I will not delve into the definition of depression since it's considered common knowledge nowadays. I haven't heard anyone saying "Depression? What's that?". But, I've come across people saying "I can't seem to overcome it, I don't know what to do anymore."
James Herndon, a researcher in the field of psychology draws an analogy between a human's response to falling into depression and an animal's response to submit when it's attacked by a stronger animal. You see, in the animal kingdom, when an animal is in a dangerous situation, it naturally opts for one of these two responses: dominance or submission. In his approach, the researcher points out that this instinctive response to submit applies to us humans as well. In other words, when we're living in a negative environment filled with stressful situations, guilt, traumatic or upsetting encounters, anxious moments and to top it all off, an unproductive and a negative mindset, we're pretty much in one of these "fight or flight" situations. Some choose to fight and try to take control of the situation, others just submit because they feel powerless and overwhelmed.
Now, I know going with "fight" over "flight" isn't always a wise decision since there are a lot of factors in the equation. In our case, however, fighting depression should be a must rather than a choice. In order to win your fight against depression, I highly suggest you opt for the next two recommendations:
1) Positive inner dialogues:
The same researcher indicates that we actually "learn to be depressed by practicing, by rehearsing thoughts and feelings in our minds over and over and over again until our brain's submission response is in overload." Obviously, no one would deliberately choose to be depressed, but we continuously engage ourselves in that learning process at the unconscious level. Yes, you can actually train yourself to get easily depressed. So, now that you know this, it's time you challenged and trained yourself to do the opposite. How? By not fueling your depression with the 'giving up/victim' mentality while only focusing on shortcomings or the negative aspects of things in your life. Your negative thought patterns are called cognitive distortions for a reason, they are neither rational nor true and that is why you should stay mindful of them. Instead, why not remind yourself everyday of the things you're grateful for, or just list the things that make your life more comfortable and more tolerable. Positivity requires mental rehearsal as well.
2) The five elements:
I will not ask you to randomly "keep yourself busy" as to distract yourself aimlessly from what you are going through. By doing so, you'll end up being like a hamster on a wheel, simply running without a destination. I will, however, ask you to actively pursue the following five elements in your life: people, activities, places, beliefs and skills. Unsurprisingly, a research shows that those who are less likely to get depressed, are those who spend most of their time pursuing these areas of interest. You can't just deny your human nature and expect your body and mind to function appropriately. You don't necessarily have to develop new skills, shape new beliefs, engage in new activities, meet new people or go to new places (-even though that too is recommended). You could, however, simply reconnect with old friends whom you feel comfortable around (always reach out, staying alone won't help), go to your favorite places which make you feel more at peace, get your healthy dose of vitamin D, work on improving your skills, pursue activities that you're good at and try meditating or reflecting on your beliefs with a positive mindset. I understand that a depressed person tends to be passive and a little less inclined to get out of bed, let alone pursue these propositions. But, I know for sure that once you engage with what's mentioned above, you'll be more willing to carry them out because ultimately that will create a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.
Whatever you do and no matter how much you want to, avoid staying all alone wallowing in misery in a dark corner. No one has ever benefited from that in the entire history of mankind.
Herndon, J. (2001) Personal Depression Therapy, Phoenix, Vallis Solaris Press.
I'm giving you a vote because this is insightful and thoughtful and well written. I'd like to hear you expand on other contributing factors such as 1) chemical depression (from overexposure to naturally occurring chemicals in the body that kick in during stress, such as adrenaline and cortozoids), 2) unconscious dialogue that cannot be uncovered without psychotherapy, 3) the benefits of some medications in helping the body and mind bounce back from depleted endorphines (such as dopamine, norepihnephrine, etc.). What are your thoughts on all that jazz, for our fellow steemians who may suffer from depression and have "tried it all" so to speak?
What you said would make a very interesting perspective from which one could tackle this topic. I only limited myself to a couple of general tips because my knowledge itself is limited on this subject ( from a scientific point of view), but I'll make my research and see if I can write another article covering the important points you mentioned!
