When the thoughts that invade you bring back memories of moments of suffering and pain. When nostalgia permeates your sensations, when you find yourself in a position in which the ideas sound like you were not happy and lead you to project that you will never be happy. You might conclude that you don’t deserve it and nothing will change.
Even if someone tried to remind you of a moment that you enjoyed, that you were happy, you will most likely conclude that they are wrong or that they are simply trying to cheer you up. But if there were the possibility, of allowing yourself to be happy about some achievement, share with friends, participate in activities that you enjoy. To not give up before experiencing it again, and not to rule out feeling happiness before trying it and reliving it.
Why am I telling you about this? It turns out that disappointment and hopelessness are affecting the existence of many people, even at an increasingly younger age. When thinking about what you have achieved, you could come to the conclusion that you have not achieved anything important as you had dreamed of.
Then you may feel a bitter taste, a disappointment with feelings of inadequacy, the idea of being a complete failure. And when you experience that you have not achieved anything valuable, the belief that life is not worth living can arise. For the WHO, depression is considered the fourth leading cause of morbidity and suicide the third leading cause of death worldwide in people between 15 and 34 years of age.
These are thoughts that become mental traps, an illogical thought, a cognitive distortion, which establishes the conviction of an inexplicable dilemma. If you do not value achievements, there will be an illusion that you are unproductive. Unnecessarily, you may reproach yourself, I’m not worth it, I don’t count for anything, I’m not capable. Focusing only on errors or inabilities. It is a weapon that can always turn into continuous recrimination, reminding you that you have not been enough, and into which you fall again.
How to stop that circle from repeating itself?
It could benefit you, recognize the absurdity of self-criticism and raise self-worth and self-compassion. Let’s stop a little now, to make you aware that repeating the same ideas over and over again will only worry you unnecessarily. On the contrary, recognizing and understanding it can alleviate the suffering and presence of distorted thoughts. Thus evidencing the illogicality of self-criticism and raising compassion for yourself, until you find the precise path or the correct key that opens the potential happiness locked behind ideas of self-limitation.
Continuous work and a lot of patience is essential to find the desired answers. But in more complex situations, it requires therapeutic support to achieve it. The hopelessness experienced by seriously depressed people is usually greater than that of patients with terminal illnesses, even in the face of a poor prognosis. Therefore, it is essential to highlight the absurdity of hopelessness, to prevent further depression, even suicidal ideas. In the presence of distorted thoughts, wrong ideas or unfortunate assumptions. Recovering your mood is essential, even if you don’t consider it possible.
And even if clinical support is disqualified, a good professional will remain with you to continue the therapeutic work. The idea is to understand the feelings of uselessness, even the irrationalness of some responses. When you discover how to open the door of inner peace, you find a wealth that overcomes the difficulties of the path, that moment is worth every effort, because every frustration overcome radiates joy. A practical way to check if the approval of others is affecting you would be:
The essential thing would be to go from feeling better to being better, because you should not only look for the pain to pass or disappear, something else would have to be implicit. Understand the reason why you become depressed. Identify what things or strategies have helped you feel better at other times.
Recognize your personal value, you are a unique and unrepeatable being, that is something inescapable that you have to believe. You are worth it, you have opportunities and regardless of whether or not you achieve success or recognition from others, you should feel love for yourself and be happy with yourself. What can you consider?
We all have the right to get irritated, feel bad and discouraged, the question would be: Is it right for you, is it worth it? We must learn to release emotions, which sometimes we do not know how to verbalize. It is also worth identifying that suffering can guide us to prevent, but you can better nourish yourself with the things that connect you with admiration and love, and above all, repair misunderstandings, conflicts, so as not to stay hooked or dragging tension. Above all, keep in mind to connect with yourself in a loving way and without judgment. And instead of dwelling on whether something is bad or good, ask yourself: What can you learn from it?
What can you do if he thinks you are depressed? as recommended by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Seek professional help, the right support will undoubtedly help you feel better, and if you have suicidal thoughts, do so immediately. Continue doing the activities you liked when you felt well and avoid isolating yourself, maintaining contact with your family and friends.
Likewise, maintain your regular eating and sleeping habits, exercise regularly, even if it is just a short walk, a sedentary lifestyle does not help, nor does the intake of alcohol or the consumption of illicit drugs, since these products can worsen depression. Keep in mind that you are the most important thing, accept that you may feel depressed and adjust your expectations, perhaps you will not be able to carry out everything you used to do, give yourself time to get back on track. Becoming aware of the meaning of life is essential in the face of limiting conditions and is positively associated with resilience and psychological well-being.
Turn on your inner light
It is important to recognize that your thoughts are the only ones that can affect your mood. You don’t need enlightenment from others to see your light, nor praise from others to approve of yourself. If necessary, make an effort to notice the positive things about yourself, only then will your self-respect and self-support resurface. To live in the here and now, because that is where life is.
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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team at PsychologyFor to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to evidence-based research. The content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
