As someone who is constantly frustrated by many “Things About Depression” posts, I loved this. It got right to some of the weirdest/hardest parts of depression, especially the part about feeling numb and washed out.
So many people perceive depression as just being sad and mopey all the time, so it’s great to see an understanding of how physical some symptoms are or how other symptoms of depression make people feel nothing at all.
This list is definitely great for anyone who actually has been diagnosed with depression, or for the friends and family of a person with depression.
Depression and Improving Your Thinking
So what do depression and right-thinking have to do to feel happy again? Well, you will find that both are really interconnected. In general, depressed people do not think like happy and normal people. One of the best things to do is to change the thinking of depressed people.
So how can you change the thinking process of a depressed person? It’s easy to get to depression and think well if you know and follow the best methods. Essentially, a depressed person likes to think about the seriousness of his life and often think that nobody cares. People need to understand that all they really want is for someone to notice, and understand them, and even love them.
So what does something like this have to do with depression and the ability to think correctly? Most people think that depression is a type of genetic disease that prevents someone from feeling “normal” like most people. We could not be further from the truth.
Depression is not really a disease. It is simply a state of mind that we, the people who are trying to help a depressed person, must know what they really want.
If they are alone, spend time with them. Even if it means just sitting down and listening to them moan for a little while. However, be careful, if you allow a depressed person to feel and say how depressing his or her life is, they will eventually sink into an even more depressing state.
If you ever notice this happening, it’s time to take action immediately, changing the subject to something else that has nothing to do with what they are talking about.
Anthony Robbins, a life coach, spoke about a time when he heard someone say how depressing his life was, he actually changed his condition by pouring them a glass of water.
You can just imagine how a person would have reacted to have this happen to them. Obviously they thought he was nuts. But Anthony realized what the person wanted, he changed his state. You too can come up with your own methods of changing this state.
So, as you can see, depression and the right kind of thoughts go hand in hand. If you know someone who seems a little depressed, try to think about what you’ve learned here, instead of just saying, “Well, he’s just depressed.” Put yourself in their place and think about what you would like if you thought nobody liked you simply because you are depressed. What would you want instead?
Keeping information flowing on both sides will really help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgs69EYvYPw
How to Tackle Many of the Issues People With Depression Face
1. Depression will wreak havoc on your sleep schedule.
You can’t sleep when you want to, but when you actually have somewhere to be you get knocked out with a completely unplanned, five-hour nap.
2. It’s incredibly boring.
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Imagine that you can only watch one thing on Netflix, and it’s an 80-season show with 24-hour episodes. Imagine that you have no interest in this show or its characters or its plot. When you are depressed, your life might feel like that TV show. Try to distract yourself for brief periods of time with anything that will hold your attention and stave off the boredom, however temporary the distraction is.
3. You’ll feel guilty.
What’s worse than being depressed? Feeling like you’re a selfish, ungrateful failure for having a disorder you can’t control. This is a common depressive thought and is not true. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help you identify depressive thoughts and emotions (like guilt) and can give you tools to work through these feelings.
4. So you will earnestly argue with people over how terrible you are.
“I think you’re awesome.” “NO YOU DON’T, I’M CLEARLY THE WORST PERSON EVER GO AWAY.”
5. You won’t be able to think clearly about your future.
Not only does this nuke your capacity for hope, but it also renders meaningless the idea that at some point things will get better. If you feel like this, please take steps to seek medical help or talk to a trusted friend or counselor.
6. Your relationship with food changes to “it’s complicated.”
Whatever moderation there is between “forgetting to eat for a day” and “eating all of the things” just isn’t on the menu anymore. Poor eating habits can make depression worse, though, so seek medical help if your diet becomes worrisome for you.
7. Most of the things people will say to help you are profoundly and dangerously unhelpful.
Thanks to a plethora of misinformation about what depression actually is, people often seem to think that saying things like “just be happier,” “don’t be depressed,” and “just try harder” are legitimate pieces of advice. They are not.
8. It physically hurts.
In the human body’s least amusing attempt at metaphor, many depressed people report physical symptoms like muscle ache, joint pain, and stabbing sensations in the chest. If you are depressed and feeling pain, check with your doctor to discuss possible causes.
9. Asking for help feels counterintuitive.
One of the many lies depression will tell you is that nobody cares about you, so you won’t want to “bother” people by reaching out to them. Fight this lie. Wrestle it to the ground. Punch it in the face. Somebody will listen to you.
