TRIGGER WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS TALK OF SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION

This weekend I, like many other people, was consumed with Shane Dawson's new YouTube video, "Conspiracy Theories with Shane Dawson." In this video, Shane describes multiple different conspiracy theories ranging from subliminal messages to iPhone secrets. One theory that really stood out to me was the fact that our government feeds off the diagnosis of depression.

It sounds crazy, I know, but when you look at the facts, it's kind of hard to deny it.

Shane goes on to explain how there are a ton of subliminal and dark messages in children's cartoons that show depression, anxiety, and mental illness overall as being common. These messages often elude to the idea of suicide as an "escape" from life's problems. He even explains that some cartoons glorify the idea of suicide, showing it as an easy way to end your suffering. Furthermore, the cartoons often show their characters, which many kinds take as some kind of role models, as being depressed. This, in turn, leads to more rates of depression in children as they have learned from their favorite cartoons that it is common to be depressed. All of this leads to one thing, as the conspiracy explains, that the government wants our children to be more depressed so that they can make more money on the sale of anti-depressants.

Why else would they make so many depression references in a cartoon that is geared towards an audience of children?

As an individual that has struggled with depression and advocates for those suffering from mental illness, I was in shock when Shane brought this up. No way that OUR government could prey on the most vulnerable of their citizens, the mentally ill. But then I saw the clips of cartoons glorifying suicide and depression as if it is something that everyone goes through in life. On one hand, I am kind of glad that the media is acknowledging those that do struggle with depression, making sure that children know it is okay to feel that way. However, I think these shows take it way too far when they suggest that every single person should feel that way and that suicide is the only escape from hardships.

What really solidified this theory for me was the fact that the global antidepressant medication market is estimated at about $11.6 billion.

Now I am not an expert, but that seems like a lot of money and a loss of that amount could be detrimental to our economy. Even more shocking is the fact that North America counts for about 36% of that market, which hits really close to home for us. The rate of depression in America is astounding, but the rate of how many people are prescribed antidepressants, and how much money our government invests in the market, is even more appalling. The antidepressant market is a promising one when you look at it economically, however, ethically it is a poor choice. We should be helping those with depression, not just throwing medications at them and hoping for a payday!

I know this all seems kind of crazy, but that's the fun in conspiracy theories! I am in no way saying that this is 100 percent true, but it is interesting to think about. The government cannot afford to lose the money that the antidepressant market brings in, so it does not deal adequately with mental illness, but rather medicates those that are diagnosed.