Spirituality, having a large family, things we could learn...

[Pontus]

From the Mexicans who appear to have much less depression because of these values. We could learn a thing or two.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/7591832.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Please read the article. Maybe the best thing you can give a child is a sense of spiritual connections -- as well as a couple or three brothers and sisters.


"ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Memo Uribe is poor and didn't have enough money to buy Christmas presents for his family of eight this year, but the 63-year-old Mexican-American says he's happy.

"There's an old dicho (proverb), 'Mejor salud que dinero,'" Uribe says. "It's better to have good health than money. My family and I are blessed and especially thank God for that."

Uribe gives face to a recent study that found older Mexican-Americans are less likely to show symptoms of depression if they live in neighborhoods with a large proportion of other Mexican-Americans.

The study - published in the current issue of the Journal of Epidemiology Community Health - also suggests that their comparatively high rates of employment, family structures and residential stability make them less prone to depression than other ethnic groups."

and...

"She knows that even though the majority of her family lives in California, they'll be there for her to lend emotional or financial support should she really need it.

"I have four brothers and one sister," she said. "And we're always there for each other.""

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Well I know what they mean

I come from a Jewish Mexican family and we are all there for
each other

Also I find that getting things, and consuming, and keeping up
wtih the johnsons is not that important

THis surprises my hubby from time to time. to be honest.

Oh and as a medic in Tijuana, I saw people very poor have wonderful \christmases... they made gifts from news paper, and a football (soccer) was always apreciated, in ways that many of our brats cannot do any more

[Pontus]

2. Yeah, we are raising fat, spoiled brats.

Family limitation is giving us a generation of little Rush Limbaughs. Practically the only place people live a bit more simply is in predominantly Mormon communities. They aren't poor, but they are far from materialistic and do tend to have larger families.

They live a long time too.

[catzies]

13. It was reported recently that state of Utah has highest rate of use of

anti-depressants...guess that's chalked up to repression, not size of family unit. :shrug:

[Pontus]

14. Having a background in psychology...

and having lived in Utah I would say that this isn't due to family size but some of the upper class people striving to be "more than perfect". Or maybe it's because lots of Utah's original settlers were Swedes and they are a very depressed lot.

[Kanary]

3. And here I thought depression is "bio-chemical"

Imagine that. Less depression when you know you're not alone, and there are people who will listen and care about you and be there for you if you need help, and people who need you for the same things.

What an amazing concept.

Yes, we could learn something.

But, I suspect we'll continue telling people to stand on their own two feet and not need others, and not to give too much to others.

And continue taking the happy-pills.

Kanary

[truthspeaker]

4. you're oversimplifying

ALL moods and feelings are bio-chemical. Depression can certainly be caused by external forces that effect your mood - and when your mood changes the chemicals in your brain change.

Some instances of depression are best treated with drugs, and some aren't. Don't reduce a complex and poorly understood medical topic to a simplistic all-or-nothing approach.

Personally I think it's possible (and desireable) to reject materialism without embracing spirituality. I also think small families can be just as happy as large ones. It's the quality of family connections that's important, not the quantity.

[IrateCitizen]

5. It's not just family connections -- it's COMMUNITY connections

Community has become a non-existant entity within most of America. We get up, go to our jobs, come home to dinner and TV, and go through life without ever really knowing our neighbors. We're too involved in the neverending quest for "more" and protecting "what we have".

Within immigrant communities especially, there is a genuine support network. Although they may not have much individually, they do their damnedest to make sure that nobody goes without. It used to be much the same in working class communities in America, especially as waves of immigration from other countries came in during the industrial revolution through WWII.

The suburbification of America changed all that. Your interaction with others goes way down when you all have lawns instead of public space, when you have to drive rather than walk to wherever you want to go, and you spend most of your time locked up in your house or at work.

[CivilRightsNow]

8. Ding ding ding..

You win a toaster. :)

Im fascinated with the loss of community we have created over the last 40-50 years. I feel that its impact can be felt in alot of realms, linguistics being a big one. It reminds me of the tower of babel, in ways.

