Ben Shapiro's reasons for depression

chestnut

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:13 am

He posted it on his FB page.
"Why are so many people depressed nowadays? They don't have God, they don't attend church, and they don't value traditional families."
He isn't stupid. Surely he understands that even deeply religious people can have depression. Or does he?

leah233

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:18 am

He never claimed that deeply religious people don't get depressed. He said the reason so many people are depressed is because they lack religion and traditional families.

Most studies indicate that he is correct. Deeply religious people with traditional families have a significantly lower chance of being depressed than those who don't fit that description.

Trademark

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:19 am

Maybe because studies have shown that religious people have significantly lower rate of depression.

Some quick links I found.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p.....7345/

https://www.psychologytoday.co.....ssion

gorilla

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:19 am

I’m assuming he means it very generally with the way the world is today, if people would have these stuff, depression would be lower. I’m sure he doesn’t mean that that’s the only reason for people being depressed

Highstrung

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:23 am

I think part of it may be true .
I suffered from depression and I believe deeply in God. It was a chemical imbalance at the time.

But I also dealt with other stuff like codependency and when I worked through the 12 steps, I had an easier time . I was able to see clearly that the atheists in the group had the hardest time being able to understand and to relate to a higher power and it impeded with their healing.

Also, I have a sibling who was feeling disconnected from HaShem and yiddishkeit and went through a bad period in his life. It was only when he was able to bring HaShem back into his life was he able to find success with therapy and healing.

When you don’t have a God in your life and the world around you looks like it’s falling apart, you can do nothing but feel despair to the point of wanting to give up.
I can say that without a doubt that I am only able to withstand my pekel of life because of my strong belief that HaShem is a loving God who is taking care of me and will handle my problems for me as long as I let him.
When I was depressed and felt suicidal, I did not feel HaShem or connect at all . But I think it was the depression that made me feel that disconnection. So I understand and able to see both sides of this.

Trademark

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:28 am

sequoia wrote:

He says what his followers want to hear.

This is true about every political commentator.

I still think we can discuss each point that they bring up. Usually a commentator isn't always right or always wrong (although those who either hate/like them will see it that way.) Rather than dismiss or approve based on the person.

1ofbillions

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:36 am

Ben is actually very aware of mental illness - he’s said many times that a close relative of his (I believe his grandfather) was mentally ill and that there is great value in taking medication to treat mental illness.

The US has a mind boggling amount of depressed people. Unless you think Hashem decided to start creating a large of percentage of depressed people in our generation, it makes sense that there are societal problems at play causing the wide scale depression.

Goody2shoes

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:44 am

1ofbillions wrote:

Yes, I understood that he was referring to the wokism and gender related issues going on, in which he would be right in saying had people been more connected to religion we might see less of the depression.

Highstrung

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:47 am

#BestBubby wrote:

In most cases, having rock solid emunah and bitachon,

Are protected from depression and anxiety.

I think it can be helpful but there is a physical thing that happens to the brain that one can’t say it has to do with the level of bitachon. For example PPD, Bi Polar Disorder and more .

I do see though in my personal life that when I feel extremely overwhelmed , if I allow HaShem to take my problems rather than I try to control everything going on around me, I am able to prevent myself from going down the big black hole of utter despair and loneliness. But it takes active work and a constant consciousness of it and when life is stressful it’s easy to be in survival mode and easy to forget that HaShem is running the show and that what he’s doing is for my good.

It’s also very difficult for people who are victims of trauma , who have a negative relationship with HaShem . They have a hard time seeing him as loving and that makes having bitachon in Him much harder which probably does induce their loneliness and despair when they are hit with great difficulties in life.

chestnut

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:51 am

alwayssmiling wrote:

Right, I think he was referring to that, too. But it just came out so wrong and flippant.

NotInNJMommy

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:55 am

Many people like to nurse the idea that bad things happen for a reason, rather than as a goral. It feels safer for all of us, so we like to erect all these systems consciously or unconsciously around what is safer or more dangerous, or what is more protective and what is more risky. This is one way it's often done. There are a lot of people, especially those who come from a religious bent, who take this way. It's rather tone deaf and wishful thinking.

#BestBubby

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 11:59 am

Karl Marx said

"Religion is the Opiate if the masses"

He meant it negatively, but really it is positive.

Marx admitted that religion is a pain killer!

And when the Marxists remove religion from society

Depression, alcoholism/addiction and suicide follow

animeme

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 12:07 pm

It's not just about falling into Depression- it's about staying there. There's a reason that fhe most common method for dealing with addictions has believing in a higher power as a cornerstone. Feeling and being connected to religion isn't a guarantee for good mental health, but it is definitely a help and support, and a framework.

Chickensoupprof

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 12:11 pm

It’s a hurtful, insensitive and stupid comment of someone who finds himself so important and enlightened, Baruch HaShem he never dealt with mental health issues. But I already know a bunch of people who will feel incredibly hurt by this not to mention that there is an increasing amount of suicide within the frum society what are u going to say Ben Shapiro to these relatives and friends and orphans? That your loved one didn’t had emunah…. Ugh

ectomorph

Tue, Aug 15 2023, 12:15 pm

#BestBubby wrote:

Best Bubby, Karl Marx, And Ben Shapiro walk into a bar....