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If you have depression, did atheism contribute to it?

It did for me. Mainly on the subject of death. Like, when my grandmother died, and my old dog had to be put down, and even going to funerals to be moral support for friends or family, it’s hard for me to live with “I/they literally will never see them again” I don’t think I’ve ever fully coped with it, but I’d be more upset with myself believing in an afterlife as an easy way out.

DaisyLove94 4 July 28
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54 comments (26 - 50)

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0

No, in many ways my atheism helps me deal with my depression. When I was a believer, the constant feeling that this was happening to me because I wasn't faithful enough or was somehow inherently deserving of suffering was kind of soul crushing. Once I realized that what it was crushing was just my sense of self worth and that there was no soul to worry about, I began to accept it as simply a physiological condition which required specific mechanisms and medications to control.

For me, death was always a part of life, I studied science early on, and understood the necessity of death in any rapidly propagating species. I feel grief over my loss, not over someone else's death.

0

My atheism and depression run concurrently. I don't think one caused the other, but I think it would be naive to assume that there isn't some kind of correlation.

0

nope. not a bit. i am clinically depressed and part of it it related to ptsd i acquired by waking up during eye surgery when i was three. my atheism is just a description of the fact that at the age of 15 i realized that there are no gods, and have had no reason since then to reverse that realization. by the way, depression is not the same thing as sadness, or grief. it is an illness. it has to do with neurotransmitters in the brain and those are not affected by atheism.

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0

There are moments when I am severely saddened when I learn of a person I had known is no longer available for conversation. Been a bunch of such moments during the past 10 years.

JacarC Level 8 July 28, 2018
0

No, that doesn't bother me.

2

Somewhat. But I'm also introverted, so I don't make that many friends or connections anyway. Being an atheist hasn't help with getting dates, so some of my depression and loneliness are contributed to atheism.

1

I do and it didn't. In fact, atheism helped to relieve my depression a bit.

0

No, I can't say that it affects it.

0

I first experienced depression in my 20s. Single, in the Army, not a good fit, not at all doing anything career wise that I was interested in.I wouldn't have said I was a xian then, I was pretty flighty back then. I experienced depression off an on for several years in my 30s and 40s, while I was trying to be a good Xian. And I have had anxiety and depression off an on through my 50s while being openly atheist. So, no connection for me between religion or lack thereof and depression.

0

NO!

0

You're ridiculous lmao. Way to shoehorn religious memes like "atheists are more depressed" or "if you don't believe in an afterlife, then death is more miserable".

I'm not an atheist, but if you don't agree with atheism then I'm sorry but creationism is just not as logical of a belief system as atheism is. Atheists cannot prove that there isn't a God(s) but at least they rely on science and a good degree of reasoning.

0

I hope you're dealing with things better now. Depression is rough.

3

I have dealt with depression. Atheism has nothing to do with it.

1
1

Nope.
Not even a little bit.

1
1

NO. Besides, who says everything ends when we die?

Einstein taught us that all matter is a form of energy, so since energy can neither be created nor destroyed, we have always existed and will always exist in some energy form, and quantum physics already tells us different dimensions exist.

"For physicists, the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion." -Einstein

0

I'm only depressed that I live in a world filled with people who don't want to grow up. They vote accordingly and it counts the same as people who view the world for how it is. Therefore, the world will never grow up.

mt49er Level 7 July 28, 2018
1

I doubt it, as I've always been an atheist so I wouldn't know any different. What I did find maintained depression for me, for all of my adult life, was alcohol and junk food. As soon as I finally knocked both on the head, my mental buoyancy came right up and has stayed there ever since. That's not entirely the reason I was depressed, but it's helped stabilise my mood enough to take control over the other aspects of my life that bring me low.

1

I think what depression I have experienced in my life have led to further enlighten me to reality.

godef Level 7 July 29, 2018
1

No. If anything, I'd say my depression contributed to my atheism. I was born more emotionally detached, which is a form of depression, so I never felt what others felt when it came to church and gods. All mental states or conditions have their pros and cons, but if my atheism was a major factor with my depression, I'd gladly take it. One human's curse is another human's gift.

2

No. I see the world for what it is: a space in time complete with wonderful experiences and sometimes extreme hardship. I suffer from depression, but most of that is caused by situations outside of my control - if humans weren't so stupid, I would be fine. Sometimes I wish that I could believe in bullshit, but I can't.

0

You are made from matter from the first star, and matter from stars that came after that. And your matter will go on to make new stars. A part of you and everything you will know will exist until the end of the universe. In way you are the universe.

Wahker Level 6 July 29, 2018
2

nope life did

weeman Level 7 July 29, 2018
1

I experienced times of deeper depression because of religion. Religion that taught me for years that praying hard enough miracles happen. I never had a miracle. I thought I wasn't praying hard enough. If you had no miracle to erase the problems in your life you were not worthy. God's punishment was what ever disaster you were having at the moment.
It was pure Catholic hell living that way.
Once I removed organized religion from my life my spiritual walk improved which actually helped with my depression.

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