Why do I feel depressed even when my life is going great?

Depression doesn't need a motive to start, it's a condition that grows in your mind and it's peetty exhausting, keeping all your ambitions and the feeling of wanting to live, away from you. A depressed person doesn't see pleasure at doing some activities they did before, geting out of bed keeps getting harder and harder and harder. It's ok to feel that way if you're depressed, the good news is that it will surely pass, you need to stay strong and try talking to people about it, having a good life doesn't mean you need to feel good and happy.

Struggling with depression can be difficult and hard to understand sometimes. Even when things appear to be going well and you believe you should be happy, depression can cause you to feel as though you will never be okay. This can make it hard to confide in friends and family because not everyone understands what it is like to be depressed for seemingly no reason at all. Always know that there are people out there who do understand what you are going through and are more than willing to help. There are many available sources to look into and people to talk to, especially right here on 7 Cups.

First of all, depression is something that can come about regardless of a person's situation. It occurs in places of wealth and poverty alike. A lot of people assume that if your life is "going great" you should be happy. Think about what makes your life "great." There might be something you are doing that may seem great, but it is actually causing you dissatisfaction. There could also be relationship issues (i.e. romantic, family, etc.) that are weighing on you despite other successes. Even if none of these apply, it's okay not to be okay. Above all, it's important not to blame yourself.

Sometimes you think that your life is perfect because this is what you see everywhere around you. For you, on the other hand, it may not be what your soul desires. First you have to find out your true self and your own expectations and then start asking yourself questions. For example, what area of my life is not how I want it to be? What needs improvement? What needs change? Maybe your life is not created on your own values, but on something that the outer world imposed on you. Find yourself and then start creating the life that you enjoy.

As someone who has and is experiencing the depressive disorder: Dysthymia, which I am more than happy to share, I can completely understand this. For me, it is a mild yet lingering sense of sadness, which never seems to leave. Sometimes become more blunt and obvious than other times. It could be that, perhaps, you are simply experiencing a type of exhaustion or 'burn-out'. When you socially, productively or emotionally wear yourself out, it can have some serious effects on our feelings, like this persistent sad feeling. For me, it's usually worth finding something you're passionate about to try and enjoy whenever you get time to. Or, even, get myself away for a while. No need to go far, maybe just stay at a friend's house, or go to a nice hotel for a night. It can be extremely helpful to give ourselves a break, some luxury now and then.

Depression can have many causes, all of which are complex and can be difficult to understand. In some cases, feelings of depression can be clearly connected to an experience in someone’s life, such as a tragic loss or a violent event. Other people may be aware they have a family history of mental illness and, as a result, may not be caught off guard by a diagnosis of depression. However, some people become depressed and don’t know why. They may feel they do not have a “reason” to be depressed—especially if they perceive their life as being “good” or “easy” compared to others. The pressure to explain or justify how they feel can make depression worse and may prevent people from getting necessary treatment.

Anyone can be depressed regardless of how “good” your life may seem. Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, therefore you could be doing everything right and still may experience depression. Sometimes people think just because you have a “good” life that you can’t be depressed and that’s simply just not true. Never invalidate your emotions, what you feel is valid, it’s okay to feel depressed. So many people struggle with their mental health, you’re not alone, I promise. It’s important to know that having mental illness(s) doesn’t make you weird, it makes you human. Regardless of whatever you may be going through you deserve love, support, and compassion.

Depression is a mood disorder, meaning that like many other illnesses, it can affect you even if you feel as if you have nothing to be depressed about. Depression is caused by many different things. From faulty mood regulation in the brain, to genetics and environmental factors - even adverse reactions to certain medications, drugs and alcohol can all be causes of depression. Even if you feel like your life is going great, try not to fall into frustration over thoughts that revolve around not having anything to "be depressed about" or having people tell you that your experience isn't valid because your environment is positive. The World Health Organisation estimates that 3.8% of the world population has depression, which is over 300 Million people per year! Thankfully, depression is a well researched condition, and there is great help out there. Support services and therapies are a great option to get you working through any depressive thoughts you're having, whilst medications are available that can help you regulate the chemical side of things in your brain. I wish you all the best!

First of all, I believe that we should know the difference between depression and sadness, as an example could mention someone who is fired from their job, what is expected is that this person will be sad, lose their sense and take some time to restructure. During this process their relationships would be shaken and they would become more introspective, in my view this is part of healing something negative that has occurred in their life. Depression is already a disease, changes in the brain cause the person to develop a series of symptoms that require professional help and treatments. If the second is the case, I believe that the most appropriate thing is to seek help, the listeners of our community are an excellent tool to follow the whole process along with the member who must seek help from a specialized professional in parallel!

I feel depressed even when my life is going great because my focus has gone off how great my life is and instead is focused on the negative and buying into the bad and upsetting feelings I’m creating. When this downward spiral happens it’s important to catch myself somehow and redirect that energy back up, like a trampoline. Perhaps I’ll take some deep breaths, set aside worry time for later, drink some water or distract myself with something like a hobby or whatever. If that doesn’t work I may be ignoring a basic need - am I hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired? And then address that as proactively and gratefully and humbly as possible.