# What diseases have a hidden evolutionary benefit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 19, 2010, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-diseases-have-a-hidden-evolutionary-benefit/543756 "2010-06-19T06:10:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-diseases-have-a-hidden-evolutionary-benefit/543756/21 "2010-06-20T02:32:43Z")
> [@pinkyvee](#): > > The evolutionary benefit is this. > Migraine itself does not cause death ( only misery). > Migraine sensitivities have potential to warn when here might be something dangerous, and even life threatening. If migraine suffers have increased sensitivity at all times, then there’s not much point to the headaches themselves. If not, then the headaches are a terrible early warning system. It takes around 30 minutes for a migraine to progress into the pain stage, during which the sufferer can have sensory hallucinations, lack of alertness and general clarity, and even paralysis. > [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Some people say that the depression itself offers some advantage. But to me it may just be a side effect of higher cognitive thinking. Knee and back pain are common and happen to huge numbers of people. But they don’t offer any evolutionary benefit, they are just unwanted side effects of standing upright and walking. The reward (mobility) is greater than the price (joint pain). Depression may fit that bill and just be a tolerated side effect of higher cognition and brain development, or it may serve some unknown purpose all on its own. But at the end of the day it is a far more common mental illness than the other mental illnesses and I don’t think anyone knows why yet. It’s interesting to consider, isn’t it? According to studies I’ve read, humans are happiest and most active when they are confronted with difficult problems that are nonetheless within their ability to solve. Depression, from my own experience of it at least, is a state where you don’t think any of your significant problems are solvable; any action seems pointless. So in that light we could imagine depression being the flip side of an otherwise useful coin. That a specific set of events can train your brain to believe nothing can usefully be done, and then you’re fubared. The problem with this theory is that neurological causes have been found that suggest that the cause is neurological in the first instance, and that the feeling of helplessness comes later. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-diseases-have-a-hidden-evolutionary-benefit/543756/22 "2010-06-20T05:23:12Z")
Is schizophrenia genetic? I’ve read recently about a link between schizophrenia and viral infection. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-diseases-have-a-hidden-evolutionary-benefit/543756/23 "2010-06-20T12:46:33Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > If migraine suffers have increased sensitivity at all times, then there’s not much point to the headaches themselves. > If not, then the headaches are a terrible early warning system. It takes around 30 minutes for a migraine to progress into the pain stage, during which the sufferer can have sensory hallucinations, lack of alertness and general clarity, and even paralysis. > > Red heads also have an lower threshold to pain due to the gene sequence for red heads. > It’s interesting to consider, isn’t it? > > According to studies I’ve read, humans are happiest and most active when they are confronted with difficult problems that are nonetheless within their ability to solve. > Depression, from my own experience of it at least, is a state where you don’t think any of your significant problems are solvable; any action seems pointless. > > So in that light we could imagine depression being the flip side of an otherwise useful coin. That a specific set of events can train your brain to believe nothing can usefully be done, and then you’re fubared. > > The problem with this theory is that neurological causes have been found that suggest that the cause is neurological in the first instance, and that the feeling of helplessness comes later. I agree that problems solved do lead to happiness. Problem solving skills are something I have always enjoyed using. I still do crytograms daily. I was the best at doing fault locations at my old job because I love to solve a problem within my ability. I always scored highest at abstract reasoning and spacial relations. I have also had depression since puberty but it under control with medication. Without medication I would me a very miserable person because my brain does not make enough seratonin. Depression makes you feel trapped and unable to make decisions but with advances in SSRI’s people can now enjoy a normal life even if they have clinical depression. Many depressed people are very creative in writing and the arts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-diseases-have-a-hidden-evolutionary-benefit/543756.md?page=1)