Like anxiety, depression is one of the most commonly occurring mental health conditions in this country. Most depression is situational and can be traced to a specific set of circumstances or events. Unfortunately, some circumstances can pervade throughout several years of our lives resulting in the belief that we are simply depressed people who are incapable of experiencing happiness and contentment.
Andrew Solomon describes depression as “a disease of loneliness.” When examining our depression we look for identifiable causes: unresolved grief/loss, lack of purpose and meaning, negative core beliefs, distorted perspective causing a cynical mindset, unresolved trauma, feelings of helplessness, poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, and/or a lack of intimate connection in our lives resulting in that pervasive feeling of loneliness. For instance, think about how one of the following negative core beliefs would likely affect someone’s decision making process: “If people really knew me, they wouldn’t like me,” “I’ll never be able to handle life like a normal person,” or “I don’t deserve to be happy.”
We also may have developed a fairly negative world view as the result of our experience. Our cynicism may even become a defense mechanism to avoid taking the more vulnerable risks to improve our situation. We can develop a tendency to complain about the people, events, or circumstances that cause us displeasure. Through complaining, we reinforce our negative viewpoint, attract others with similar negative mindsets, create distance between ourselves and more positive people, and avoid taking any responsibility for a solution. The more we focus on the problem, the bigger the problem becomes in our mind.
Depression is also a natural part of the grieving process following a significant loss. Loss can come in many different forms varying from identifiable losses like family, friends, employment, and housing to the more intangible losses that can be more difficult to identify. Depression is a perfectly normal transitional stage as we adjust to these losses.
There are several therapeutic interventions that can be effective for depression. The trick is identifying what circumstances are resulting in depression and finding the right guide to help you navigate the path back to wellness.
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