CAN YOU LIVE WITH DEPRESSION?
Can you live with depression?
Are you living with depression?
Would you like to learn how to live a happy and fulfilling life even with depression?
Depression is a silent disease. It affects 1 in 10 people at any time in their life (and that’s just the cases that are reported).
Depression can affect any of us at any time. There is no ‘classic’ or ‘typical’ profile of a person who will suffer from depression. There can be life events or physiology that mean some people are more prone to depression than others, but ultimately the scientific and medical community do not know why depression happens. What we do know is that life happens and as it happens to us, we each respond differently to, and experience those changes differently. For some of us that culminates in thoughts, feelings and behaviours of depression.
Can you live with depression?
It certainly is possible to live with depression. There are a wealth of tools and techniques that can be learnt that can enable you to live with the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of depression in a constructive and positive way.
However, what happens if your identity starts to fuse with your depression?
You start to recognise yourself as a depressive. You find comfort and safety in the boundaries and restriction that depression places on you and your life. It becomes a defect to hide behind, and keep the real world (where you feel vulnerable) at arms length. Depression can become such a large part of your personality that you may never have felt more ‘alive’ (or, more like ‘you’) than when you are feeling down, depressed, alone and like no one will ever understand you. This depressed life is what you deserve.
In this situation, we are dealing with shame and / or guilt.
According to Shame researcher Brene Brown, Shame is ‘I am not good enough’, and Guilt is ‘I did a bad thing’.
Most people who have suffered depression can and will recognise with one or both of these statements.
The great thing about recognising that your depression is connected to guilt or shame is that it’s the key to recovery and learning to live with your depression. It enables you to see you depression as something separate to you, that lives within you. It is no longer all of you, it is a facet to work with and manage.
If you would like to learn about how identifying and understanding your depression can help you live a happy and fulfilling life get in touch.
If you would like to learn more about the great work of Brene Brown, check out my book recommendations.
If you would like to share your experiences of depression, shame and guilt leave me a message below.
Wishing you a happy and confident day!
Lydia x