What are your thoughts about the "Love cures depression" trope? I'd consider it unaccurate at best, but I know some substances are produced by the infatuation, so one never knows
CW: Mention of suicide, emotional manipulation
Yes, love does produce hormones that can improve your mood. But they are not sufficient to ‘cure’ depression in the long term.
I am not very good with hormones and biopsych stuff (maybe @scriptbrainscientist could help out, but I’m not sure if it’s in their area or not). Even disregarding whether or not it could even work, the concept of this trope makes me profoundly uncomfortable.
Even if we said love COULD cure depression, just look at what pressures both people in said relationship would have to deal with:
The depressed partner would have to deal with thoughts like:
If I’m not happy, it’s because I don’t love them / they don’t love me enough.
I can’t leave this relationship without having a relapse of my depression. I’m stuck with them whether I like it or not.
I have to be around them constantly to feel better.
If they’re not spending time with me, my depression starts to come back.
The not-depressed partner would have to deal with thoughts like:
I can’t ever leave them without causing them to relapse. They could even kill themselves, and it would be all my fault.
If they’re not happy, it’s because I don’t love them enough.
I am the only one that can keep them mentally healthy.
It’s not fair to create that kind of pressure in a relationship. In fact, it’s a recipe for unhappiness.
This is not to say that people with depression can never be helped by loving relationships. That is completely not true - having the support of those close to you is an important factor in helping people recover. But it’s not because of hormones - it’s because of the social support, understanding, and help these relationships can provide. It’s also just one piece of recovering from depression - it’s not enough to make it go away on its own.
Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all!
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