Hi everyone, I really don’t know how to start this so I guess I’ll just get right to it. I have a Psychology professor who says the most real things all the time, and isn’t afraid to. He says things like how nothing is really real. Numbers are just symbols that we have assigned meaning to. A few days ago he said that happiness and optimism is a delusion that people need to survive. He said that depressed people can’t disconnect from the god-awful reality. He said that people with depression don’t know how to get away from reality.
Another thing he said was that there is nothing wrong with being sad, but that we just need to learn how to differentiate between types of sadness. Feeling sad about someone dying shouldn’t be the same kind of sad as someone not responding to a text message. He said that if we could just learn to describe our feelings in a more descriptive way, we would be able to figure out what we need to cope with those feelings.
The thing is, people with depression feel all the feelings the same way, at least I do. I really don’t know if this helps anyone but I figured it was worth spreading around. It kind of makes me feel less lonely.
6 comments
That helped. Thank you.
I enjoyed this post.
I agree with that in a way that resonates with me. There is a psychoanalytical theory that those suffering- I mean “diagnosed” with depression have a more negative but realistic approach on life and certain outcomes. It may seem pessimistic to non-depressed individuals but is in actuality less idealized than your average person. And that theory makes sense to me in a way that if I continue living and rid myself of my depression and anxiety I will have a false sense of reality including my self-image. Depression may seem like an irrational state of mind but to me it’s more than rational. It’s true; I really am worthless.
Hi Silentshepherd. I will have to look up that theory but that completely sums up what I meant. I too am scared that getting rid of my depression will fog my mind of the Real things. And I really don’t think you are worthless, but I know that probably doesn’t mean anything to you. If you wanna talk I am here.
Thank you for posting the idea that depressed people can’t disconnect from reality. It seems to have the ring of truth to it. My depression comes from vicious physical abuse sustained at the hands of an angry mother while just a small child . That is a reality I can never change.
Yet, at this present moment, I am surrounded by pleasantry. This too is real. But still..I cannot disconnect from the “god-awful reality” even after years of therapy. It does indeed seem that happiness is an illusion based on the the idea that if the present is pleasant then we are happy. Yet I have found happiness only briefly during circumstances that simply cannot be sustained. Some researchers are showing us that child abuse permanently alters our neural pathways, thus making the recovery more a juggling act that any accomplished fact. I feel the same sickening feeling at almost all times unless something really fun or exciting is going on and those highs I just cannot maintain for long. Good point you brought up, thanks. Feel free to reply if you like, you have posted a good thought here.
Hi a1957 thank you for reading. i am sorry to hear about your abuse. i too have been abused by my mother, and those experiences have made it really hard for me to have any form of confidence. i completely relate to everything you said about feeling happiness sometimes for a few moments. i hope you feel better