Are you depressed or is your life depressing?

[fayth2567]

Hi,
Saw a video about someone talking about whether people are suffering from depression that makes their life depressing or it could be that their life is depressing which makes them depressed. What do you think?

 

[OutOfTheVoid]

i think its both. my life is depressing and society is depressing, and that makes me depressed, which makes my life more depressing...

 

[altoids]

That's an interesting thought. I think at the very least my depressing life has intensified an underlying depressive feeling that was already there.

 

[SamTam33]

Depression is defined, in part, as a lack of interest in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities.

So if most things about life were never rewarding or enjoyable to begin with - am I depressed or is life?

When has traffic, taking exams, and paying bills ever been enjoyable.

Life is mothing more than a series of repetitive tasks designed to keep us alive. It wasn't designed to be enjoyable.

Personally, I think it's more interesting to ponder whether or not happy people are actually experiencing psychosis.

Are we depressed OR are they psychotic? That's the real question.

Happy people are like that meme where the smiling cartoon dog is surrounded by flames and the caption says, "Everything is fine."

 

[MissionSucksAssFul]

Are we depressed OR are they psychotic? That's the real question.

Happy people are like that meme where the smiling cartoon dog is surrounded by flames and the caption says, "Everything is fine."

ye, no, they DEFINITELY be psychotic! I mean how could a well adjusted person be happy when every other human suffers? As if empathy collectivelly got on a spaceship and fucked off! No, there's no happiness (except ignorant happiness) to be had in a world where people are: starving AND obese/dying from preventable causes AND are addicted to drugs/wanting to move this human society forward AND having an end-goal that results in them NEVER DOING ANYTHING??!!! Nah, I've always believed that when someone claims to have a happy life they're either stupid or in denial...

 

[SamTam33]

ye, no, they DEFINITELY be psychotic! I mean how could a well adjusted person be happy when every other human suffers? As if empathy collectivelly got on a spaceship and fucked off! No, there's no happiness (except ignorant happiness) to be had in a world where people are: starving AND obese/dying from preventable causes AND are addicted to drugs/wanting to move this human society forward AND having an end-goal that results in them NEVER DOING ANYTHING??!!! Nah, I've always believed that when someone claims to have a happy life they're either stupid or in denial...

LMAO I really wonder sometimes.

You pay taxes?
You give most of your money away to various companies (cable, phone, electric, water)?
You take medication for various ailments?
Your car keeps breaking down?
Your husband has gout?
Your priest is molesting altar boys?
Your mom has Alzheimer's?
Your son lost custody of his kids?
Your dog has diabetes?

And you say you love life...

Are you sure you're not crazy?

Prove it, you lunatic. Prove it.

 

[Fwompje]

I'd say for me life is depressing because I have depression. If I didn't have depression I would be doing many things, yet I cannot enjoy much because I have depression. I feel if my depression went away right now, magically, I'd still have a depressing life because of the consequences of living with depression for years.

 

[Gaga786]

I would say I'm depressed. Although, life is utterly disappointing as well. My past broke me in every possible way I could imagine, so I feel like I am already dead– just trapped in this prison of a body.

 

[BBBB]

BOTH!

 

[HadItAll]

I don't really believe in depression. I think almost always it's just a case of life being depressing.

 

[MewtwoIsAlive]

Both.

 

[downndone2]

Both!!

 

[LunaXCBN]

Probably both

 

[FuneralCry]

The way that I see it, life in itself is certainly the true problem. I despise existing and I think that wishing for suicide is a perfectly rational response to not seeing existence as being worth enduring. I just think that life is something which is disgusting, unnecessary and unappealing, I hate how there is so much uncertainty in life and how this world is filled with far too much meaningless suffering. Something so useless and harmful as existence could never be worth enduring to me, and it's not "depression" being aware of the reality of this existence and having a realistic view on life. To me it makes sense to wish to prevent unnecessary torment through choosing to leave this world. To die is what is the most ideal, as death solves all of life's problems.

 

[Homo erectus]

I think it's the person not being able to cope with the rapidly changing social environment. Urbanization is happening too quickly.Too many people are living too close together. Most stress comes from issues with other people, not from nature. Modern city lives just can't leave people alone. Depression itself is a coping mechanism. But extroverts will win in the long run.

