英国新闻听力 适度的抑郁症对健康有益

Moderate Depression Might Be Good for Health

CLAUDIA HAMMOND: This is Health Check from BBC and I'm Claudia Hammond. A couple of weeks ago, a study came out suggesting that anti-depression medication works no better than sugar pills for most depressed¹ patients. Now a new book has just come out suggesting that mild to moderate depression might in fact be good for us. Psychiatrist² Paul Keedwell, the author of How Sadness Survived believes that sadness is a depression might evolve to get us to stop and take stock of our lives. When he came into the BBC studio, Paul Keedwell told me why something is distressing³ is the pression could in fact be useful.

PAUL KEEDWEL: From an evolutionary⁴ point of view that maybe because you are denying some fundamental archetypal needs in order to chase after some more futile⁵ goals. The most obvious example in the modern world which makes blamewide depression appears to be increasing is that people are, perhaps, chasing after material goals at the expense of good quality relationships with their friends and family kin⁶. I am not coming down and saying it's definitely an adaptation. But I'm saying that I do believe there are some advantages and some lessons that can be learned from depression that compensate⁷, perhaps, for the causes of depression when you are actually in that moribund⁸ state. I am not making light of the experience of depression. It's an incredibly painful experience. It's quite difficult to describe. It's like a psychic⁹ pain, if you like, and a slowing down of the brain and the body. So it's a difficult message perhaps. This one I'm putting across is a difficult message perhaps for people depressed right now. But what I'm trying to do is to reduce the stigma¹⁰ that attached to depression. People do actually come out of depression spontaneously in traditional communities. Perhaps, because they have the time out to really recover and they also, of course, enjoy in many cases much stronger bonds with their kid and kin.

CLAUDIA HAMMOND: So is there evidence that they actually have some inter-gain when they recover. They are actually… life is better for them in some way.

PAUL KEEDWELL: There is a scientific study, the anonymous¹¹ study which followed up a group of adults aged¹² between 18 and 64. The 165 cases produced the first study to follow people up before, during and after an absolute depression. And I think they were expecting to find that people were left in this disabled state after depression. But actually the reversal is true that in the majority of the cases they seemed to have a better quality of life after recovery from the depression and they had before the answer to the depression. So this sort of supports the evolutionary argument if you like. The main argument is that depression takes you out of this chronically¹³ persistent¹⁴ stressful situation, puts the brakes on when you are not doing so voluntarily. And depression really is like that. It means does put on the brakes. It's not something that is real. Then the theory goes that as a consequence of going through this introspective state where you are thinking perhaps more realistically. It takes a way to explore optimism you might have or these unrealistic expectations, makes you more aware of your limitations as well as your strength. Particularly, as you are coming out of the depression, I think that's a time of rebirth, if you like, when people start to take stock and think right. I don't want to act again and what do I need to change. And reason that depression lasts longer than ordinary sadness perhaps it's because of its forces and more radical¹⁵ change. We need to value depressed people because they may potentially have new insights upon recovery that they can share with the group. So I think there is that understanding, more so in saying Bandar in Uganda, the Bandar tribe in Uganda than in western societies where we don't have enough time for each other. Edheigen, the evolutionary psychologist, has a theory along with lines that because people are so solipsist, it makes much more aware of the depressed persons' needs, not just then but ongoing¹⁶. So upon recovery perhaps there might be an increased awareness¹⁷. It's what he calls a strike-hypothesis. So going through a depression in a community world that depends on you. It's a bit like going on strike when the employers depending on you. Just tell the employer that you want more attention, more pay, if you like, and now I'll withdraw my labor¹⁸ until that happens.

CLAUDIA HAMMOND: So if the pression might be useful in a long term, painfulness is in a short term. Does that mean we shouldn't trying treat it.

PAUL KEEDWELL: I'm not saying that if we take an anti-depression, for example, we are definitely switching off a helpful process. But I would say that the pressures of modern living, the pressure to get back to work quickly, to pay mortgages and sell on all. Just, the general pressure is to succeed in life now and the fast pace means that there is a temptation for people to just take the anti-depression to feel better. But not change anything about their lives and I will say that's a mistake.

CLAUDIA HAMMOND: Paul Keedwell.

适度的抑郁症对健康有益

克劳迪亚·哈蒙德：现在是BBC的《健康咨询》节目，我是克劳迪亚·哈蒙德。几个星期前，一项研究结果表明抗抑郁药物没有糖丸对抑郁症病人的治疗效果好。现在一本刚出炉的新书有一种新的观点，它认为适度的抑郁实际上对我们有益处。精神病学家保罗·基迪韦尔，《悲伤如何幸存》这本书的作者认为悲伤这种抑郁可能转化成促使我们暂时放下脚步，自我审视的契机。现在保罗·基迪韦尔来到了BBC的演播室，他将会为我们讲述在压力状态下产生的抑郁实际上是有用的。

