To ask if you're depressed, would a lottery win cute your depression?

[Appalonia]

Was thinking about this today and was thinking, yes it would go a long way towards solving it. For example, I could get effective, regular treatment for my chronic back pain, I could get sunshine, an excellent psychotherapist, a life coach, live where I wanted to, create a purpose for my life, stop worrying about the future, help others, not feel inadequate anymore. And just feel in control of my life.

Is it just as simple as that? Had a v dark weekend, where every little thing sends me into a spiral of sadness and hopelessness, and thought how much better I would feel if I just had some more choices in life and could escape how I feel,which money does give you?

It would help ease a lot of financial stress but it certainly wouldn’t magically cure my agoraphobia, anxiety and bipolar.

Money doesn't bring happiness, I was part of a syndicate that won the jackpot on the Thunderball, out of the 17 of us that won, one lady got dementia age 60, at least 10 marriages ended, one lady suffered renal failure, a failed transplant, her marriage ended & she has to have dialysis 3 times a week & have carers to look after her. So no it doesn't bring happiness

It can't cure clinical depression.

It would fix my problems though and make me happy. I'm not materialistic, but find it drags me down into a self depressive state to watch everyone else buy things freely/travel/eat out while we watch every penny. I also, unfairly, compare myself physically (everyone else is slim, tall, and don't have to worry about what they eat, I'm short and fat, thanks to PCOS) and financially to others and beat myself up/hate them for getting things so easily while I struggle. It's not even necessarily true, either. My life isn't bad. But having the money to not be on the bottom rung of the family wealth and not have it rubbed in my face constantly, and be able to afford nice holidays, a personal trainer, and decent cars etc. would be lovely.

It sounds shallow, but if I had the resources I wouldn't give a flying F what others were doing or buying!

Yes it would and anyone who says different doesn’t have money. Money can buy happiness

There was a large study on this a few years ago. Money and self-reported happiness correlate up to a point, but the point is pretty low. I can't remember the exact figures and it would be outdated anyway, but it was basically being able to pay for essentials plus some minor luxuries like an occassional meal out. After that there was no correlation. If money would 'cure' depression, is it really depression? Or just profound unhappiness due to socioeconomic circumstances? I'm not saying the latter is less serious, just different - actually one of my major problems with the psych- professions is their tendency to reduce socioeconomic problems to individual pathology.

I know someone with a decent chunk of inherited wealth (I'm not sure how much, probably a seven or maybe low eight figure sum). He's really insecure, doesn't know if people are being friendly because of him or his money.

Not directlty.

Indirectly this would be a great help as I have chronic health issues and not working FT would really help. It would also allow me more time to focus on my children and be more creative - both of which would vastly increase my quality of life.

Anyone who says differently has never had MH illness 🙄

I'm not depressed but surely if you had LOADS of money you could feel so much better by contributing to worthwhile charities or local projects or helping people you know deserve it? (as well as having everything you need for yourself!)
Or would the flipside be the realisation that you can't solve everyone's problems?

I think people get confused between situational and clinical depression. A lottery win can certainly resolve or at least alleviate a lot of issues that lead to situational depression (as in your examples, OP) by taking away a lot of the worries and stresses of daily life or at the very least, enabling you to get the very best of help and care to help you manage them.

But it wouldn't resolve a case of clinical depression. I've experienced both and I know all too well that if I'd won the lottery when I was in the grip of my worst bout of clinical depression, I would have woken up the next day feeling exactly the same as I did before.

No that's not how depression works IMO.

I think if you win the lottery late in life you'd probably appreciate it until you died. If you win while young eventually it'd feel normal and a sense of purposelessness would kick in.

No. Definitely not. I have depression and PTSD (diagnosed) from a nasty incident. I’d pay anything to erase that event from my life. Anything.
But sadly that can’t be done. Therapy helps for sure but there’s a limit to how much.

It wouldn't cure it but it would make my life a lot easier. A lot of things that exacerbate my mental illness are related to money or limited choices due to finances.

The only people who believe it would have no understanding about depression.

Would you ask ‘if you won the lottery would it cure your cancer?’

You might as well ask if money can cure cancer. Money can buy you access to expert specialists and new treatments if you have cancer, and it can help you to make lifestyle choices that might reduce your likelihood of developing certain cancers, but ultimately there are rich people who die of cancer just as there are rich people with clinical depression.

It would solve a lot of my problems so would have a beneficial impact on my mental health, but no it wouldn't cure it.

I disagree. There are many factors that contribute to the cycle of depression, research shows it's more complex than just a random chemical imbalance. Some of those factors can be helped by money, or made worse by having very few resources and opportunities.

Yes. I wouldn’t have to work and could do other things that I like doing, instead of things I have to do.

Same.

There are different types of depression

No, money doesn’t help. Exercise does.

A lot of it yes. I wouldn't have to dread it when the dog barks in case it's someone wanting money or fill up holes in the back door with silicone spray. I could pay the huge backlog of bills we have and stop worrying my DH is going to have a heart attack or stroke from the stress. I could fix the living room ceiling where the leaking roof (which we eventually managed to scrape enough to fix) left a big stain and not dread the DCs birthdays. I could stop waking up in the night dreading the post and worrying how not to lay 2 men with families off.
I'm not saying there wouldn't be chronic illness or previous issues carrying on the 3am rock concert in my head but I'd say 90% would quiet down with a lottery win.

I'm assuming you are only talking about your own experience here?

Not at all.
I still wouldn't have any motivation to spend it.
I am already retired on a small pension and have a little nest egg to improve my house and just can't be bothered with doing it or anything.