Depression is Depressing

It's quite weird when you think about it - what can be more depressing than depression? In fact, when you start looking a bit deeper it seems that it is our expectations that seem to have more impact on our emotions than the emotion itself.

Picture the scene : You are about to give a complicated presentation to a huge and sophisticated audience. Nerve-wracking right? (definitely it would be for me - in fact I absolutely would not find myself in this situation). But what, in all honesty, is the thing that makes you most nervous? The possibility that you will be very nervous and your nervousness will show! So there you have it: Being nervous about being nervous.

And how many times, when you've been very happy in life, haven't you thought to yourself "Shit it's good to be happy!"

So it is with depression. When we are depressed we feel a lot of guilt. Guilt towards loved ones, guilt towards our careers and hobbies, guilt, guilt, guilt. Of course all this guilt hasn't a hope in hell in lifting the depression - it just makes it worse, creating a vicious-circle, snowball effect - more depression -> more guilt-> more depression -> more guilt. You get the picture.

So next time you're depressed try break the cycle. Say to yourself - "well, I'm depressed but it's OK. It's not my fault. It'll blow over. It'll make the next high seem higher. It's just a period of consolidation and regrouping..."

Yeah, yeah, yeah..