Depressive realism : interdisciplinary perspectives

Description

Depressive Realism argues that people with mild-to-moderate depression have a more accurate perception of reality than non-depressives. Depressive realism is a worldview of human existence that is essentially negative, and which challenges assumptions about the value of life and the institutions claiming to answer life’s problems. Drawing from central observations from various disciplines, this book argues that a radical honesty about human suffering might initiate wholly new ways of thinking, in everyday life and in clinical practice for mental health, as well as in academia. Divided into sections that reflect depressive realism as a worldview spanning all academic disciplines, chapters provide examples from psychology, psychotherapy, philosophy and more to suggest ways in which depressive realism can critique each discipline and academia overall. This book challenges the tacit hegemony of contemporary positive thinking, as well as the standard assumption in cognitive behavioural therapy that depressed individuals must have cognitive distortions. It also appeals to the utility of depressive realism for its insights, its pursuit of truth, as well its emphasis on the importance of learning from negativity and failure. Arguments against depressive realism are also explored. This book makes an important contribution to our understanding of depressive realism within an interdisciplinary context. It will be of key interest to academics, researchers and postgraduates in the fields of psychology, mental health, psychotherapy, history and philosophy. It will also be of great interest to psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors. Contents......Page 8 Abbreviations......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Introduction......Page 16 References......Page 23 1. Big History, Anthropathology and Depressive Realism......Page 25 Anthropathology......Page 28 Recent and impending human development and evolution......Page 30 Summary......Page 34 References......Page 36 The Abrahamic religions......Page 38 Hinduism and Buddhism......Page 41 Spirituality......Page 43 Religion as a negative......Page 44 Atheism......Page 45 Religions as worldviews among others......Page 46 The world after god......Page 47 References......Page 48 Truth......Page 50 Philosophy of mind and mental illness......Page 53 What is depressing about philosophy......Page 54 Arthur Schopenhauer......Page 55 Peter Wessel Zapffe......Page 56 John Gray......Page 57 Benatar and antinatalism......Page 58 Suicide and assisted dying......Page 60 How should we live?......Page 62 Personality dependent realism......Page 63 References......Page 65 4. Literature, Film and Depressive Realism......Page 68 Poetry and drama......Page 69 Novels......Page 71 Samuel Beckett......Page 74 Film......Page 76 References......Page 82 The birth of depressive realism......Page 83 Evolutionary psychology......Page 86 Depressing aspects of psychology......Page 87 Lies, frauds and the games some psychologists play......Page 88 An experiment in taste and meaning......Page 90 Conclusions......Page 91 References......Page 92 6. Psychotherapy and Depressive Realism......Page 95 Psychoanalysis and depression......Page 97 Cognitive behaviour therapy and depression......Page 98 Humanistic, existential therapy and depression......Page 101 The question of suicide......Page 103 Psychotherapy and death......Page 104 What is depressing about the talking therapies......Page 105 The ethics of depressive realism and psychotherapy......Page 107 A mental health challenge......Page 109 Psychotherapy and the depressive realist......Page 110 References......Page 111 Everyday news......Page 114 Injustice......Page 115 The capitalism-socialism impasse......Page 117 Democracy......Page 118 Geopolitics......Page 119 Tragic pluralism......Page 120 DR as ‘patriarchal’......Page 122 DR as right-leaning?......Page 123 The equality and happiness wars......Page 124 Dark truths of the human condition......Page 128 Conclusion......Page 129 References......Page 130 8. Science, Technology, the Future and Depressive Realism......Page 133 The rationalistic neurosis of science......Page 135 Darwin......Page 136 Dangerous science......Page 138 The future and depressive realism......Page 139 Human progress......Page 141 Our children’s future......Page 142 References......Page 144 9. The Lifespan, Everyday Life and Depressive Realism......Page 147 From conception to birth......Page 148 Infancy and childhood......Page 149 Adolescence......Page 153 Adulthood......Page 155 Middle age......Page 157 Old age......Page 158 Death......Page 162 Everyday life: How we spend our time......Page 164 The everyday life of the depressive realist......Page 166 References......Page 168 10. Arguments against Depressive Realism......Page 171 Ignorance of depressive realism......Page 180 Positive psychology versus depressive realism......Page 181 Raymond Tallis and the case against pessimism......Page 182 References......Page 186 11. Lessons and Possibilities for Individuals and Society......Page 187 Changes to clinical definitions......Page 189 Education and depressive realism......Page 190 Depressive realists as a minority group......Page 191 Depressive realism and radical honesty......Page 193 Antinatalism and population control......Page 194 End of life care......Page 195 A depressive realist-informed civilisation?......Page 197 A depressive realist-informed view of violence and war......Page 198 Researching consciousness......Page 199 Social forecasting......Page 200 Compassionate nihilism......Page 201 References......Page 202 Index......Page 204