Why Am I So Depressed?
Why am I depressed if everything in life seems to be going ok? Life may seem in perfect order and you may have good supportive relationships with family and friends, a good job and be financially secure, yet still find yourself asking - "Why am I so depressed".
When it comes to depression external circumstances do not necessarily have a direct effect.
It is more complicated than just external circumstances.
What is important is the internal circumstances that are going on and how we have dealt with external circumstances.
Sometimes unknowingly we can have stresses and and feelings going on that we cannot pin down, or even know they exist leaving us asking, "why am I so depressed".
Our bodies can then react physically and mentally to release these stresses and feelings.
Lets say an individual has separated from their spouse and children due to a divorce.
Naturally the individual will try to work through this terrible ordeal.
They will continue to work and keep busy so they are not dwelling on the situation.
Time goes by, even years and everything seems to feel OK yet deep in the subconscious that ordeal and all the ugly things about it still exist.
Now let's say this individual has now remarried with a new child on the way and has started to feel depressed when all is good and should be an exciting time in their life.
However, what really has happened is the past may have been subtly brought forward causing depression.
Throughout life circumstances can change abruptly and our ability to adapt becomes tested.
It is natural for individuals to want things to continue as they were, but new circumstances require new responses.
Depressive thinking patterns can result.
External circumstances such as abrupt changes and unpleasant situations in the past can bring on these depressive thinking patterns causing an individual to become depressed.
The key here is the depressive thinking patterns.
Depression is largely caused by the way we think about circumstances and what we tell ourselves.
As for the individual who had been divorced then remarried now with a new child on the way could be having many thoughts that are seemingly natural and find themselves asking, "why am I so depressed".
Yet, what really is happening is these thoughts are destructively setting them up to become depressed.
They may also be unknowingly stressed about having the new child, or feeling guilty they are not living with the children from the prior marriage.
Over time the individual has pushed all these past feelings down by going about life, and getting married again.
With the newborn on the way past circumstances have been highlighted and stirred up without the individual even realizing it.
Pinpointing where the depression may be coming from is easy if the individual looks for past circumstances and or any new circumstances.
But what is important to dealing with the depression will be how the individual must become aware of what their thinking pattern is.
Paying close attention to the type of thoughts they have and what they say to themselves internally and trying to change anything negative to positive will have a profound effect on their depression.
Instead of dwelling on how sad it is not being able to live with their children from the prior marriage they can think of the fun the children will have with the new child.
Practice can make perfect! Are we getting closer to the question, "why am I so depressed"? The chemicals in the brain and medications were not touched on in this article because it is unclear how the chemicals inn the brain work.
Professionals cannot clearly say whether those that are depressed have low levels of these chemicals or whether being depressed is what lowers the levels.
The levels of these chemicals cannot even be measured.
Medications are known to help with the symptoms of depression but most individuals will receive psychotherapy in combination with medications.
Hopefully anyone reading this article will have the question of, "Why am I so depressed" answered or have at least better understanding of where depression may come from.
When it comes to depression external circumstances do not necessarily have a direct effect.
It is more complicated than just external circumstances.
What is important is the internal circumstances that are going on and how we have dealt with external circumstances.
Sometimes unknowingly we can have stresses and and feelings going on that we cannot pin down, or even know they exist leaving us asking, "why am I so depressed".
Our bodies can then react physically and mentally to release these stresses and feelings.
Lets say an individual has separated from their spouse and children due to a divorce.
Naturally the individual will try to work through this terrible ordeal.
They will continue to work and keep busy so they are not dwelling on the situation.
Time goes by, even years and everything seems to feel OK yet deep in the subconscious that ordeal and all the ugly things about it still exist.
Now let's say this individual has now remarried with a new child on the way and has started to feel depressed when all is good and should be an exciting time in their life.
However, what really has happened is the past may have been subtly brought forward causing depression.
Throughout life circumstances can change abruptly and our ability to adapt becomes tested.
It is natural for individuals to want things to continue as they were, but new circumstances require new responses.
Depressive thinking patterns can result.
External circumstances such as abrupt changes and unpleasant situations in the past can bring on these depressive thinking patterns causing an individual to become depressed.
The key here is the depressive thinking patterns.
Depression is largely caused by the way we think about circumstances and what we tell ourselves.
As for the individual who had been divorced then remarried now with a new child on the way could be having many thoughts that are seemingly natural and find themselves asking, "why am I so depressed".
Yet, what really is happening is these thoughts are destructively setting them up to become depressed.
They may also be unknowingly stressed about having the new child, or feeling guilty they are not living with the children from the prior marriage.
Over time the individual has pushed all these past feelings down by going about life, and getting married again.
With the newborn on the way past circumstances have been highlighted and stirred up without the individual even realizing it.
Pinpointing where the depression may be coming from is easy if the individual looks for past circumstances and or any new circumstances.
But what is important to dealing with the depression will be how the individual must become aware of what their thinking pattern is.
Paying close attention to the type of thoughts they have and what they say to themselves internally and trying to change anything negative to positive will have a profound effect on their depression.
Instead of dwelling on how sad it is not being able to live with their children from the prior marriage they can think of the fun the children will have with the new child.
Practice can make perfect! Are we getting closer to the question, "why am I so depressed"? The chemicals in the brain and medications were not touched on in this article because it is unclear how the chemicals inn the brain work.
Professionals cannot clearly say whether those that are depressed have low levels of these chemicals or whether being depressed is what lowers the levels.
The levels of these chemicals cannot even be measured.
Medications are known to help with the symptoms of depression but most individuals will receive psychotherapy in combination with medications.
Hopefully anyone reading this article will have the question of, "Why am I so depressed" answered or have at least better understanding of where depression may come from.
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