For generations, we have seen depression as an illness, an unnecessary deviation from normal functioning. It's an idea that makes sense because depression causes suffering and even death. But what if we've got it all wrong? What if depression is not an aberration at all, but an important part of our biological defense system?
一直以来，我们都把抑郁症看成是正常功能发生的一种紊乱的疾病。这个想法是有道理的，因为抑郁症会导致痛苦甚至死亡。但如果我们都错了呢？如果抑郁根本不是一种异常，而是我们生物系统的重要组成部分呢？
More and more researchers across specialties are questioning our current definitions of depression. Biological anthropologists have argued that depression is an adaptive response to adversity and not a mental disorder.
越来越多的跨专业研究人员开始对我们目前对抑郁症的定义提出质疑。生物人类学家认为，抑郁是对逆境的适应性反应，而不是一种精神障碍。
In October, the British Psychological Society published a new report on depression, stating that "depression is best thought of as an experience, or set of experiences, rather than as a disease. "And neuroscientists are focusing on the role of autonomic nervous system (ANS) in depression. According to the Polyvagal Theory of the ANS, depression is part of a biological defense strategy meant to help us survive.
10月份，英国心理学会发表了一份关于抑郁症的新报告，称“最好将抑郁症视为一种经历或一段经历，而不是一种疾病。”神经科学家正在关注自主神经系统在抑郁症中发挥的作用。根据自主神经系统的多迷走神经理论，抑郁是生物防御策略的一部分，目的是帮助我们生存。
The common wisdom is that depression starts in the mind with distorted thinking. That leads to "psycosomatic " symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, or fatigue. Now, models like the Polyvagal Theory suggest that we've got it backward. It's the body that detects danger and initiates a defense strategy meant to help us survive. That biological strategy is called immobilization, and it manifests in the mind and the body with a set of symptoms we call depression.
普遍的观点是，抑郁症始于内心思想扭曲。这导致了“心身”症状，比如头痛、胃痛或疲劳。现在像多迷走神经理论这样的模型表明，我们之前把关系弄反了。实际是身体察觉到了危险，并采取了一种旨在帮助我们生存的防御策略。这种生物策略被称为固定化，它在精神上和身体上表现出一系列症状，我们称之为抑郁症。
When we think of depression as irrational and unnecessary suffering, westigmatize people and rob them of hope. But when we begin to understand that depression, at least initially, happens for a good reason we lift the shame. People with depression are courageous survivors, not damaged invalids.
当我们认为抑郁症是无病呻吟时，我们就会给人们贴上污名的标签，夺去他们的希望。但当我们开始理解抑郁-至少最开始是出于好的原因，我们便不再为之羞愧。患有抑郁症的人是勇敢的幸存者，而不是受伤的病人。
词汇：
deviation /ˌdiːviˈeɪʃn/ n. 偏差；误差；背离
aberration/ˌæbəˈreɪʃn/n. 反常现象，异常行为；偏离；行为异常的人；精神失常；畸变；像差；光行差；
defense /dɪ'fens/ n. 防卫，防护；防御措施；防守
specialties /ˈspeʃəltiz/ n. 特别；专长；特性（specialty的复数）
definitions /'defɪnɪʃənz/ n. 定义；[物] 清晰度；解说
anthropologists /,ænθrə'pɒlədʒɪsts/ 人类学家
adversity /ədˈvɜːsəti/ n. 逆境；不幸；灾难；灾祸
disorder /dɪsˈɔːdə(r)/ n. 混乱；骚乱 vt. 使失调；扰乱
distorted /dɪ'stɔːtɪd/adj. 歪曲的；受到曲解的
stomachache /'stʌməkeɪk/ n. 腹痛，肚子痛；胃痛
fatigue /fəˈtiːɡ/ n. 疲劳，疲乏；杂役
initiate /ɪˈnɪʃieɪts/ vt. 启动，开始
immobilization /ɪˌməʊbəlaɪˈzeɪʃn/ n. 使停止流通，固定
manifest /ˈmænɪfest/ v. 表明，清楚显示（尤指情感、态度或品质）；证明；（病症）显现；（鬼魂或神灵）出现；在清单上记录
irrational /ɪˈræʃənl/ adj. 不合理的；无理性的；荒谬的
stigmatize /ˈstɪɡmətaɪz/ vt. 诬蔑；玷污；给…打上烙印
initially /ɪˈnɪʃəli/ adv. 最初，首先；开头
shame /ʃeɪm/ n. 羞耻，羞愧；憾事，带来耻辱的人
invalid /ɪnˈvælɪd/ adj. 无效的；有病的；残疾的
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