinker, the violent, the angry the troubled those who never nomatter how had they try succeed. We hear these words and the accompanying signs and symbols expressed outwardly as a sign of help by many and frankly we run away from them even more. Thye clothes, the language, the music, the attitudes the beliefs all put up a guard while saying help. No time to look at the causes, why, you have enough of your own troubles. Very few care enough to get involved in another, to help. No, too much pain.

I can say as a family man the pride I have in my family for caring, for being who they say they are and by what they profess to be and how it shows in their works. Yes, God I know and hope you see it as well? Do they suffer, most certainly and usually at the hands of those I describe. Those in need who without their love and help would hurt themselves or others.

It is a part of Gods world that is most confusing and rejected by many even though all about them. How can it be when it is a world of billions of professed believers that depression is so rampant a part of all societies. Just where is the lie? Just who does the lie rest with? As a believer and I am sure many like me, not a lot but many, feel this same way. Always asking why? When we turn around and see the proud, the arrogant, the exploiters, the users, the cheats, those who connive and take, the greedy, the maneuverer, the planners, the schemers all happy, doing well. Yet, are they?

We see many who we consider wealthy, famous and have it all and yet they are in many ways worse then we are. Do we not see it daily in the press? Yes, we even see it in our own children and in those of others. We see it in their hurt, anger, in their tears of rejection, their unemployment their failure to find a good job or support their family, the abuse at the hands of government workers, demeaning tone, inflection, words as if they were somehow the judge and the god of all giving. Yes, the relationships torn apart because of that lack and yes the children who grow up in these situations. The bosses who's only thought is of money and making more and more. Yes the list is endless and for lack of time I must stop.

Now there are many who will say get professional help and thats fair. There are many who will quote the bible, ok we can accept that. There are many who will say it is up to them and hey everyone breathes for themselves, etc. The facts and ask any religious or counselor, many times these people drift even deeper into self pity and despair. Then they can harm themselves or others. Many times there just isn't enough help, many times they reject help many times it cost money they do not have and yes even at churchthey find little help, a fact! Self pity is hard to overcome. It takes faith, trust belief and in no man will you ever find it, hence the problem.

Hey it is only my opinion but frankly in faith I believe it can be cured in one word and disagree or not, your right to but it is what we profess as believers to be and do and that is love, end of story, end of comments, end of conversation. There is little love in this world of believers, little to none outside of them. A lot of professing and certainly from the few but overall that love is not for the common good, but subjected to individuals and their close relationships and that's a fact jack as the movie goes.

We are in my opinion the world of rituals, habits, professions and little substance. The world of the Easter Bunny in many cases. Look good on the outside hollow on the in. Sadly, this silent enemy of us all will walk the earth until we all come to recognize it and understand only we can cure it. God knew exactly what the world needs and what the next will be made of. No, not this one for it must come to an end, it and all of its corruption and sin. Recognize it, no I don't think so? You see to really see what I am saying you have to no longer be of it. NO, not hurt yourself that is not the answer. No, understand this world has little of what will truly make you happy unless you get down to creation, basics and the things of God. Search after the ways of this world and find what it offers. Yes, in my opinion the Easter Bunny.

Robert T. Melaccio Sr. 2008 Copyright 2008 Robert Melaccio



Robert Melaccio Sr. has worked in the computer industry for 40 plus years in a diversified business and managerial environments. He enjoys freelance writing, giving seminars for young adults and teen groups as well as being an accomplished award winning poet of published poetry. He has worked teaching and as a youth minister. He is married and has three children and three grandchildren.

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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Anonymous
 2 years 354 days ago.
The obvious, yet such a distance to the quenching of ones yearning sole. The aliens on this planets surface, you know them, they know you. Simple and complex is the beauty, we are small, we are in awe. They test, they tease, the thick skinned are at ease. And yet, they also remain unsatisfied. Emapthy verses bordom in the unrest kingdom. Infrequenty we work in partnership, new dsitractions in exchange for momentary tokens of peace.
 
Love is the key to those who regognise the concept, myself the slave to. The aliens remain alien. Like the rich to understanding how it feels to be poor and as the poor to be rich. The concept is cleary understood from both teams but to feel, the empathy, and love is left to the few. I was once bored, once rich , once poor, once and many times loved, empathic, sensitized, de-sensitized. Cold, hot, starving, fat. The path is long, painfull beutifull, agonzing to the point of death. And yet, ive witnessed a less and more natural, pleasant exsistence. Thrust back into hell, momentarily and nescessary. Fate? Religion? nature? light? the culmination of, as we wish to adhere to genre, for security? The goal, what we already know. Love. Through hell we reach love.
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