Depression Among the Radical Left

A poll asking members if they suffer from a mental illness? Not sure you'll get many honest responses here (and I'm not sure it's a subject that is particularly appropriate for this forum but maybe that's just me).

I read somewhere recently that right wingers are more likely to think negatively and left wingers a more likely to think positively about things. Don't know why but I suppose left wingers think they have the answers to improving the world while right wingers look around them and think how shit the world can be but believe that the current system is the best thing possible.

I voted other, too many variables are in my recent past, present, and possible future to determine if it is only my left tendencies that dictate any depression that I have. That was the personal opinion. The general opinion is that, in the course of a person being a radical left or left in general, they will experience times in their life, particularly politically, in which they will develop stages or phases of depression. This will especially occur in times when a protest or rally seems very successful, but leads to no political change whatsoever. Over time, if these kinds of events compound and weight upon each other, the person might fall into a maniacally or chronically depressed state which would require professional help.

Conversely, a person might incorrectly associate their depression with their left actions. In this case, in my opinion, a person might plummet into depression quicker as they would believe that all of the variables that would lead to depression would be caused by their associative political stance. It would be a very tragic turn of events and would also require a professional to remedy if it progressed to a manic or chronic state.

The key would be to not let things so trivial get personal to you, even if you did put your blood sweat and tears into something that fails politically. Is it hard to live by? Yes. But it can be combated and make you appear as having a strong constitution for your beliefs.

(take it all with a grain of salt, I wanted to learn Psychology in high school, I was never accepted. Even the psych teacher wanted me to take psych.)

I have been extremely depressed, to the point of wanting to end my life several times, in November. I think I've had psychological problems for the most part of my life. I'm also a dedicated drug user, and I don't see this stopping any time soon (even though February will be spent mostly sober, I have to give my brain some rest), and my perspective on pretty much all things in the world differs dramatically from the mainstream. As I've already mentioned, this has made me extremely sad in the past, but at the moment I have to say I love my life because I'm not alone and I have a huge network of comrades, and communist sympathizers, and drug users to surround myself, make politics and party with, and that's really, really nice.

So I voted I'm not suffering from depression because I'm really happy. This might change dramatically during February, so I have to find a job before it does...

I felt better once I started interacting with people on an adult, mature basis (without being too confrontational and argumentative, tactful more like) rather than letting things seethe.

I voted other because being a communist gives me hope for humanity. Couple this with weed to get rid of boringness depression and I'm pretty happy. Or at least a lot happier than I thought I'd be.

It would be hard for me to answer this poll. I mean I have had emotional upsets at times, such as melt downs. Generally though I try to be make the best of things, and keep a positive attitude. I only time I had really developed depression was when I was 14, following some sexual harassment I received from an older teenaged boy. But I wasn't really a leftist at that time I think.

Dagoth Ur wrote:

Or at least a lot happier than I thought I'd be.

This. I'm positively surprised all the time.

Sometimes the state the world is in can be saddening, yes, but depression? No, can't say I have ever really had that.

I chose Other, because I'm not a radical leftist.

Well I am depressed beyond my control, but it's something I've gotten used to. My dad's a hoarder, my mom's a drunk, and the rest of my family are distant and treat me different because I'm biracial.

Other than that I'm unable to move out on my own because I'm financial dependent on my parents for healthcare and school. Even with a job rents are over a thousand dollars for a one bedroom.

But look at it this way.. Notable communists probably have had their bouts with depression. Lenin's brother was murdered. Stalin was physically abused by his father and watched his mother being beat as well. Not to mention that his second wife committed suicide, and his first wife had died.

Depression is a normal condition suffered by many people, I wouldn't call it an illness.

Voted no; however, I can see how it would be a problem. Realizing the structual flaws within capitalism can be overwhelming and many activists get burnt out. I think that is a reason why we need to celebrate what victories we do achieve, it keeps us going. Going off of what Mabool said, I did have a problem with alcohol and that did lead to depression.

I haven't voted yet because I do not know where I stand. I like to think of my self as a leftist and I do get depressed at times however I do not know if it actual depression or just typical teenage mood bs.

Nobody is happy 100% of the time. There's an entire industry of consumerism and medical prescriptions out there to convince you that you deserve to be.

Depression for me is a blessing. It makes me think critically. People with depression are sometimes paranoid but their minds keep on working and working. With respect to mine, I get to be productive in coming up with valid arguments in defense of socialism. I also think creatively. I can come up with thought-provoking photographs of those who were oppressed in life like waiters and waitresses who moonlight as prostitutes at night, peasants deprived of their lands, garnished by my banker-grandfather, starving vendors and the like. Someday, I hope I can hold a gallery show displaying all of these.

I am not a radical leftist and do not suffer from depression - although life has thrown some sh!t at me recently.

I am terribly sad most of the time, but I think I have good reason to be. So I'm not sure if that counts as "depression."

It's hard not to be depressed when the reactionaries have been winning so far and most of the proletariat seems not to even care.

Seeing bourgeois police going around bossing working class and youth around is humiliating and degrading, a perpetual reminder of our failure to put them in their proper place (either the Gulag or several feet under). Seeing businessowners push for yet greater levels of exploitation and seeing them survive such proclamations makes my blood boil. Seeing right-wingers and fake leftists impose ever-greater restrictions upon our lives makes me wanna kill something.

How can anyone see all that injustice and oppression, be unable to just fragging stop it and not feel miserable all the goddamn time?