I think I know how to get everyone out of depression!

[llost]

hey hey hey! I think a lot of depression is self generated, I'm not pointing fingers at anyone here. I think the best way to get out of depression is to have a positive and optimistic attitude. I had severe depression but that went away when I took on a new positive attitude. I put a positive spin on everything and now my depression is gone! Now I see my life as awesome! And outstanding! And out of this world! I can do the same for you! Just tell me your whole life situation and I will put a positive spin on it! And if you adopt my attitude I'm very sure your depression will be gone! Give it a try it will be big big big!

 

[beingnobody]

Comes time depression is a familiar, comfortable melancholy. I like my transient gloom.

 

[4No1]

But what if it's not situational. Though I've never been diagnosed, sometimes I feel tired, devasted, sad and hopeless. In fact there is no external reasons for it. It's like a reality changes.

 

[user 139760]

I don't mean to insult you or vex you, but if that were true, by this time in human history, debates on suicide would never happen and people would think about unicorns and butterflies. Smarter people than probably you have tried and failed to "cure" depression. I don't really believe you'd be saying something someone hasn't already heard a thousand times before.
Again, no offense.

 

[TheSkaFish]

First off, no offense. I can tell you're trying to be helpful. I just don't feel like this is the answer.

The thing I don't like about "changing your attitude" advice is that it just seems like kidding yourself. You're just telling yourself that you're OK with something that you're not really OK with. It seems like you won't be able to keep that up forever. I feel like any "solution" that focuses on acceptance rather than a real answer about changing the situation, isn't really an answer. It's just resignation to misery.

I mean, I can "change my attitude" with drinking and smoking weed too. I could drink or smoke so much that I won't care about money, romantic loneliness, or anything at all, as long as I can stay wasted and passed out on the couch. I can "accept" that my life isn't going to be anything, and "lower my expectations" down to wanting nothing out of life but the next drink. But that's not much of a life.

 

[user 176211]

First off, no offense. I can tell you're trying to be helpful. I just don't feel like this is the answer.

The thing I don't like about "changing your attitude" advice is that it just seems like kidding yourself. You're just telling yourself that you're OK with something that you're not really OK with. It seems like you won't be able to keep that up forever. I feel like any "solution" that focuses on acceptance rather than a real answer about changing the situation, isn't really an answer. It's just resignation to misery.

I mean, I can "change my attitude" with drinking and smoking weed too. I could drink or smoke so much that I won't care about money, romantic loneliness, or anything at all, as long as I can stay wasted and passed out on the couch. I can "accept" that my life isn't going to be anything, and "lower my expectations" down to wanting nothing out of life but the next drink. But that's not much of a life.

I agree with this. I can´t speak to anyone else´s life, but I know when people tell me to ¨cheer up!¨ or ¨be positive!¨, it just feels offensive.

I would never go to a paraplegic and tell them to ¨walk it off¨. Not trying to knock the OP because I understand you are just trying to be positive and help. But depending on the person you are saying it to, its like telling a blind person to look at the positive side.

 

[user 176211]

I mean, I can "change my attitude" with drinking and smoking weed too. I could drink or smoke so much that I won't care about money, romantic loneliness, or anything at all, as long as I can stay wasted and passed out on the couch. I can "accept" that my life isn't going to be anything, and "lower my expectations" down to wanting nothing out of life but the next drink. But that's not much of a life.

Amen. I tried to mask it all with weed but eventually caught myself one day and thought that this is just all I do. Its a very easy crutch to fall on. It feels so great. Things are funny again. Movies are enjoyable to watch. Sleep is steady and heavy. *** is more intense and carefree. But you just realize you are just constantly in a daze and looking forward to the next session. It gets old fast. Thankfully it is not addictive and I can flick it off like a light switch.

 

[TheSkaFish]

Amen. I tried to mask it all with weed but eventually caught myself one day and thought that this is just all I do. Its a very easy crutch to fall on. It feels so great. Things are funny again. Movies are enjoyable to watch. Sleep is steady and heavy. *** is more intense and carefree. But you just realize you are just constantly in a daze and looking forward to the next session. It gets old fast. Thankfully it is not addictive and I can flick it off like a light switch.

Completely agree.

Of course, I wouldn't know about the *** thing but I had a feeling that would be the case. It does seem to make you more sensitive to everything, so it follows that it would work for that, too.

But that last bit you said about being constantly in a daze and looking forward to the next session...that was my life for a bit, off and on. Probably about 2006 to 2012. Sure, I had some good times with good company but a lot of it was to mask that I was overwhelmed and directionless and didn't know what to do with my life, had no ideas or inspiration, had interest in things but it was countered by feeling like there wasn't anything I could succeed at. I still struggle with that, but I'm not smoking anymore on top of it. In fact next year will be 10 years since my last toke. I've been around it since then many times, but I have only rarely felt any real temptation.

