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May 16, 2024 · Common wisdom says depression starts in the mind with distorted thinking, leading to "psychosomatic" symptoms. Some researchers see depression as an immobilization response a biological defense...
- You feel disconnected from what is important to you. You have people, ideas, and activities that make your life rich and meaningful, but you struggle to focus on these important areas because of the pressures of life that keep getting in your way.
- There is a gap between what you want and what you have, or between who you are and who you want to be. There is nothing wrong with having this kind of gap.
- You always treat your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations as true, valid, and important. When you are distressed, your mind will try to explain what is happening.
- You avoid and control your distress. Once your noisy, unhelpful mind is active, your distress is amplified. We naturally want to avoid this kind of distress.
Oct 29, 2020 · Depression does not just limit how we feel and what we do. It steals who we are. Millions of people suffer from depression and experience a range of debilitating symptoms.
- “I turn into a hermit. I just want to stay in my home and not go anywhere or see anyone. It’s my safe haven, and I just don’t want to leave it.” — Deanne R.
- “Avoid everything. I ignore my phone, skip appointments or plans, don’t leave my house, stop paying bills, try to avoid talking to anyone. I’ve totally screwed up my life this way — failed classes in college because I couldn’t leave my room.”
- “I pretend I’m tired and napping or sleeping so I can avoid people, but really I stay up all night with the thoughts in my head (or if I do sleep, I have nightmares).
- “I wouldn’t say there are any habits involved other than obsessively trying to figure out why I’m in such agony, how long it will last and what the hell I’m going to do with myself to keep sane in the meantime while having no energy.”
- Overview
- Signs and symptoms
- Does it only affect ‘gifted’ people?
- Coping tips
- Professional treatment
- The bottom line
Life’s largest questions often have no answers. Still, it’s human nature to ask — and human nature to feel dissatisfied with uncertainty and unknowing.
At some point in life, you might begin to consider complex questions:
•“Why do people suffer?”
•“What happens after death?”
•“What’s the point of my life?”
•“What if I never find love?”
It’s pretty common to question your existence and place in the world after experiencing trauma, loss, religious trauma, crisis of faith, or another life-altering event.
Existential questioning generally centers on four main topics:
•death, including the awareness of its inevitability and what happens afterward
•freedom, or the sheer magnitude of choices (and consequences) available to you in life
•isolation, or disconnection from others and the eventual loss of important relationships
•meaninglessness, or wondering what point your life has
Some researchers and psychologists have suggested existential depression shows up more commonly in gifted and talented people, including:
•artists and other creative individuals
•scientists
•intellectuals
•highly sensitive people
Keep in mind, though, that “more common” doesn’t necessarily mean “exclusive.” Anyone can experience depression, and you don’t have to be “gifted,” so to speak, to consider (or agonize over) the deeper meaning of life.
Create your own meaning
Your actions and choices shape how your life plays out. Of course, you can’t control everything that happens, but you can make changes — large or small — that help you live more purposefully. •If you fear losing loved ones, make sure they know just how much they mean to you and enjoy the time you have together to the fullest. •If you believe you haven’t contributed much to the world, share what resources you do have: time, energy, kindness, compassion. Even actions that seem tiny or insignificant to you, like running an errand for a neighbor, volunteering in your community, or listening to a friend’s struggles, can have a huge impact for others. •If you struggle to find meaning in your life, spend some time exploring your personal values — creativity, honesty, gratitude, empathy, curiosity, and so on. In what ways do your choices already align with them? Can you identify any actions that might help reaffirm those values and create a new sense of purpose?
Share your feelings
Talking to trusted loved ones about emotional distress can usually have benefit, no matter the source of that distress. Close friends and family who’ve spent time questioning similar concepts for themselves may have some words of comfort and insight to offer. While you might not realize exactly how you add meaning to the lives of others, the people who care for you certainly do. Recognizing the part you play in their lives can often help add a sense of purpose to your own life. Even loved ones who don’t spend much time thinking about life’s bigger questions can still validate your feelings and offer emotional support, helping renew feelings of connection and easing some of your pain and despair. No one to talk to? A therapist can also offer support (more on this later).
Transform uncertainty into growth
According to Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration, some types of emotional distress, including feelings of anxiety or depression, happen naturally as part of personality development. These symptoms don’t mean there’s anything “wrong” with you. Rather, they suggest a process of growth and evolution into your ideal self. Along this line of thinking, existential depression can eventually lead to what Dabrowski termed reintegration. This involves a new level of deeper understanding, self-awareness, and self-acceptance. The path to reintegration generally involves reconciling yourself to existential questions and distress and learning to manage these feelings through choices that add meaning to your life, such as living out personal values.
Depression won’t always improve without professional support.
Existential worries and despair can eventually:
•contribute to feelings of isolation and loneliness
•affect personal relationships and day-to-day life
•lead to hopelessness or thoughts of suicide
If feelings of depression last longer than a few weeks, reaching out for support is a good next step.
No one can predict the future or resolve all of humanity’s difficulties, and existential questions can weigh heavily, once asked.
You may not arrive at any satisfying conclusions, even after weeks, months, or years of exploration, and this lack of answers might leave you fixating on these mysteries and doubts. Life wouldn’t be quite the same, though, without the anticipation and excitement of possibilities waiting ahead.
Much of life is an unknown, but know this: Your life already has meaning, even if your journey to discover that meaning has yet to unfold.
Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.
Sep 21, 2023 · How depression really feels. Depression is often characterized as “deep sadness” — but it’s actually a complex condition that’s about more than just feeling sad. “ Everybody feels sad ...
Oct 14, 2022 · Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.
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related to: why do people feel repression like people are dying of depressionAsk Your Doctor About a Treatment for Major Depression in Adults. Learn More Today. Reduce Symptoms of Treatment-Resistant Depression. Learn About This TRD Option For Adults.
Help Your Doctor Better Understand Your Symptoms & See If This Add-On Treatment May Help. Take The Symptom Questionnaire & Share The Results With Your Doctor.
