Depression: Your Oppression

Depression-“A condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason.” As provided by www.dictionary.com.

Breaking down the definition a clearer meaning would be “A condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal;” which means a state of unhappiness that affects you overall or in every respect that leads you to feel apprehensive towards or isolated from others; “sadness greater and more prolonged that that warranted by any objective reason” which means the overwhelming feeling of unhappiness lasts longer because the cause of the unhappiness is personal.

Before I get into this topic I would like to state I do not have a degree or training in psychology or psychiatry. Hence, I will humbly be the first to admit I do not have knowledge or expertise in the area of depression as it relates to both fields. However, what I do have is many years of experience in informal counseling and providing advice on personal issues whenever asked by friends, family and at times strangers. Through observing common trends and patterns from these experiences, it has led me to deduce and formulate a theory as to why people experience depression.

There are two types or two causes of depression that I have observed which I call ‘Causation Depression’ and ‘Situational Depression’. In essence people become depressed either because of an incident that occurred that led them to become depressed or because of their current position in life that is unsatisfactory. Causation Depression happens when something tragic happens in our lives. That tragedy could be loss of a loved one, failure to achieve a particular goal attempted, or anything directly linking what happened to us becoming depressed; something happens, we become depressed, cause and effect. This form of depression is more recognizable, measurable and pertaining to something in particular that has gone wrong in our lives. However, Situational Depression is a lot more generic, random and at times the cause may not be measurable or easily identified. It occurs when our condition or our life is at a state or position that we are dissatisfied with. Taken over by overwhelming unhappiness, we feel as if of our lives and ourselves have no worth, value or sense of fulfillment. At times we may not be immediately aware of the “why”, so it is difficult to identify the solution. This in turn causes low self esteem and self confidence, which ultimately leads to depression.

Both can be interrelated depending on the situation you are faced with. However, both incline different methods and approaches in dealing with. With Causation Depression, depending on the severity, the only way to get over it is by letting time take its course. Talking about what depresses you, or merely venting about anything related or unrelated is one of the best therapies there is. So forget about pills or any quick fixes you think will help fill the void or replace the unhappiness because they won’t. As I said all it needs is time to heal, and nothing can replace that because time cannot be forced. Since this form of depression is a lot more intense and emotional than the Situational, it would be best to surround yourself with people of positivity who can help to uplift and bring joy. Also, doing activities that brings happiness, which helps to get through, not get over, the depressing period. Situational Depression, though more generic, is a lot easier to rid ourselves of. As mentioned it occurs because there is a feeling of lacking value or worth. That value and worth can be found by doing that which brings fulfillment. Focusing on areas that you are interested in or passionate about, and by doing this, one will excel and achieve greatly. With this self confidence and esteem will be boosted, and a feel of worth and purpose will now be established. If we are in a position (career, job, relationship etc.) where we have no interest or dislike altogether we will not put out our greatest effort and only mediocrity will result; mediocrity leads to loss of self worth. Do what brings fulfillment to you that you are good at and immediately you will realize a change for the better in how you feel about your life and your worth. Also, you will slowly but surely realize progression in your life and have a sense that your life is actually heading into a direction you can be proud of and happy with.

It is said that depression is at times caused by biological occurrences. That it can be affected by an imbalance in chemicals in our brain or hormonal levels. In my opinion, though this may be true, it still leads back to the fact of being in a particular mental state, and as I have always said: if one is able to control their mindset and increase mental strength, then you will be able to control your emotional state. Most of what happens to our bodies is greatly affected by what goes on in our minds, going back to the simple yet effective saying “Mind over Matter”. Pointing back to the fact that the mind is so powerful that it can control what our bodies do or feel, whether on a conscious or unconscious level.

Know that depression is merely an emotion controlled by our state of mind, and because of this if we focus on and do that which is positive and uplifts us we can rid ourselves of it in time; taking back control of our mindset and our lives.

All the Best.