Understanding the Misleading Language of Depression
Friday, August 2, 2024.
Many people struggle to understand their depression due to the way it's described by professionals.
Depression, as a diagnosis, is simply a description of symptoms, not an explanation of their causes. Contrary to common belief, a low mood isn't caused by depression—it's a symptom of it.
However, many authoritative websites misleadingly portray depression as the cause of its own symptoms.
A study analyzing leading mental health organizations, such as the American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization, found that most describe depression as causing low mood, lack of motivation, and other related symptoms.
Dr. Jani Kajanoja, the study's first author, explains:
"Depression should be viewed like a headache. Both are medical diagnoses, but neither explains the root cause. Just as a headache diagnosis doesn't clarify why you have head pain, a depression diagnosis doesn't explain why you feel low."
This circular reasoning extends to other psychiatric diagnoses, which describe symptoms without offering causal insights. When depression is presented as both a description of symptoms and their cause, it creates a logical loop that confuses those experiencing it.
Dr. Kajanoja adds:
"Portraying depression as a uniform disorder causing depressive symptoms is circular reasoning that muddles our understanding of mental health issues, making it harder for individuals to grasp their distress."
Consider someone who accepts that they suffer from 'depression' and believes it causes their symptoms.
What steps can they take to improve their situation? The circular logic offers little guidance beyond medication. Instead, individuals should seek to understand how their personality, background, and circumstances contribute to their mental distress and explore various recovery or coping methods.
Professor Jussi Valtonen, a study co-author, notes a cognitive bias at play:
"People tend to view a diagnosis as an explanation, even when it isn't. Professionals must avoid reinforcing this misconception and help individuals truly understand their condition."
The crux of the issue is our limited understanding of mental illness causes. As stated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders:
"...a complete description of the underlying pathological processes is not possible for most mental disorders."
Final thoughts
This admission challenges the egos of experts dedicated to uncovering the causes of mental illness. Humans crave explanations, even in a complex universe where the human mind is perhaps the most intricate object. Yet, we often mask our lack of understanding with circular logic.
What could be more human than that?
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
REFERENCES:
Jani Kajanoja, Jussi Valtonen; A Descriptive Diagnosis or a Causal Explanation? Accuracy of Depictions of Depression on Authoritative Health Organization Websites. Psychopathology 2024; https://doi.org/10.1159/000538458
