iller3 said:
They both exist down to the cellular level, yes.... but Depression itself is not caused by an external Radioactive bombardment, Nor is CANCER able to be overcome by rewiring Pathological Cognition. Habitual mental patterning DOES affect your brain down to the chemical level and actually reengineers its synaptic circuitry. I went through this sort of thing myself for a while when dealing with a different kind of chemical deficit disorder in my own brain that one medication stimulated a rebalancing effect over. Later on after leaving all treatment for it, I found that I could still stimulate the same effects of that drug by repeating exercises and habits that were associated with it. So this comic is actually accurate to a degree in that if you wallow in self pity then that eventually becomes what your Hormones adjust to and pretty soon much of your body's production of Dopamine and Melatonin and Endorphines starts being centered mainly around that particular cognitive Path that's based on blaming everyone else but yourself.
I know because I used to do the same thing and wasted probably 10 good years of my life doing it exclusively over the internet starting in the 90's. And the hardest thing to do when you're in that cycle, is actually listen to anyone else who claims that you're doing it to yourself. .... and maybe in some cases, drug therapy is the easiest way to start breaking out of it, but nothing actually changes permanently until your HABITS change.
Depression is a highly nebulous and broad disease. Some of it can be overcome by mind over matter, and I've been there, some of it can't - and I've been there too. There's a reason ECT exists, despite how utterly horrible it sounds. There's a reason there are drugs for it, despite the first treatment that's ever tried being CBT [Mind over matter].
Such depression is also characterised by different brain activities and structures, chemical balances, and various other problems.
Also, cancer isn't necessarily caused by external radiation. Some can be, but our body mutates on its own even without that. You're right though that maybe cancer isn't the best example. An addiction might be a better example. Something that is easy to say "Mind over matter" to, but if its a severe addiction you'll undergo physical withdrawal symptoms, and the vast majority will relapse because mind over matter on its own just isn't enough.
Much as its not likely depression will go away without your habits changing, hence CBT, there is no guarantee that it will go away if they do. It is an illness, and mending it by 'mind over matter' doesn't work on its own.