Depression is one of the most common and dangerous health conditions of the 21st century, second only to obesity. It affects millions of people worldwide, and while some of them suffer from mild and temporary depression that typically resolves by itself, others suffer from a deep state of depression where they are feeling down and hopeless all the time. As a matter of fact, as much as 7% of the world’s population is said to be suffering from depression, and only a small percentage of those actually do something about it. While being depressed is certainly a negative thing that can seriously impact your life, it also has its upsides. Here are seven reasons why you should embrace your depression – accepting it and realizing its advantages is a big step toward overcoming it!
1.
It Can Help You Focus on the Things That Truly Matter
Few of us actually realize how important certain aspects of life are until we get depressed and start to analyze everything on a greater, deeper level. We often tend to take things for granted without thinking twice about them. For some of us, especially for those who have artistic inclinations, depression tends to focus their mind on the most essential problems of life. Taking Darwin as an example, he is known to have suffered from chronic depression, and it was that deep sadness and pain that helped him analyze everything – a trait that helped him greatly when developing his evolutionary theory. For some of us, depression can be the tool we need to create greater things – things that we may otherwise be unable to create if we were always content or happy.
2.
Depression is Sometimes the Mother of Creativity
It’s widely known that some of the world’s greatest writers and painters created their masterpieces when they were depressed or deeply hurt. It is almost an unwritten rule of the universe: when you experience a high level of sadness and depression, you tend to create deeply moving things. This is precisely what makes depression such a huge paradox these days, since for some of them depression is often associated with a lack of focus, determination or motivation. Some of those who are depressed simply feel like staying in bed or inside the house for days or even weeks. Others, though, get an inspirational outburst when they are depressed.
3.
It Can Actually Help You Think Clearly
Another common myth surrounding depression is that it prevents you from thinking clearly. For some people, however, it actually helps them concentrate and see things in a totally different light. This aspect of depression applies especially if the depression was triggered by a traumatic life event, such as the loss of somebody dear to you.
4.
Depression Can Be the Best Motivator
Depression is commonly associated with both deep sadness and anxiety – these feelings are basic traits of depression. However, what most of us fail to understand is that depression can actually turn out to be one of the most motivating things that happens to an individual. Although this is not a general rule and it varies greatly from one person to another (depending on each individual’s own way of thinking and coping with things), depression can sometimes force you to find joy and to stick to it. Sadness can be enabling to some, and depression can actually help us appreciate joy more than ever before. We are all familiar with the saying “You don’t know the true value of something until it is gone,” and this applies to depression – it can help you see the beauty and joy in everything.
It Can Actually Help You Think Clearly
Another common myth surrounding depression is that it prevents you from thinking clearly. For some people, however, it actually helps them concentrate and see things in a totally different light. This aspect of depression applies especially if the depression was triggered by a traumatic life event, such as the loss of somebody dear to you.
4.
Depression Can Be the Best Motivator
Depression is commonly associated with both deep sadness and anxiety – these feelings are basic traits of depression. However, what most of us fail to understand is that depression can actually turn out to be one of the most motivating things that happens to an individual. Although this is not a general rule and it varies greatly from one person to another (depending on each individual’s own way of thinking and coping with things), depression can sometimes force you to find joy and to stick to it. Sadness can be enabling to some, and depression can actually help us appreciate joy more than ever before. We are all familiar with the saying “You don’t know the true value of something until it is gone,” and this applies to depression – it can help you see the beauty and joy in everything.
5.
Depression Can Teach You to Find Reasons for Living
This may sound contradictory, since depression is often associated with a lack of desire to live, but in some cases where a person is so depressed that they only see the world in ‘black and white,’ the depression can help them find reasons for living and going on. Life will try to bring you down more than once, but it is important to stand up more times than you fall down. Depression can help you make a retrospective analysis of your life; it will make you look back and see where you may have done wrong, and what you can correct to make things better. In this sense, depression can help you learn from past mistakes.
6.
It Can Help You Cherish Your Health and Family
When people are depressed, they tend to believe there is nothing good left in the world. However, it often happens that our friends and family show their true support when we are down and we need them. Depression can be a good test to see who is with you and who will flee at the first sign of weakness. Being depressed means that you will need the moral and emotional support of those close to you – and it will undoubtedly make you cherish your health, your friends and your family. Unfortunately, many of us tend to take these things for granted until it is too late.
7.
Depression Stimulates Analytical Reasoning
When depression is linked to an external factor (as happens most of the time), it commonly promotes what is known as ‘analytical reasoning,’ meaning it will make you think about the factors that triggered the depression, thus allowing you to view the problem analytically. In other words, instead of looking at the bigger picture, you will ‘break it down’ into smaller pieces that will help you understand it better. It is a type of coping mechanism that we all have, and one that is often activated by depression. This is one of the many reasons why you should embrace your depression and learn to make the best of it.
Depression is certainly not something one would wish for, but it doesn’t mean that you cannot make something positive out of it. Those suffering from depression should try to keep an open mind and to analyze all the pros and cons of situations objectively, and they might be amazed to see that there are actually several upsides they have never considered.
Arrange by dearJulius.com Team
Depression Can Teach You to Find Reasons for Living
This may sound contradictory, since depression is often associated with a lack of desire to live, but in some cases where a person is so depressed that they only see the world in ‘black and white,’ the depression can help them find reasons for living and going on. Life will try to bring you down more than once, but it is important to stand up more times than you fall down. Depression can help you make a retrospective analysis of your life; it will make you look back and see where you may have done wrong, and what you can correct to make things better. In this sense, depression can help you learn from past mistakes.
6.
It Can Help You Cherish Your Health and Family
When people are depressed, they tend to believe there is nothing good left in the world. However, it often happens that our friends and family show their true support when we are down and we need them. Depression can be a good test to see who is with you and who will flee at the first sign of weakness. Being depressed means that you will need the moral and emotional support of those close to you – and it will undoubtedly make you cherish your health, your friends and your family. Unfortunately, many of us tend to take these things for granted until it is too late.
7.
Depression Stimulates Analytical Reasoning
When depression is linked to an external factor (as happens most of the time), it commonly promotes what is known as ‘analytical reasoning,’ meaning it will make you think about the factors that triggered the depression, thus allowing you to view the problem analytically. In other words, instead of looking at the bigger picture, you will ‘break it down’ into smaller pieces that will help you understand it better. It is a type of coping mechanism that we all have, and one that is often activated by depression. This is one of the many reasons why you should embrace your depression and learn to make the best of it.
Depression is certainly not something one would wish for, but it doesn’t mean that you cannot make something positive out of it. Those suffering from depression should try to keep an open mind and to analyze all the pros and cons of situations objectively, and they might be amazed to see that there are actually several upsides they have never considered.
Arrange by dearJulius.com Team