re: Who's leaving the workforce? Unmarried men under 40 who love video games, economist says

A fulfilling life is a cure for most of modern depression.

This is akin to saying “not having cancer is the cure for most cancers”.

Depression is what happens when a life isn’t fulfilling. Depression is the absence of fulfillment. If depressed people knew how to live a fulfilling life, knew what would fulfill them, knew how to obtain that fulfillment, and believed it possible, they wouldn’t be depressed. Depression is the feeling of hopelessness when you realize that fulfillment isn’t possible or that you have no idea how to make it happen. Or, it’s the grief over knowing that your fulfillment was taken from you, and you can’t get it back, especially if it was your fault.

So, you seek escapism to cope, which only makes it worse.

People need goals that are attainable, people need purpose that gives their struggles meaning. When these are taken away, depression is the natural default. Someone with nothing to live for, nothing to strive for, will naturally become depressed because their lives can’t be fulfilling without those things.

I think one of the underrated aspects of Christianity that atheists don’t realize or refuse to acknowledge is that it’s actually great at these things. Christianity is great with forgiveness of sins. Guilt is a HUGE driver of depression. So, the ability to confess your sins to someone and have them ritualistically forgiven is a great tool in removing unnecessary guilt from one’s conscience. In addition, Christianity gives a purpose to life along with some attainable goals along the way. It also offers a great sense of community, and most churches have plenty of social opportunities to keep people engaged and working together towards purposes greater than themselves. These are all tools for a fulfilling life.