When the world fades to grey. From an article found here.
The world literally fades to grey when we feel blue, scientists have discovered.
Depression has an effect on the eyes that makes it harder to detect the black and white contrasts. Scientists in Germany carried out tests on the retinas of patients which showed the effect — similar to turning down the contrast control on a TV.
It could be one reason why throughout the ages and regardless of culture or language, artists have consistently depicted depression using symbols of darkness or grey uniformity. The effect was so marked that scientists believe the test could provide an objective way of measuring depression levels.
The poet William Cowper said that ‘variety’s the very spice of life’, yet when people are depressed, they are less able to perceive contrasts in the visual world. This loss would seem to make the world a less pleasurable place.”
The German team measured electrical responses to gauge the activity of the retina in two groups of depressed and non-depressed individuals. The retina, at the back of the eye, contains the sensitive cells that turn light signals into nerve messages, making it possible to see. Depressed patients were found to have dramatically lower retinal contrast “gain” than the volunteers who were not suffering from depression. It made no difference whether or not they were receiving antidepressant medication.
Image found here.
It is a terrible illness. I watched my mother suffer from severe depression for over 25 years. She would get relief only from ECT. Hers was severe and debilitating.
I work at a psychiatric hospital. I wish there were another name for “depression” because people who have had a spell of sadness think they understand a severe debilitating mental illness. I have also had my own battles with it…
Ah yes, my old friend depression. And all the rest of it.