There are many angles to explain depression and anxiety, such as psychological, social, physiological, etc., and the evolutionary angle may be something you have never thought of. Do you think that suffering from depression or anxiety is because your brain is sick? Author Anders Hansen, a psychiatrist, tells you that your brain is actually working pretty well!
We are all animals
We often forget that we are animals and do not understand ourselves on a biological level. From an evolutionary perspective, the greatest instinct of living things is to survive and continue the family line. The world has been in crisis for more than 90% of the history of human development, and even half of the population has not survived to adolescence.
The information-based society we live in only accounts for 0.02% of human history. In theory, your and my brains are not much more ‘progressive’ than the so-called hunter-gatherer primitives. Therefore, what the brain pursues is not happiness or stock appreciation, but the most basic survival and reproduction.
And have you ever thought about how emotions such as anxiety, depression, and loneliness can help us survive?
How to view emotions from an evolutionary perspective?
🏃♀️ Anxiety: Anxiety is triggered by potential threats, and the amygdala in the brain is the alarm that detects crises. In order to survive and be prepared for disasters at all times, it would rather send out too many alarms than miss a real crisis. When the body triggers this stress system, it is what we call a panic attack.
💧 Depression: Like anxiety, worry is a defense mechanism. In ancient times, injuries caused by chases and conflicts were the biggest causes of death, and the stress caused would send a signal to the body that ’the body is at risk of infection.’ As a result, we feel depressed and withdrawn and live alone, reducing the chance of infection. So it’s interesting that depression is closely linked to the body’s immune system. What signals the body that ’the body is at risk of infection’ is inflammation. In addition to bacteria and viruses, it turns out that modern people’s sedentary lifestyle, junk food, smoking, and environmental toxins can also cause chronic inflammation in the body!
🕳️ Loneliness: Living in groups increases our chances of survival, so the brain especially likes to use happiness to reward social interaction and togetherness. Loneliness causes discomfort because the brain wants to express: You must meet your social needs, otherwise you are in danger! Therefore, when you feel lonely, your brain will increase alertness and you will always feel that the surrounding environment is threatening.
So actually what we need is…
‘We can’t return to life on the savannah, but we can learn from the historical situations that have shaped humanity before.’
Not everyone will enjoy prairie life, but this kind of life can reduce our chances of suffering from emotional illness. The two main reasons are:
1. Have more opportunities to exercise
Exercise can increase the concentration of dopamine, serotonin and epinephrine, and can also achieve anti-inflammatory effects by moderating an over-activated immune system. Therefore, running for fifteen minutes or walking for an hour can reduce the chance of depression, teach the body to better cope with stress, and stabilize anxiety.
🌟 Changing your sedentary lifestyle starts with small steps: take the stairs instead of the elevator, get off the bus one stop earlier when you get off work and walk home
2. Spend more time with others
The lifestyle of hunter-gatherers can protect them from depression, including having strong social connections and living in close proximity to each other, which reduces feelings of loneliness.
🌟 Visit your loved ones more often
Free Mental Health Test Recommendations
Eysenck Emotional Stability (EES) Free Online Test
Eysenck’s Emotional Stability Scale (EES) is a psychological measurement tool developed by British psychologist Hans Eysenck and is designed to assess an individual’s emotional stability level.
Eysenck is a professor of psychology at the University of London in the United Kingdom. He is one of the most famous psychologists in contemporary times and has compiled a variety of psychological tests. The Emotional Stability Test can be used to diagnose the presence of low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, dependence, paranoia, and guilt. EES tests usually consist of a series of questions or statements, with the subject answering each question based on their feelings or situation. These questions relate to an individual’s reactions and experiences in different emotional states. EES focuses on an individual’s tendency to anxiety and depression, as well as their degree of emotional stability.
EES usually uses multiple choice or is presented in the form of a scale. Participants need to choose the option that best suits them according to their own situation or mark their answers on the scale. After the test is completed, scores can be calculated based on the subjects’ answers to assess their level of emotional stability.
Test link: https://m.psyctest.cn/t/M3x3ykGo/
Link to this article: https://m.psyctest.cn/article/KAGkKGPX/
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