intuitivet said:
Depression isn't generally the fault of the person who has it, they don't 'choose' to be depressed. I suffer from it and yet eat healthily, exercise and try and stay positive, but with mental disorders it's difficult to be optimistic, especially in stressful parts of life. The other factors are usually linked to disorders, such as depression, and would take alot of money and mental healthcare to deal with. Not everyone is privileged enough to have the time and money to go to therapy.
I agree with this completely. No one "chooses" to be depressed, and for the most part, people actually try to get out of it. I dislike the assumptions that people just "like to be depressed" or "find ways in which they can be depressed." Usually, I hear this from people who have never suffered from depression, or they're just so detached from their own feelings that they try to rationalize other people's experiences. I've been guilty of doing the second.
But if someone opens themselves up as depressed, they're not necessarily doing it to hear your critiques or your own point-of-view. I think their doing it in order to establish some sort of understanding with people, not to gain "pity." People's experiences are different, and depression certainly isn't a black-and-white thing. Unless you have the powers of telepathy, you really can't say why people suffer from depression. You can try to make judgments, but they can be inaccurate. When someone tells you they're depressed, don't try to completely dismiss their feelings or condition. They're opening up to you for a reason.
I think that depression is both underdiagnosed and overdiagnosed. There are people who think they have a mental disorder when actually, they're just genuinely upset over something. Then, there are people who deny their depression when they have it. I think one of the diagnosis criteria people often overlook is that if you have a mental disorder, you have difficulty CONTROLLING your reactions and emotions. People who are simply sad about something aren't necessarily "depressed," but those who can't control their sadness to the point it completely consumes their life are. Feeling sad and down is a part of the human condition (whether us INTPs like it or not ;p). What matters is how we deal with it and how much those feelings consume us.
As far as my own insight goes with these issues:
Drugs/Alcohol-- Caffeine, of course. But I do smoke cigarettes and drink on occasion. But if I'm in a rotten mood, I try to keep alcohol away from me because I know I won't be in control of it.
Depression-- I've been diagnosed with major depression, generalized anxiety, and agoraphobia with panic. I'm getting in control of these things now. It's hard, but I'm getting there. There was a point in time where I was prescribed to a bunch of medication, and they made my condition 100 times worse. I was constantly hospitalized, and I've even lost jobs. Medication helps some people, but I just personally had adverse effects on it, and I think it wasn't fair that I was automatically prescribed to them. I'm off of them now (though my reputation is still in shambles), and though I still have problems, I know how to deal with them better. Mainly, meditation, having plenty of "alone" time, writing, and physical exercise helps me. Both genetics and hard life experiences contribute to my mental illnesses. </ extreme vagueness>
Laziness-- It depends on if I care about the task at hand. Generally, I get my requirements done, but if it's something I care about (like, say, journalism and writing), I can tear into it. If I feel personally overwhelmed, I can withdraw so that I can make myself more under control and competent. A lot of people see this and judge me for being "lazy," but that doesn't mean I've given up on the task. But if I just don't care about something, I won't do it.
When I was little, I lived in my own little world (like I do now), but I did it without fear. I was just being myself. But being made fun of in school, dealing with racism in my hometown, and dealing with abuse just completely shot whatever confidence I had. I think I was definitely an INTP when I was young, but me having to deal with others' ignorance literally nearly destroyed me. Right now, I'm trying to find a way where I can deal with other people, and I can do it without having to compromise myself. </ more extreme vagueness>
As far as the "optimism" thing goes, even at my best, people think I'm a buzz kill ;p. I'm often just pragmatic and realistic, I think. But when I'm not at my best, I can have problems with extreme pessimism, cynicism, and nihilism. But there's a difference between being a skeptic and being cynical. I'd like to think I'm just skeptical 
. Also, I tend to deconstruct a lot (which gets on people's nerves).
K, I'll stop rambling....now.
