Is Thor depressed?
By
OptimistMinds
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Author bio
The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
This article will center around the superhero Thor. It will show if he is depressed, and what signs have led people to believe that. Along with that, the article will also explain how he has dealt with his depression.
Is Thor depressed?
Yes, it is possible to say that through the Marvel movies Thor is depressed. Many moments lead us to believe that he may be going through a depressive episode. The image is seen of Thor at the beginning of the movie Avengers: Endgame is commonly seen in people with depression. Someone that has let go of herself.
Throughout all of the Marvel movies it has always been clear that Thor had a conflict between the person he is, and the person he thought he should be. This seems to hit him even harder in Avengers: Infinity War when they all experience an irreparable loss.
At the end of Infinity, War Thor has the chance to kill Thanos and save thousands of lives. But instead of doing that, he goes for revenge on him and misses the chance of killing him, leading to the death of a lot of people. He feels the heavy weight of his decision and feels guilty for what happened.
After that, Thor is forever changed, and what is seen as the Endgame begins, is the negative impact that this had on him. He has abandoned his self-care, gained weight, and feels like there is no need for him to leave the house anymore.
And even though he doesn’t show sadness at this point, something is disturbing about how he looks.
What is strange in this situation is that Thor is not showing depression as people often assume it would look. He is not constantly sad or crying, rather than that, he has been using alcohol, and humor as a coping mechanism, and has been hiding his pain away with those.
It clearly shows us that he is lost in some sense. He is not the Thor that was seen up until that point. It seems like he has lost his purpose, and interest in things, as it happens to most people when they are depressed.
Living in his house with two of his friends, Valkyrie and Korg, he tries to act as if everything is fine. And what is seen from Valkyries and Krog is the helplessness that people may feel when they have someone close struggling with depression.
It is not as simple as just telling someone who is depressed that everything will be fine. They do what they can, they are there. Korg even tells people to not bring up Thanos, he knows Thor is going through his process, and dealing with all that in the best way possible.
As Professor Hulk goes to see him, Thor tries to tell his friends he is fine. He says: “I know you think I’m down here wallowing in my pity waiting to be rescued. And saved. I’m fine”. Showing he has been making a point of trying to hide his pain away, as most people do when they are struggling with depression.
To answer that, Professor Hulk tells him just as he sees it. He says “ I get it. You’re in a rough spot. I’ve been there myself. And you want to know who helped me out of it?… It was you. You helped me”
Through this line, it is made clear that even though Thor is trying to play as if everything is okay, the people around them see it differently. This is also what often happens when people are depressed. They can lose sight of who they are, and how the world sees them.
People with depression will indeed, most commonly, tend to have a more negative view of themselves. So being able to hear what people think and see in you may help you adjust that notion. And in Thor’s case may even help him stop denying his true condition.
But as Endgame progresses, it is possible to see that Thor is getting closer and closer to reaching his limit. As he goes back in time with Rocket, they land on the day his mother was murdered. But before that, they have one of the most emotional conversations in the movie.
In that, his mom tells him what he needed to hear. She tells him that it is okay to fail sometimes. And then, Thor reaches out for his hammer, Mjolnir, even though he doesn’t know it will go to him since it will only go to people that are worth it.
At this point, he sees himself as worthless and thinks it won’t come, but when Mjolnir comes to his hand, he realizes he is truly worth it.
And towards the end of the movie, another touching moment happens. All of them are trying to decide who is going to snap with the Stark Gauntlet, and at this point, Thor volunteers himself most honestly. He tells Tony Stark that he just wants to do something.
This shows how he is trying to prove to himself, and his loved ones, how worthy he is. But in another caring attitude, Tony tells him that he thinks Thor is not ready for that.
And he doesn’t do so in a way to question Thor’s worth, but in a supportive way. Understanding the limits his friend has, and caring for him, even when he has trouble caring for himself.
Thor’s storyline in this movie comes full circle. It shows how a traumatic experience can lead to depression, and how guilt can torment someone in such a profound way that can lead them to become ill. It shows that depression doesn’t always have that sad face people think it will.
Depression can manifest itself in many forms, and it is important for people around to be attentive to the needs of someone that is depressed. And that will most likely mean that they will need you to be there.
Unfortunately, there is no magic word one can say to a friend that will take them out of depression. It is a process they will need to go through, but going through it with the support of your friends and family surely makes it all easier.
By the end, Thor is still working on understanding his self-worth, and coping with everything that happened. But he seems to have found one again, his path, and his hammer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Is Thor depressed?
Does Thor have Post-traumatic Stress Disorder?
It is possible to say that at Endgame Thor is also going through Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Dealing with the trauma that happened when he took vengeance, led him to the condition. This condition can often happen to people, such as the military when they experience a negative experience while serving.
This can lead Thor to be triggered at any moment something relates to that previous traumatic experience he had. And to avoid such triggers, the person can develop avoidant behavior, such as Thor has. They can become secluded, and use alcohol as a way to not deal with their emotions.
What are the stronger Avengers?
These are the 5 strongest Avengers: the first one is the Scarlet Witch. She has been able to deal with Thanos, and destroy the infinity stone. Thor is the second strongest after all he is a God.
Captain Marvel has proven to be extremely strong by destroying Thanos’ ship. Hulk is the next strong one, and even though he is physically strong, his inability to talk can be a problem. And finally, Doctor Strange, who was able to take in Thanos.
What are the weakest Avengers?
The five weakest Avengers are Nick Fury, who counts on his leadership skills. After he comes to Hawke, because he doesn’t have any superpowers, he is just considered a guy with a bow and arrow.
After him, comes Ant-Man, who doesn’t have a lot of powers, and is still learning a lot. Followed by the Black Widow, who even though is a great assassin, still relies on a lot of weapons to do things differently than other superheroes.
And finally, Falcon. He was made the new Captain America, but it worried people that all he had was the jetpack and that under it he was just a regular guy who would easily lose a fight to other superheroes.
Does depression have a cure?
No, depression doesn’t have a cure. Rather than that, mental health professionals usually say that depression will go into remission. That is because it is impossible to say a person will never have depression again, due to its connection to a genetic disposition.
But once the person goes into remission, they will be able to get back the control over their emotions. They will also be able to feel joy and regain interest in things.
What is important to keep in mind is that once you are in remission, you should still care for your mental health. This is the best way to prevent you from possibly developing a new depressive episode.
What are the forms of depression?
Depression can happen in four forms. It can be mild, moderate, major, and even persistent. The first form, as the name says, presents itself with mild symptoms. It goes on for a short period, and because of that, it is usually the hardest one to diagnose. To cope with it, people will most likely just need to adjust their lifestyle.
Moderate depression starts to have some impact on the person’s life. It goes on for longer than mild depression, and the symptoms are more intense. To treat moderate depression most people will only go to therapy, but in some cases, medication will be needed.
Major depression, also called clinical depression, is the most intense form of depression. It can go on for months, and the symptoms can greatly impair the person. In major depression, people may even have trouble doing simple things such as getting out of bed.
Aside from the common symptoms of depression, major depression can lead the person to have hallucinations, become delusional, and even have psychotic breaks. To treat major depression it is necessary a joint treatment of therapy and medication.
As for persistent depression, it can go on for as long as 5 years. In this period the person will swing between mild and major depression. And to deal with that, it is usually necessary that the person goes through both therapy and medications.
Conclusion
This article centered on the superhero Thor. It showed how people have become aware that he is depressed, and what triggered it. Aside from that, the article explained how Thor has been coping with depression.
If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write them in the section below.
References
https://dsq-sds.org/article/view/5015/4413
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