Lets Fight Depression

There has been some research that suggests that people who are more optimistic are less likely to have depression.  For example, one of the studies relating to optimism and depression can be seen here.  However, does that really mean that convincing yourself to be optimistic will actually cure depression?

Unfortunately, this is much more complicated than it appears on the surface.  People suffering from major depressive disorder and other forms of depression do not have the ability to flip a switch and change their method of thinking.  In addition, a chemical imbalance makes them very easily discouraged when it comes to thinking in a positive light.  For example, think about trying to calm yourself down when you are already upset.  It is incredibly difficult to do.  This is very much the same with people who are depressed as their body is telling them that they are supposed to be depressed, not happy.

Kris experienced years where people continued to tell him that he needed to be happier and that he needed to smile more.  This only made him more frustrated that people didn’t understand what he was going through.  He could fake a smile, but he could never change his pessimistic outlook no matter how hard he tried.

Cures for depression generally involve more than one form of treatment.  So even if a person were somehow able to change their entire disposition so that they went from a pessimistic person to an optimistic person, it is likely that they would still suffer from depression without multiple other forms of treatment.  In addition, depression is a life-long battle and not something that can just be changed once by going to a “Happy Place.”  Certainly support groups and other organizations where people are prone to have a more positive attitude on the world may be a good influence, but this is not enough when it comes to fighting depression.  It takes a lot more than just talking to people to prevent a relapse.  Although “positive energy” as some people like to call it may help alleviate stress and other symptoms, it does not fight against the root of the problem.  The fight against depression is about battling the disease itself rather than just one or two symptoms.  This may actually be negative in the fact that it is teaching a negative person to pretend to be happy when in fact they are actually miserable.  Sometimes it is best to talk about why you are feeling pessimistic rather than pretend to be optimistic.

Kris has found that many people want to give him advice and pretend that he is not suffering from depression.  Faking happiness is not something that is going to be beneficial to a person with depression so please do not ever recommend this treatment unless you have first consulted with a doctor.

Perhaps optimism is more of a sign that a person’s happiness chemicals are in a good balance rather than something that can be changed in a person that already has major depressive disorder or another form ofdepression.  Therefore people who are more optimistic may be less prone to depression because optimism is an outward sign that everything is okay within the body.  Fortunately, this is good news for people who have an optimistic lifestyle approach because they are less likely to get the symptoms of depression.  But for those of us who already suffer from this disease, changing ourselves to be an optimistic person is just not something that seems plausible.

Kris has been seeking treatment for his depression for years and still can be considered a very pessimist person.  Pessimism in itself does not mean that a person is depressed and optimism in itself does not mean that a person is not depressed.