As someone who has suffered from depression in the past, I'd like to borrow Steven Fry's words on depression:
“You don’t get depressed because bad things happen to you. . .depression is something that happens like weather to you, it’s inside you. . .it’s not enough to talk yourself out of it by saying, ‘but I shouldn’t be depressed because I’ve got people who are nice to me’. . .It’s very important, at least to get that stage of it out of the way, to recognise it as a mood disorder, as something that is akin to weather.”
I feel like there is a lot of confusion between "Shit Life Syndrome" and depression, and to the people suffering from either I'm not sure the difference is much of a consolation.
I had to put down my childhood dog down today. He was with me every day throughout my depression. It's awful, it hurts and I'll never be able to replace the role that dog played in my life. I don't feel depressed though, I feel distraught.
I'm lucky enough to have lived an incredibly privileged life, with a stable family, excellent education and opportunities etc. so today is the worst I've felt in ages. With that in mind, I don't feel like I can lay claim to even "Shit Life Syndrome", I live in a country that has nearly eradicated COVID, I have a strong support base among family friends and coworkers.
With all that in mind, all I want to drive home is that if you're depressed, you don't need a reason. Though if you do have reasons you could have depression or you could not (I'm never going to tell someone the way they feel is invalid), either way I hope everyone out there is looking after themselves as best they can.
But it often has a connection with your current circumstances, no? I mean, I bet most inmates are kinda depressed right? And most people living in villas in Venice California aren't as depressed. I'm using extreme examples, I know.
There are things which can contribute to depression: stress, lack of agency etc.
But they won't cause depression in everyone, while someone who is susceptible to depression will fall into depression without those - but they make it more likely.
In hindsight your early 20s are a lot more fungible than it seems at the start. 20-25 you can really do a lot of the same things. Heck, even your 30s you can do a lot more than you think you can when you're looking forward from 20.
Also keep in mind that everyone your age is in the same boat this year.
Personally it's the pandemic and the ensuing financial stress and isolation that came from it. I haven't hung out with any of my friends in eight months due to a combination of those factors.
I answered yes, even though I suspect I am not clinically depressed and nowhere near the levels of some posters on here.
But compared to the average person, I definitely appear depressed/emo/sad/tired.
And if you were to talk to me in a conversation, I would inevitably drag the conversation (like I am doing now) to be all about my woes, regrets, and how I find living in one of the best first-world cities to be "sad" and lacking of purpose. I will also cynically suggest that everyone else seems so happy and normal, that no one else really has problems. Then you might start to find me off-putting, impolite, condescending, all of which are actually just unwanted side-effects of my symptoms manifesting in social situations; after the conversation ends, I will surely start to ruminate and regret what I said, realizing that I am a PoS for having left a piece of negative energy in the world, and that the world would be better without my negativity. But since everyone in this thread is chiming in about their situation, I feel perfectly at home, because now I don't feel like the odd one out.
What are some of the reasons you all have for being depressed?
Also, is this possibly a self selective poll? Are non depressed people not bothering to answer?