保罗·基迪韦尔：从进化论的观点来看，抑郁可能产生的原因是你罔顾自己的基本需求而去追求虚无的目标。最明显的例子是，现代社会里，众人之矢的这种抑郁症越来越多，而这种抑郁症的产生正是由于人们牺牲了朋友和亲人关系过度追求物质目标。我并非是退而求其次，仅仅换了个说法。我要说的是我认为我们能从抑郁症的反面学到一些东西。因为正是你在生死边缘时，你才会有抑郁症。我并不是要美化抑郁症的过程。它确实是一个痛苦的经历，很难去描述。它像一种精神疾病，从大脑逐渐蔓延到身体。所以它可能是一个令人费解的讯息。对那些正在被抑郁症折磨的人来说，我要传达的讯息可能也很难理解。但是我正在尝试消除人们对抑郁症的误解。生活在传统社区的人们通常能够依靠自身的力量从抑郁症中解脱出来，可能，是因为他们有时间自我恢复，而且，在很多情况下，他们都能够享受天伦之乐。

克劳迪亚·哈蒙德：那现在有没有证据可以表明他们在痊愈时获得一些内在力量？在某些方面，他们实际上，更加幸运。

保罗·基迪韦尔：有一项匿名的科学研究，这项研究是针对一组年龄在18岁到64岁的成年人进行观察。在第一次研究中，科学家们观察了这165个人在抑郁症前，抑郁症中，以及抑郁症后的一些行为。我想他们是希望发现人们在抑郁症后的无助状态。但是事情上，结论恰恰相反。在这个案例中的大部分人他们在抑郁症痊愈后的生活状态比抑郁症之前好。而且他们拥有了如何处理抑郁症的方法。所以你看，这个案例是支持进化论的观点的。抑郁症的主要观点是让你从长期的压力状态中解脱出来，在你不情愿的状态帮你踩住刹车。事实上，抑郁症的确是那样。它并不是真的要踩住刹车。这并不是一个实物。这个理论实际上是要你通过自审能够以更加客观更加实际的眼光看待自己。它为你提供一个乐观的方法，让你认清楚那些不切实际的幻想，意识到自己的极限和力量所在。事实上，当你从抑郁症走出来时，当你开始释放自己，正确思考时，我觉得那是一种重生。我不要在重蹈覆辙，我要改变。抑郁症比普通的悲伤持续的时间长是因为它有些强制性，更为激进。我们必须重视那些抑郁病患者，因为可能对如何痊愈有更深的见解，而且他们可以与我们分享。我认为我们需要去了解，就像了解乌干达的斯里巴加湾市一样，乌干达的巴加湾的部落和西方社会都没有好好了解彼此。进化论心理学家爱德海根有一些理论，他认为人类都是唯我主义者，这就使人们更加关注抑郁患者的需求，以前是，现在也是。对于痊愈者关注也越来越多。他称之为罢工假说。所以在一个团体社会里，如何摆脱抑郁是取决于你的。它就像一个罢工，老板都看你的决定。直接告诉老板，你要更多的重视，要加薪，如果你愿意，他不答应你就不干了。

克劳迪亚·哈蒙德：如果从长远看来，压力是有用的，痛苦是暂时的，那是否意味着我们不用去尝试治疗它呢？

保罗·基迪韦尔：我指的不是这个，举例来说，如果我们服用抗抑郁症的药片，我们就完全切断了处理抑郁的一切方法。但是我要说，现代生活给我们带来的压力，比如工作紧张，偿还贷款，卖空一切……总的压力就是要过上成功的生活。而快速的生活节奏迫使人们去服用抗抑郁的药物来缓解压力。但是这种方式并不能从根本上解决问题，只是一个错误。

克劳迪亚·哈蒙德：现在跟我们在一起的保罗·基迪韦尔。

1 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

2 psychiatrist   

n.精神病专家；精神病医师

参考例句：

• He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。
• The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。

3 distressing   

a.使人痛苦的

参考例句：

• All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。
• It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。

4 evolutionary   

adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的

参考例句：

• Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
• These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

5 futile   

adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的

参考例句：

• They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
• Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。

6 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

7 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

8 moribund   

adj.即将结束的，垂死的

参考例句：

• The moribund Post Office Advisory Board was replaced.这个不起作用的邮局顾问委员会已被替换。
• Imperialism is monopolistic,parasitic and moribund capitalism.帝国主义是垄断的、寄生的、垂死的资本主义。

9 psychic   

n.对超自然力敏感的人；adj.有超自然力的

参考例句：

• Some people are said to have psychic powers.据说有些人有通灵的能力。
• She claims to be psychic and to be able to foretell the future.她自称有特异功能，能预知未来。

10 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

11 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

12 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

13 chronically   

ad.长期地

参考例句：

• Similarly, any pigment nevus that is chronically irritated should be excised. 同样，凡是经常受慢性刺激的各种色素痣切勿予以切除。
• People chronically exposed to chlorine develop some degree of tolerance. 人长期接触氯气可以产生某种程度的耐受性。

14 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

15 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

16 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

17 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

18 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。