I think the loss of community will prove to be one of the most devastating things that we have to rectify as humans..... some day.

[Kanary]

9. Community, indeed

Much has been written, for a long time now, about the alienation of "modern life". Yet, I see very little evidence that much attention has been paid to the wisdom contained in what is written. We mouth the words, then go on the same as before.

I might also point out that what is *supposed* to pass for community in so many instances is a loose connection of people who are still very critical and isolating of each other. People put on their armor in order to be prepared constantly for the slings and arrows thrown their way.

The instances of actually being heard and being cared about and supported are rare and becoming more rare. "Cold pricklies" have replaced "warm fuzzies". Yet, we accept that as natural and normal. Then wonder why we are dispirited and depressed.

A good example is right here. Look at all the backbiting and attacking (and no, it isn't just relegated to the 2004 forum). Very little actual listening is taking place. Most of it is talking past each other, or arguing. That isn't community, and it doesn't foster a sense of safe belonging.

So, you're right in what you say about community. But, I doubt that many will listen.

Kanary

[Frederic Bastiat]

10. I live in a suburb and i'd be happy to tell you that

the sense of community here is a lot more than when I lived smack in the middle of the city, please don't generalize.

Oh and I fail to see any engaging discourse or small talk in the subways downtown so that kinda blows another hole in your "theory".

[IrateCitizen]

12. I'm not the one generalizing, you are

I am fully aware that you can be completely alone in the middle of a city as well. I lived in Philadelphia and work in Manhattan after all.

But tell me this -- if you or one of your neighbors were suddenly completely down on your luck, would everyone else in the neighborhood instantly pool together to support those who fell down? Do you willingly share what you have with your neighbors, and vice-versa? Such a culture, while still somewhat alive in some reaches of rural America, has disappeared throughout most of our country.

What I'm talking about is not just my personal "theory". It's been put forward by many, many others as well -- and supported with lots of research. I'd love to summarize it for you here, but I wouldn't be able to be completely accurate. But if you're interested, I could give you the names of a few books to get you started. ;-)

[Astarho]

17. But you live in Canada

When I lived there, I found the Canadians much more open and personable then Americans.

[lapislzi]

6. Spirituality? or religion?

I am an atheist, but I also consider myself a spiritual person. I don't see spirituality as necessarily having a connection with a religion or deity. Is this what you mean?

Spirituality is your inner life, the things that move you. Campbell would call it your "bliss."

[truthspeaker]

16. if you define spirituality that way then I guess I'm spiritual

Usually I don't know what people mean when they say "spirituality", so I assumed I didn't have any.

[Kanary]

7. I'm not the one who reduced it to simplistic terms

The pharmaceuticals are responsible for that.

The "common wisdom" is that all depression is caused by chemicals going haywire and needing drugs to treat it.

It's nutz.

Our dehumanizing and disconnected society is unhealthy and we are reaping the results of that. Continuuing to ignore that, as the article points out, is to our own detriment.

This is *not* a criticism against anyone who is taking the pills. When isolated, there isn't a lot choice. Rather, this is a criticism of a society that would rather have a large portion of it's population, including children, on pills than to create a healthy society in the first place.

And, of course, all emotions are "bio-chemical". That's the point.

Kanary

[truthspeaker]

11. I agree the pharmaceutical corps have the lion's share of culpability

Your first post sounded like you were pooh-poohing the whole notion of treating mood disorders with drugs. Glad to hear that's not the case.

[Pontus]

15. Yeah, ritalin is the answer...

but the question is why are so many white boys in suburbia getting medicated? Why are some school districts 20% medicated in ritalin for boys grades 1 - 6? Maybe there's a connection between big drug companies and...no, our educational establishment is beyond that sort of thing -- and our school administrators are the most educated, and experts in critical analysis, of any professionals on earth. And the moon landing was staged too.