By Maya Chandy
Depression is a debilitating condition that impacts your life and can take away your ability to function on a daily basis. While depression is undeniably painful, it often has a purpose: depression is a signal, telling you that something is amiss, that something has to change.
This perspective by no means undermines the distress that accompanies depression. Rather, reframing depression is a strategy to make the most of a difficult situation as it not only provides protection against depression’s devastating effects but also creates room for growth. Here are some ways you can begin to reframe your depression:
Externalize Depression
When you strive for an analytical mindset, you are more capable of externalizing the depression, meaning that you can separate yourself from the problem at hand – the unpleasant feelings of shame, sadness, or despondence. Distancing yourself from these emotions allows for clarity. You can think rationally. You have the capacity to problem solve. You can recognize that while you may be suffering from depression, you don’t have to be defined by it. You are essentially better equipped to identify, then address the factors maintaining your depression.
Develop Curiosity
When you can externalize your depression, you become better equipped to approach it with a mindset of curiosity to examine how it is helping you. Is your depression letting you know that you’ve experienced a loss and need time to grieve? Is it telling you that things in life have become too heavy and you need to recalibrate? Perhaps your depression is helping you stay put and not take risks for fear of failure. When you understand what is contributing to the depression, ideally, you can also develop healthy coping strategies.
Consider What is Going on Around You
Since transitions are jarring for most, perhaps start by asking has anything changed in your life recently? Sometimes even the best or smallest shifts can have an unexpected influence. In fact, an accomplishment like a promotion could cause psychological discomfort if the new role comes with additional responsibilities that you don’t realize are gradually increasing your stress levels.
Interpersonal challenges play a key role in mental health issues. Are you satisfied with your social life? Has something felt off lately? Like with transitions, subtle concerns can wreak havok on your well-being when coupled with other stressors. Maybe you don’t feel as close to someone you once shared everything with, or your partner is more withdrawn than usual. Not to mention, perceived rejection from those outside your inner circle can be equally unsettling.
It's worth noting that our brains and bodies are intertwined. In other words, medical and psychological conditions interact with each other. It’s therefore best to periodically ask how do you feel physically? Sometimes depression is linked to a medical condition in which case treating both is essential for sustainable progress.
Depression should be evaluated on case-by-case basis. But here are some examples of what common symptoms are potentially saying.
Fatigue
Fatigue is among the most inconvenient symptoms associated with depression. It can prevent you from working and enjoying your favorite activities. It’s tempting to indulge in twenty-hour naps or suppress the exhaustion with several cups of coffee. Before you do so though, be curious about the fatigue’s source. It’s not unusual for our brains to shut down under stress. You may, for instance, realize exhaustion follows an argument or emerges when you feel overwhelmed after glancing at a lengthy to-do list.
Rumination
Rumination occurs when someone experiencing depression thinks excessively about their problems, inducing more pessimistic feelings and creating a vicious cycle. Rumination is not inherently a productive process, but it does highlight areas that need your attention.
Lack of Motivation
Depression can directly impact motivation; Motivation can dwindle when faced with unrealistic expectations. This could happen when you let allow external pressures to dictate your goals. And as social media gains popularity, more people become privy to the most glamorous, enjoyable aspects of others’ lives, not necessarily acknowledging that everyone has hardships that aren’t publicly displayed.
It is possible to overcome depression and grow.
Of course, these are only examples of what your depression could be telling you. So set aside time to examine your own symptoms, to consider when they arise and what purpose they serve. Sometimes it can be helpful to reach out for support when you’re going through depression. The therapists at HavenMHC specialize in providing counseling for depression and would be honored to support you as you work to deepen your understanding of depression and move towards healing and growth.