 

[KuriGohan&Kamehameha]

I don't feel depressed, I feel sick, fatigued, overwhelmed and frustrated by physical health problems, autism, and lack of social support that is pretty much the corner-stone of our atomised, individualised culture which is leaning more and more towards, sit in front of a screen all day in a stifling office, then come home alone and sit in front of a screen again alone. You're expected to be happy with living life in such an unnatural and disturbing way. That's just not for me.

 

[Illidan77]

i think those two kinda unseparated but i think it's because life is depressing is the first cause (with exception like genetic or accident that lead to brain damage) but then probably it affect everything next cause the brain chemical altered or our view just changed.. like even when good things happened but can't feel it.

 

[AlternativeHealer2]

I think its true. When my life is better i feel a little better

 

[Darkover]

life is depressing because we just fade away into nothingness within a short time, this place is just shit anyway

 

[Blackroom_57]

I have a great life. Nothing is wrong. Yet I'm severely depressed. Constant pain. Constant sadness. Constant tiredness. God I just wish it would stop it's so awful I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

 

[yive]

life sucks, cause it's all about solving problems, solving problems... endlessly. and then you die. nothing to be gained here, zero. only losses

 

[sorrowful]

both, i have had the same thoughts and feelings since i was a kid. my living conditions never helped, and i also did not start off life with any luck.

i almost never go out and lack a social life. i used to see friends often, but nothing cures the true issues i am facing. constant suffering. the issue is within the fact i exist. i do not want to be here, on earth. i believe as long as i am alive i will suffer.

 

[Source Energy]

Both. My life is just a long sad story. Imagine the main character constantly ignored, belittled, rejected, desperately yearning for warmth and affection like a dog. That is my life. How can I not be depressed?

 

[Unending]

There have been times where it is both for me and times where I was just depressed despite being in a better situation. I'm generally depressive no matter what so naturally have ended up withdrawing from normal human activities due to the severity of my symptoms. So yeah, I'd say these days my life is depressing and I'm depressed.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I'd certainly say it was both. I think in most cases, there is an initial trigger for someone to become depressed. Most likely a depressing life circumstance. Then- following that, they maybe see life through a more pessimistic lens.

It's not like many people get away with having a life devoid of problems. Not EVERYONE wants to kill themselves as a result though. I think the difference may well be in how we perceive life. I'm sure depression does play a part in how a lot of suicidal people think. I guess we just don't have the resilience or even feel the need to deal with the shit show everyone else does.

I don't know whether I think it's 'abnormal' though- ie. illness. It's not exactly 'abnormal' to feel unhappy about something horrible happening to you. It's also fairly logical I would say to go on your own experience. So- if someone finds that- even when things do make them happy- that it is normally followed by an even worse period- why wouldn't they LOGICALLY start to feel that nothing was worth the risk of enjoying to begin with? It would surely taint the experience- worrying what was coming next.

I think we can certainly become trapped in negative ways of thinking though- and I suppose this is depression. I just wish they'd do more physiological studies rather than just go on people's descriptions of how they feel. I think that would make me more convinced that depression was real rather than a natural reaction to a depressing life.

 

[AllMyDreams]

I think that yes, there are some people who are truly depressed because of chemicals in their brain, but for most people there is some kind of trigger, or a general dissatisfaction for where they are, that leads them to be depressed. And chemicals in our brains can make us or more less susceptible.

For example, I have Asperger's and OCD, and with those disorders, there's a lot more that your brain perceives as "going wrong", and you have very black and white thinking. So when something goes wrong it's easy for me to completely off the rails and go straight to wanting to die. But there had to be an initial trigger. Even something like feeling overwhelmed by school that you just don't want to do anything, or doing something you always wanted to do and feeling empty after it was over.

So I believe that depression is an illness, 100%, though certain mindsets/chemicals can make us more susceptible. Either way, you should never be ashamed either way if you have depression, because as humans most of us are conditioned to have mindsets that make us depressed at some point. We are conditioned to compare ourselves against other people, to seek familiarity instead of challenging ourselves to improve, to give up easily, to not give ourselves love and validation but seek it from others instead, etc.

 

[Fadeawaaaay]

The gap between what I would want my life to be, and what it is, is too big… I am unrealistic in my expectation and my capabilities…

 

[MyFinalProject]

both lol

 

[outrider567]

Both

 

[AlternativeHealer2]

It's not even a question. Without impending homelessness and extremely bad health I would be a completely happy person