I don't think it should be illegal, but I don't think it's the answer for me either.

 

[Finished]

Well, people have depression for many different reasons. Tricking yourself can help sometimes depending on the cause and level of the depression. It's worth trying. I do it. Smiling and laughing releases happy chemicals which in turn makes one feel good. But, like many with depression that feels weird even bad. If feels good and normal to be depressed. I get a sick feeling like I've done something wrong when I start feeling good. I think that I should stop being happy. So, one has to really force themselves to keep smiling and laughing if even you don't want to do it. Over a long period of time it becomes easier to do. It's helped me to be able to laugh and smile at appropriate times without feeling bad about it. But, I don't think it's the magic cure.

 

[TheRealCallie]

While the OP's simple solution is a good idea and it does more or less work, it takes more than that. The person has to want to let it work and see the brighter side. They have to have the will and strength to climb out of the hole they are in.

So yeah, it works, but only if the individual person wants it to work. It also requires a lot of hard work.

 

[nerdgrl]

The "think happy thoughts" model is sometimes called 'toxic positivity' -- which tends to dismiss the essence and the intensity of feelings of the person experiencing depression. It does help some people, but it is not designed for those of us with complex, clinical, or recurring MDD.

 

[It's me Rob]

I agree with this. I can´t speak to anyone else´s life, but I know when people tell me to ¨cheer up!¨ or ¨be positive!¨, it just feels offensive.

I would never go to a paraplegic and tell them to ¨walk it off¨. Not trying to knock the OP because I understand you are just trying to be positive and help. But depending on the person you are saying it to, its like telling a blind person to look at the positive side.

This is legit funny. Yeah it shouldn't be. I'm a horrible person BLAH BLAH BLAH.... But I can't even remember the last time I smiled. I'm hearing you in an Eric Cartman voice.

 

[user 181147]

hey hey hey! I think a lot of depression is self generated, I'm not pointing fingers at anyone here. I think the best way to get out of depression is to have a positive and optimistic attitude. I had severe depression but that went away when I took on a new positive attitude. I put a positive spin on everything and now my depression is gone! Now I see my life as awesome! And outstanding! And out of this world! I can do the same for you! Just tell me your whole life situation and I will put a positive spin on it! And if you adopt my attitude I'm very sure your depression will be gone! Give it a try it will be big big big!

I really, really wish a positive attitude was enough to not want to end my pathetic existence. I wish it was that easy.

 

[dan27]

 

[kaetic]

hey hey hey! I think a lot of depression is self generated, I'm not pointing fingers at anyone here. I think the best way to get out of depression is to have a positive and optimistic attitude. I had severe depression but that went away when I took on a new positive attitude. I put a positive spin on everything and now my depression is gone! Now I see my life as awesome! And outstanding! And out of this world! I can do the same for you! Just tell me your whole life situation and I will put a positive spin on it! And if you adopt my attitude I'm very sure your depression will be gone! Give it a try it will be big big big!

No offense but this almost sounds like the manic side of being bipolar... I love everything, my life is amazing and out of this world... hold my phone I'm going to see if I can climb this ferris wheel.

There's only so much a positive attitude can fix, and beyond that it's actually kind of unhealthy to just try and force positivity when you need to feel some negative emotions as well. Bottling it up and putting on a happy face can actually eventually cause real physiological side effects. Cry if you need to cry, Scream, yell, whatever if that's what you're feeling. I think the real issue with depression is that everyone is telling you that you're wrong to feel that way. Let people feel what they need to feel. There's a saying that the only way out is through. You need to face your emotions not mask them or ignore them or lie about reality to feel better. Whatever happiness you get out of that won't last long, and you may end up driving yourself further into depression. Because it failed, or because it's not true, or because you feel even more so that you are wrong for feeling this way and that there must be something wrong with you because you can't just "snap out of it".

Maybe some things can be fixed by seeing them in a better light. The optimistic side of things... but there's a point when optimism is just foolishness. Sometimes people need help through therapy or just a close friend listening to their problems a million times until you're able to resolve it in your own head. Sometimes there's a biological reason why people are in a perpetual state of depression, and no amount of positive thinking or sympathetic ears are ever going to be enough to help them. Medication might not even work, but it may be their only option.

I think there are still a lot of things we don't know about how the brain works that people shouldn't just be throwing ********... think positive... crap at depressed people as a solution.

Sorry, I'm on a tangent... I get you're trying to help.,.. I just get worked up about stuff like this.