Despair and Depression. Am I Too Depressed to Get Better?

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• Despair and Depression. Am I Too Depressed to Get Better?
• How to Deal with Despair
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Video: Bipolar Disorder and Giving Up on Life
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Mental Health Quote

Despair and Depression. Am I Too Depressed to Get Better?

It’s one of the cruelest aspects of depression and nearly every other mental illness. It’s despair, the feeling and the thought that you’ve fallen so far down that you’ll never be able to climb back out. When the symptoms of depression, severe anxiety, and more crush you under their weight, it’s almost impossible to believe that you have the strength to push them away and climb.

The thing about despair is that it feeds on itself. It pushes the real you—emotions and thoughts and beliefs and actions and hopes and dreams and a sense of purpose and love and connections—aside so it can grow.

How to Deal with Despair

Despair, though, is nothing more than one of many human emotions. Rather than thinking of climbing up, think instead of slipping past it. The first step is getting out from under its weight. To do so, remember one part of the real you that is still there, and you want out of hiding. Gradually go after it. Maybe it’s an emotion like amazement. To feel amazement or awe, get online and explore things that you find interesting. Even if you still feel despair, you’ve brought back a piece of yourself and are starting to slip past despair.

You are not too depressed to get better. We can all get better. Reclaiming pieces of yourself shrinks despair and nurtures your true self.

(Note: If you feel like you’ll never get better and are considering harming yourself, please call or chat with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255); https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Related Articles Dealing with Depression and Despair

• Types of Depression
• Effects of Depression: Physical, Social Effects of Depression
• How to Get Out of Depression
• 10 Ways to Cope with Depression that Work
• Feeling Depressed? Focus on Personality to Find Ways to Cope

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: If you’ve ever experienced despair, what have you done to lift yourself out of it? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page and on the HealthyPlace Google+ page.

From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• Changing Bipolar Stigma: The Power of Language
• Three Tips for Managing Anxiety During the Holiday Season
• When Bipolar Wrecks Your Work Life -- Dos and Don'ts
• Are Your Yearly Goals Harmful to Your Mental Health?
• When Dissociation and Chronic Illness Collide
• I Cope with Schizoaffective Anxiety by Creating Coziness
• Build a Network for Anxiety Support That Includes Yourself
• Thoughtful Gifts for Depressed People
• How Being a Highly Sensitive Man Can Affect Your Self-Esteem
• Perfectionism Isn't Always About Being Perfect
• How to Maintain ED Recovery During Holiday Travels
• How to Avoid Holiday Anxiety
• My Adult ADHD Morning Routine: Could It Work for You?
• How to Write a Pros and Cons List for Decision-Making

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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From HealthyPlace YouTube Channel

I'm Hannah. I Have Bipolar 2

Bipolar Disorder and Giving Up on Life

Wanting to give up on life when you live with bipolar disorder is real. The feeling is real. (Watch Hannah and subscribe to the HealthyPlace YouTube channel for more great mental health videos.)

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. 4 Ways to Prevent Depression Relapse
2. How to Minimize the Mean World Syndrome and Reduce Anxiety
3. When Going Vegan in ED Recovery Is Helpful—And When It's Not

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Mental Health Quote

"There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t."

Read more mental health quotes.

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