I've been depressed my entire life, what is it like to not be depressed?

Not being depressed is like not living under a cloud. I've experienced both at different times, and am currently going through my most recent bout of depression. Depression is living under a cloud or in a fog, and it's hard to grasp a positive thought. They're like vague shadows. Without depression it's like the fog has lifted and you can see everything clearly. The bad doesn't linger and the good can be taken hold of for as long as you want.

That's a difficult question. Have you tried to find this out for yourself? You say you have been depressed your entire life, you should try to seek help for that! Depression is not something that is fun to live with, and you deserve to be happy, motivated, and have a regular sleep schedule. :)

When you're depressed, you feel heavy and dark. Being not depressed is like you have the light in the world in your hands and the biggest smile inside of you. You feel light and just happy to be alive and thankful for all that you have.

Not to be depressed is like living without the feeling of a heavy weight on your chest... like getting up feeling at peace and not anxious or not wanting to get out of bed... its like being at peace even if things are not well...

I don't know what is not to be depresssed, but I think it's like leave and just feel normal, and then happy, and then normal again, not feeling bad.

Not being depressed vs being depressed - Being Depressed: Driving a car with your hands tied towards the seat, you cant move your arms and struggle at every point to steer the car. Sometimes even your feet are bound and all you can do is push the accelerator sometimes, then the brakes but you have no real control or the ability to steer your car in the direction you want - your attempts to do so are a freaking struggle to say the least while you watch everyone drive away, going forward, doing stunts you can only dream of.... Not depressed - your hands are no longer bound, your feet are free too - suddenly you are in way more control of your internal environment and can move better, the traffic jams, the bumpy rides dont bother you as much as before. You start enjoying the ride in a way you never thought was possible and you start waving at the fellows driving with you. You want to go places, you feel alive inside - things are no longer a struggle and you want to go on.

I really don’t know what anyone is talking about. It’s like I have all this hearing damage from using heavy equipment so I try to eagerly listen harder. I try to figure out what a meaning is or understand and am really completely disconnected. I feel horrible for my kids because I just go through life doing what I am supposed to do. I have no convictions or beliefs or reasons why. I get absolutely no joy from anything but I question myself if this is okay. I’m physically fine, I try at my career and dislike it more increasingly by the day. I usually use sarcasm to make others laugh, overly so to where those who know me expect it from me. My indifference is overbearing and I can’t understand where it comes from. I expect the worst from every situation and have a thousand ways to compensate for what goes wrong in any scenario. I am terribly responsible and don’t care to be at all. I guess what I’m saying is I have absolutely no joy in anything, I don’t know what it is and don’t understand what it could be like to not be depressed. Something as big as winning the lottery or as small as seeing a gentle butterfly would have no affect on me. I’m bothered that I feel like I’m not even a person, yet I do this everyday and everyday I feel this way. I wish I knew different. Oh lastly I have an inability to pose a smile for a picture or lie to people about my mood. I can’t pretend to be excited like others around me. What does any of this mean?

When you are not depressed everything is fun and you are always happy, unless something upsets you.

It's... fun? You can laugh. Take pleasure in a lot of things. Feel like the sun. No one's judging you. The world is great... yeah.

Free to believe in yourself without doubting your abilities. Content and assertive about your being.

Not being depressed is just the act of knowing that it's okay to have problems, and it's okay to feel overwhelmed, but still knowing that at one point you'll have the willpower and energy to deal with them. It's acceptance.

It is like you are free. You don't feel trapped anymore and feel that you are not in a dungeon anymore.

When you are not depressed, you feel...satisfied. content. happy. You find pleasure in simple acts of kindness and love and display positive thinking. Your self esteem is high and you feel confident, clear headed and you don't find it too hard to be self motivated.

Not to be depressed is like you're a new born person. Nothing is more precious than accepting who you are, embracing your imperfections and reminding yourself that you're a strong & beautiful human. It's pretty like a new beginning , finding joy in little things, spending time doing what you love and most of all learning to be in love with life while forgetting those painful moments. :)

It feels like waking up fully rested, having clarity, energy and the desire to do the things you enjoy.

I'm sure that one day you will be able to find out by yourself... Until then.... You can count on me

It's basically the same up and down, just a lot less extreme. And it's easier to get yourself to do stuff.

I used to believe that the direct opposite of depression is an extreme form of happiness. Every person who does not suffer from depression does not walk around in this ethereal version of happiness. In fact, most people are simply being. They are being who they are in the moment. Whether that is happy, sad, or even a state of neutral. Depression puts a veil of sadness on everything so it is often difficult to notice when you are actually feeling "neutral." I found that it is important to note when the corners of your mouth rise just a little, even if it is a smirk to yourself-- an inside joke with yourself. That moment is just a little second of not being depressed. Eventually the more you notice them small holes will prick through the veil of depression and you will notice that you have a lot more moments of neutral and even happy than you thought you did before-- you just have to find them!

If depression can be comparable to a hole that one just cannot seem to get out of; the absence of depression is a state of being out of that hole. The world does not seem to be closing in on you-you are free to explore and go around. Outside of that hole, we see rain and sun, night and day with such sensitivity. It is a world full of emotion and color.

Interesting question. I think everyone who deals with depression wonders the same. It’s a strange world not to be depressed if that’s what you are used to, but it takes some getting used to. You’ll get there one day, I believe in you.

While I haven't been depressed my whole life, I was stuck in a rut for a while. I felt empty like my life didn't have meaning. Then I realized I can make my own meaning. I feel happiest when I'm helping people. It feels so much more real than superficial things like fame or money. When I'm not depressed I live in the moment more & embrace the little things. Life feels like an opportunity rather than a chore. A lot of it is a conscious effort for me to see things that way but it gets more natural & it's totally worth it. I try to get as much as possible out of every situation for me & everyone else & channel every situation into something as positive as possible. I keep an open mind

Being depressed your entire life is a long time to be feeling sad, and with that, so many great things in life can be missed. You are not alone, many people experience depression, that is why we have professional help, so that we can learn ways to feel better and experience more positive feelings.

I can't answer that for you I'm afraid, depression can be overwhelming but there will a time in your life that you are happy, no matter how far away it may seem.

A quiet mind, contented feeling . Able to relax and concentrate on whatever you are doing and not feeling the way you were before. That is what it's like to be without depression

your mind is clearer, you are more likely to accept your mistakes and forgive yourself, you do not overthink nor you blame yourself for other people's problems, yo enjoy doing things for yourself and comprehend that the others' opinions don't matter unless you want to, you feel free, free to experience things, to be happy or sad, or angry, or mad or frustated or whatever emotion but remembering that nothing is permanent, and most of things cannot be viewed only in a black or white schematic, but instead in infinite tones of grey.

When you go to the bed in the night , you got a little smile becouse the new day is so soon to comming.

It's exactly the opposite of how you process your thoughts ..you get to invest your time and energy o things what matter to you and your happiness

not sure, i stil suffer with depression tbh. it sucks and it brings my life down sometimes, but you just gotta stay strong my love.

It feels like you can do whatever you want, freedom. Waking up and being motivated to start the day.

When you are not depressed, you don't worry about anything and your just happy but not all the time. You look forward to do things you want