I'm in the UK, so perhaps it's just different here, but I have always been told that depression is the result of - essentially - learned helplessness. Depressed individuals should also be risk aversive and tend to avoid potentially threatening stimuli. Nurture yourself with mental health advice that’s rooted in medical However, you may also experience symptoms... Anxiety is more than just a psychological issue. Everyone else appears to be having a good time, yet she stands in the background, ostensibly gripped in the throes of a seemingly inexplicable sadness. Many different anxiety issues lead to all three of these types of detachment, and unfortunately each and every one seems to contribute to making anxiety worse. To explore the possibility that depression is an evolved defensive strategy, it is useful to consider behavior in terms of evolutionary theory. A defensive strategy, on the other hand, is an evolved method for signaling and/or reacting to a problem. Social justice worker jumps up and down "OVER HERE". Depression is a major public health issue, and the theoretical paradigms that guide our understanding of the condition influence public opinion, health policies, treatment strategies, and research. The Behavioral Shutdown Model (BSM) explored here suggests an alternative interpretation of MDD and depression in general. *Scratches chin* I''m sure the "Peripheral nervous system" has something to do with it... Oh, sorry, I forgot about DSM. Updated on October 10th, 2020. Do you feel tired, guilty, ineffective or hopeless? informational purposes only. is obviously advantageous. I think you have a point, maybe. No, Gregg. But when I took the time to read through your article, it occurred to me that the shutdown theory is what my life and my behaviors look like. Indeed Beck just proposed a "unifying model" that is basically the BSM...see here: We can't treat just the symptoms of depression but the root cause. Is counterproductive and insensitive. This article is so good. believe that information is only as helpful as its accuracy. The BSM is valuable in that it links the causes (triggers) with the effects (symptoms) of depression in a logical sequence. They should be very averse to conflict, particularly with others who are of equal or higher status. Calm Clinic does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Fact Checked by Vivian Okirie, M.D. The natural reaction to all of those experiences is to want to withdraw, and that's why so many people distance themselves from everyone around them. I feel this could help me accept and try to better direct my current therapy. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/theory-knowledge/201403/are-you-other-oriented Symptoms include fever, coughing, and feeling achy, tired, and rundown. Fact Checked by Daniel Sher, MA, Clin Psychology They feel that the things they used to enjoy they simply don't enjoy anymore. For example, medications given to reduce fever (once presumed to be part of the defect) actually prolong the duration of the flu virus in the body. Doctor: Ah. Your privacy is important to us. It's sort of like being invited to see a comedy movie after a recent heartbreak. Increasing benefits is associated with actively acquiring some resource (food, sex, status) in the environment via behavioral investment. Ask your doctor about new antidepressant treatments available.” Somehow the “depression as disease” message in this commercial is less convincing. This would be particularly true if no assessment of structural damage to the body was made. Everyone knows that anxiety affects thoughts. Since the model suggests depression should be associated with difficulties in functioning, the BSM explains why depressive symptoms evidence such a high comorbidity with other mental disorders. While the BSM should not diminish the seriousness of depression as a condition, it should serve to orient both patients and treating professionals to think about the condition anew. First, diathesis stress simply is a Person X Environment framework that argues that behavioral patterns are an interaction or transaction between person vulnerabilities and environmental events. Cognitive therapy is a tool which allows people (me included) to master themselves and their fate and to deal with it effectively. More information can be found here. I hope to read more of your work on this theory so I can move forward.