Atheism Doen't Equal Depression

[Rhondazvous]

I’m not saying atheists never get depressed. They can and they do. The same is true of Christians.

What I’m saying is, since it’s belief in god that teaches people that their lives have no meaning without god, once you stop believing in god that reason for being depressed becomes invalid. You might feel e depressed at first, because you’ve been programmed to believe that’s what you’re supposed to feel. But in time, the irony of this will dawn on you and you will find other sources of happiness.

[Athene]

Although I don't recall religion ever providing a source of happiness for me,  I will say that it did provide a sense of purpose/ meaning to existence. I did feel a bit of emptiness after becoming an atheist in that regard. I came to the conclusion that our purpose and meaning in life are things that we have to determine for ourselves, if we choose to do so.
As far as depression goes, I would say that I experience temporary bouts of mild to moderate depression as an atheist about as often as I did as I believer. Even as a Christian, I never believed that  "Everything's gonna be alright, because.......Jesus!"
If someone who is currently an atheist had been comforted by that belief as a theist, I can see how this could be misconstrued to suggest that lack of religious belief causes depression. In fact, the circumstances and difficulty of life cause depression. Atheists, by and large, simply recognize this reality and understand that they carry the burden of actually having to figure shit out.

[LastPoet]

I think atheists are more open to talk about it with fellow heathens, as it avoids the "Ah, you need gods to make you happy" rethoric.

Someone once said to me, some 20 years back, I would turn to god If I got trough times of misery. Been there, done that, driven only by my sometimes, wavering will.

People with serious clinical depression should seek professional help. An objective look into your problems can really help.

[robvalue]

I totally and utterly don't get what meaning God is supposed to provide. Is it just part of the indoctrination? I know religion heavily forces people to think there is no meaning without God, but what exactly is this meaning in the first place?

Is it just the fact that you're scoring points and getting ready for the afterlife? Or what? I'm serious, I have no idea. To me, living life as if it's some kind of test for the benefit a weird voyeur would make life pretty bizarre and pointless.

[Athene]

I totally and utterly don't get what meaning God is supposed to provide. Is it just part of the indoctrination? I know religion heavily forces people to think there is no meaning without God, but what exactly is this meaning in the first place?

Is it just the fact that you're scoring points and getting ready for the afterlife? Or what? I'm serious, I have no idea. To me, living life as if it's some kind of test for the benefit a weird voyeur would make life pretty bizarre and pointless.

Hey, man. What's with the hard questions? The meaning is the meaning! You know.....stuff. Make Daddy happy, get a good parking spot in the hereafter and.......Jesus!

[Longhorn]

I was pretty depressed. But then I became an atheist, and I no longer want to do horrible things to people, or kill myself.

[Nope]

Depression and bipolar disorder is in my genes apparently. Several people in my family are alcoholics or addicted to religion. For them, admitting that you are depressed is a character flaw that Jesus can cure. They put on happy music or throw themselves into church. Sadly, the people closest to them often suffer from their denial. I think that untreated depression is probably as common among Christians as it is atheists but Christians are less likely to seek help or admit that they aren't happy. At least among my religious family and friends, lying to yourself seems to be a shared trait.

I'm not a fan of Focus on the Family but this article is a good description of how hard it is for many Christians to admit that they have a mental disorder.
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/lifechal...ian-family

Mental illness runs in my family, and yet there has always been a lot of denial and shame about it. For a long time, I thought if I just kept focused on God's Word, I'd find relief. But the depression just got worse.

“Spiritually, I couldn’t feel God’s presence. I couldn’t understand why He didn’t heal me. Reading the Bible didn’t help. I couldn’t even pray. Others had to pray for me. Only after I’d received some counseling and started taking anti-depressant medication did I start to feel better.”

[Godscreated]

Depression and bipolar disorder is in my genes apparently. Several people in my family are alcoholics or addicted to religion. For them, admitting that you are depressed is a character flaw that Jesus can cure. They put on happy music or throw themselves into church. Sadly, the people closest to them often suffer from their denial. I think that untreated depression is probably as common among Christians as it is atheists but Christians are less likely to seek help or admit that they aren't happy. At least among my religious family and friends, lying to yourself seems to be a shared trait.

I'm not a fan of Focus on the Family but this article is a good description of how hard it is for many Christians to admit that they have a mental disorder.
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/lifechal...ian-family

Mental illness runs in my family, and yet there has always been a lot of denial and shame about it. For a long time, I thought if I just kept focused on God's Word, I'd find relief. But the depression just got worse.

“Spiritually, I couldn’t feel God’s presence. I couldn’t understand why He didn’t heal me. Reading the Bible didn’t help. I couldn’t even pray. Others had to pray for me. Only after I’d received some counseling and started taking anti-depressant medication did I start to feel better.”

I must disagree here with what you say, after five plus years here most of the atheist who have come here have express they are currently depressed ( at the time they are here) and some talk about ending their lives, the facts from this forum alone are against your statement Rhonda.

GC

[Longhorn]

Uhhh....Nope is not Rhonda.

And, to clarify, are you actually going for the assertion that atheists are more prone to depression than theists?

[downbeatplumb]

Depression and bipolar disorder is in my genes apparently. Several people in my family are alcoholics or addicted to religion. For them, admitting that you are depressed is a character flaw that Jesus can cure. They put on happy music or throw themselves into church. Sadly, the people closest to them often suffer from their denial. I think that untreated depression is probably as common among Christians as it is atheists but Christians are less likely to seek help or admit that they aren't happy. At least among my religious family and friends, lying to yourself seems to be a shared trait.

I'm not a fan of Focus on the Family but this article is a good description of how hard it is for many Christians to admit that they have a mental disorder.
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/lifechal...ian-family

I must disagree here with what you say, after five plus years here most of the atheist who have come here have express they are currently depressed ( at the time they are here) and some talk about ending their lives, the facts from this forum alone are against your statement Rhonda.

GC

I'm a little bit down at the moment because I have a sore shoulder. Would belief in a deity help with that?