Gorta Mór

Bir yerlerde kelebek kanatlarını çırpar,
      başka bir yerde deprem olur.

İrlanda tarihi patatesle yazılmıştır.  Politikacılarla değil. Gorta Mór.
Patates İrlanda'nın kaderini belirlemiştir.



Kıtaları yerlerinden oynatmak istiyorsan toprağı itmeye çalışarak vakit kaybetme, o kelebeği bul.

(Bir ekoloji panelinin ardından...)

"Highly qualified depression expert"

Highly qualified depression expert... I should put that on my résumé  (Photo from European Parliament. 01.10.2014) -Now they have a committee for depression, 32% of population diagnosed as depressed; severe depression and suicide rate is as high as 17% in young people. I listened and read the data. No, this wasn't an activity paid by a lobby, it was a warning by a statistic company. It was about us living in a world where people, especially young people, don't want to live in anymore. No hope. No desire. 

One interesting info: Economy is not the key issue. In Spain or Greece, where crisis hit badly, where almost 11% of young people is jobless and the rest has to work for as low as 350 euro (45% of working  population according to data) suicide rate is not as high as Belgium. 

Weird isn't it?... The them yes. To me, no not really. Northern Europe has a safety net; better options and salaries for people. When they lose their jobs they can survive until they find a new one, countries have more opportunities for young people, better payments, credit system is under strict control, very few inherits or ends up in huge debts etc... But hope and desire are gone. In Spain, number s are much lower. People are unhappy or angry but not depressed. There is a huge difference in between. 

When we say "depressed" we don't mean unhappy. 

"Unhappy" is an emotional state.

"Depressed" is a neurological state, a change in neurological paths that also causes brain chemistry to change drastically. When it becomes chronic, very few can get out of the circle. The data shows for northern countries where economy is relatively ok, they  reached that breaking point. 

It is not about money. It is never about money. That's why a money/GDP oriented world system -any of them- can fix it. If you don't understand it, you can't fix it. 
To me what they do is like plating trees to greening a zone. 
They are planting the wrong trees. 
It will be green
ok,
but in my opinion those trees will consume the water and 
then they will have to deal with the drought. (Which is a more difficult problem to resolve.)
Why I say this: From what I listened, I understood that they think it is about the support system. This is what I call myth of loneliness in modern societies.

I also understand the end game but... well, this is what I love about facts. What will happen will happen. If they are right, perfect. If I am right and this has nothing to do with loneliness either -then the data in 2-5 years will prove it. 

Sad news for the ones who has to live with it.  


But to simplify the question:

I am diagnosed as depressed. I am. But since the day I came to Bruxelle, I am happy. And the parliament building feels like a wonderland. Zest of a child in a candy store. 
I don't make money here. I don't have a hope for my future generally speaking.  But for the moment, I feel alive and sometimes this is enough to go on. 
I am alone -so this has nothing to do with the support system. 

Think: 
Why you (half of the people who are here in the parliament) are not happy? Why you wait for 17h00 and if it is 1 mn late you start to get anxious? 
 
This would be a good starting point if one really wants to understand how brain chemistry works. 

I am not the best and the brightest of human kind but I started to look intelligent because people stopped thinking. Reading. Paying attention. 
Don't reduce your life to bread. 
Don't make big assumptions. 
Don't rely on statistics. 
 
Be better. You have both the opportunity and the responsibility.