Thank you for dropping by :D
I think it would be a good idea. It's a very sensitive subject for some. And I know of a couple of folks (not on here) who are physically debilitated when the depression rolls around. One of them does not eat for days because she simply cannot revive herself enough to get up out of bed. So she has a roommate who cooks for her and coaxes her to eat.
She cycles through it, and when it's over, she can't believe how unmotivated she was. Just comes on really strong. No amount of thinking or exercising can fix it. Medication, though, I know has helped.
A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with several things, one of them was severe clinical depression. Today, I am fine, cured and even call myself the happy fairy. Since I did go through what I did, I give myself the permission to be bluntly honest. Noone can help you with depression if you do not help yourself first. Drugs help, of course, but if you do not want to be better, you never will. There is no quick fix and you can not go from depressed to joyful overnight but if you decide that you will get better, YOU WILL. It really is as simple as that. I know, I have been there. There are better days and those not so much but if you make a decision and stick to it, you will always and I mean aways (met a lot of people with this) get better. For some it will be weeks, for some months and for some years before they get better but they all will get through it if they want to.
Thank you for sharing this with the community.
https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/Qmakf2DuG5MbVTZsPL8DtHKunpZcchwKfr7V2SjTJmURy5
You're right. I believe it all comes back to how much willpower you have. I'll try to elaborate on this topic as soon as I have the chance because it touches many people, including myself. I'm still struggling with depression but I'm doing all I can in order not to give in to it. It's tough but as you said, we will eventually get past it if we try hard enough.
Thank you for your feedback :)
I don't think so at all. It has nothing to do with will power for some folks. In fact, I know it isn't. I can think of a few off the top of my head who have more will power in their pinky finger than most of us put together. And they still suffer from clinical depression.
Part of the stigma with depression is this very line of thinking -- that if you just had enough will power, you'd find a way to get healed. OK, there is some will power involved in finding tools that help a person with recovering from something as brutal as clinical depression. But the dialogue needs to be perhaps more all-encompassing.
I have a former college roommate who was severely abused as a child. She suffers from serious clinical depression to the degree that she voluntarily admits herself to the mental health ward every few months so she is not a danger to herself. She simply cannot help how she is feeling, and so enrolls in a place that is safe so she is not harming herself or others. She has been treated by various therapists, therapies, and doctors, and continues to improve over the years, but she and I both know that her likelihood of full recovery is unrealistic. And that's OK. It's just the way it is.
I have another former coworker who is bedridden from time to time due to lack of dopamine as well as Vitamin B deficiency. She suffers from both, among other things. She gets injections, takes medication, exercised daily, watches her diet for allergies and processed foods, and is charming and driven to do the best she can for herself. But she unwittingly cascades into a state of non-recovery about twice a year, for several weeks. Her husband and children simply have to endure. And it's so tragic. And she doesn't know where it comes from. But she is the LAST person on earth I would consider lacking in will power or attempts to heal and be whole in her mind. She was never abused or involved in any kind of traumatic event. She simply lacks the kind of brain chemistry needed to keep herself upbeat most of the time. And so needs help.
There really are so many factors at play, from trauma, to brain chemistry, to genetics, to allergies, to sleep issues, to neurological disorders, to PTSD, to medications, to family dynamics and thinking patterns.
I think until we change the brain patterns and brain chemistry, it's a long row to hoe. But there are several ways of going about each, and there is no one answer for any of it.
just my 2 cents.
That's an interesting train of thought but I like your sugestion to do further research. You've shared a well written post. Maybe you could start a series about this important topic using some of the many other schools of thought?
I'm considering that yes, it would be both beneficial on a personal level since I need it myself, and a good read for Steem community ^^
If you have any good recommendations (books, links etc.), don't hesitate to share them with me!
Thank you for dropping by!
I've never thought about it as fight or flight before...but in the aspect of depression that you're talking about, it does make sense. I feel like, as people, we have so much going on that is beyond our control, that we forget what's in our control so easily...so we submit to things too much, which causes us to be miserable.
Exactly ^^