Posted by skeptic on April 9, 2004, at 17:28:28
In reply to Re: the evolutionary role of depression » skeptic, posted by noa on April 8, 2004, at 9:12:32
I very much agree with you that where to draw the line between variation on a temperament continuum and what might be called "illness" is impossible to answer and, also, as you point out, very personal.
My fear is that today's generation of teenagers is growing up hyper-aware of their moods and emotions before they even get a chance to experiment with their personalities and see what roles and/or niches they may fit into, before they learn that bad habits CAN be changed, and, perhaps most importantly, before their brains have fully developed.
At least this is the sense I get from articles that I have read, e.g. in Time Magazine, and things that I have heard from people in this age group.
> What you wrote was interesting--the idea of "hyperthymic" temperament. It makes me think about what our world would be like without people of different temperaments. The question, of course, is where is the line between variation on a temperament continuum and what we might consider to be an illness--probably a question impossible to answer.
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> I think on a personal level, staying mindful of a balance is what is important, monitoring how functional the temperament is for you, and having a way to cope with it if it crosses that line.
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> I hope you find an outlet for the energy you have. I'm sure there is one for you where you can feel like you are making a positive contribution.
poster:skeptic
thread:332029
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040409/msgs/334579.html