Do the Opposite: President “Teddy” Roosevelt

There is compelling evidence that President Theodore Roosevelt was predisposed to a mood disorder. You may not find that in history books, but I can make that comment with a high degree of confidence, given that these conditions tend to run in families. Several of TR’s close relatives suffered from depression and alcoholism. His son committed suicide, and his brother attempted suicide and died soon thereafter from complications. TR himself is characterized as one who, in his younger days, was deemed to be a frail individual and kept from endeavors that could cause him to become weakened and sickly. Eventually, however, he learned that just the opposite way of behaving was the best medicine.

Instead of convalescing and spending his time out of harm’s way, TR became a rugged outdoorsman, an adventurer, a military hero, and a renowned political figure. Although he was apparently susceptible to depression and anxiety, he did not respond by withdrawing from the more demanding aspects of life. On the contrary, he rejected the inclination to succumb to those symptoms by engaging in behaviors that enabled him to live a satisfying and productive life. He knew, somehow, that he must remain busily involved in productive pursuits on a regular basis. If he did not live his life in that manner his tendency to mental health problems would have taken hold. That did not happen because he was so engrossed—likely on a daily basis—with challenging and meaningful activities that his vulnerability to depression and anxiety was kept at bay.

Perhaps TR’s brother and son may have had greater susceptibility to a mental health disorder, but it is also likely that, unlike TR, they inadvertently allowed depression to take hold of their lives. That occurs when one is not mindful of the need to “do the opposite.” This means that our emotions will sometimes guide us in an unhealthy direction—or, as I tell my clients, it is not uncommon for our emotions to lie to us. That is why it is so important that we use our intellect to identify the behaviors and attitudes that are healthy and constructive. Our emotions are less capable of performing that function because emotions emanate from a primitive aspect of our personhood that can be driven by irrational (non-intellectual) forces. For that reason, it is essential that we use our intellect to discern between the healthy and the unhealthy and, when necessary, decide to overrule our emotional judgment based on our capacity for reason.