Is Depression Too Comfortable?
Recently I shared about my new resolve to try to stop thinking about one of the things that I think about too much. Can we really control our thinking when we are depressed? Do the thoughts choose us or do we choose them? Or a bit of both?
Last time I talked about measuring your progress. If you are not making progress, is there a reason?
I was challenged by a post by John on Storied Mind recently. He asked the question "Is there comfort in depression?"
He made me think! He made me want to challenge myself by sorting my thoughts. Which thoughts are an automatic thought cycle when depression hits? I would answer that with this list:
'what's the use?'
'this is too much for me, I can't do it'
'I can't do anything right'
I could go on and on. Have you noticed that these are generalized thoughts, or generic thoughts? There are no names or people in these thoughts. I believe these are the kinds of thoughts that go with the illness.
Then there are other kinds of thoughts such as:
'If he hadn't done ____ then I wouldn't be _____'
'Why does so and so always say ______?'
'I can't stand the way so and so does that.'
I am not sure if those are good examples but what I am trying to attempt here are thoughts that are related to specific people and specific situations. These are the areas that we can, if we choose to, exercise some control over our thoughts.
As I mentioned last time, I am trying to talk myself out of ruminating over those kinds of thoughts. I will keep you posted from time to time about how it's going.
How about you? Do you have some thoughts that are destroying you? Is there anything you can do about it? Do you want to do something about it or is it comfortable? Only you can answer these questions.
Next time I would like to give you an idea of how you can measure your progress.
For a dose of laughter medicine click here.
May Dispy Doodling Around Depression
be better than a therapy session.
Don't give up,
I'm praying for you!
Wendy Love
5 comments:
Hi Wendy,
I found you via On Blogging Well. I have struggled with depression since I was a teenager and have taken meds off and on as an adult. Mostly off. That thought "what's the use" is at the root of my issues. A book my sister gave me is helping me take control when the negative moods come knocking. It's called Mind Over Mood by Greenberger and Padesky. My faith is what keeps me going. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Debra,
Welcome to Dipsy Doodling. I am glad you droppped by. Thanks for sharing the name of that book. I will have to look it up sometime. Don't give up....
Depression is too comfortable for me. It has become a decades-long habit. So much easier to be grumpy and withdrawn than to smile and joke and take myself lightly. At the tail end of the year I remembered (through writing) the power of some spiritual 'peak' experiences I had ten years ago. It came back to me how certain I once was that we live in a loving, unitary, and smooth-running cosmos. I'm working to get back to that place, and make it so comfortable that I'll find easier to smile than frown. But until I read your post I did not think in terms of comfort. It's a good image to work with. Thanks for the insight.
Depression is too comfortable for me. It has become a decades-long habit. So much easier to be grumpy and withdrawn than to smile and joke and take myself lightly. At the tail end of the year I remembered (through writing) the power of some spiritual 'peak' experiences I had ten years ago. It came back to me how certain I once was that we live in a loving, unitary, and smooth-running cosmos. I'm working to get back to that place, and make it so comfortable that I'll find easier to smile than frown. But until I read your post I did not think in terms of comfort. It's a good image to work with. Thanks for the insight.
WillSpirit,
Thank you for sharing so honestly. I had a moment of too comfortable yesterday but when faced with the possibility of going out with friends, I agreed to it, thinking that it might be just what I needed. We went out, had a good long visit. I found myself thinking 'I'm doing okay, this isn't so bad'. However, woke up this morning feeling lousy. Socializing does not seem to fit in with my illness at all. So, is it comfort or necessity for me to spend so much time home alone? I really don't know. It is worth considering.
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