Why am I so Depressed?
Do you ask yourself this question ever?
I am going to give you a couple of ideas to mull over to answer your question of why am I so depressed.
Why am I so Depressed – One
Today you are in a state of depression which led you to ask why am I so depressed. How did you get into this state of depression? I believe that there are a couple of paths which lead to this state and once we identify them, we have numerous tools to get you out, but for the meantime, your question is how you got into this state of depression in the first place.
The answer is either because of what has happened to you during your life and/or your genetic and biochemical makeup. No matter which one it is, neither of them can be changed. Everything that you have experienced in your lifetime, they have happened and once an event transpires, that is it, it is frozen in the past. You cannot change what has happened. I believe that depression, especially when it is totally based on external events, can drown us like a flood, initially we get hit wave by wave of incidents which knock us down and then finally we can be clobbered by the straw that breaks the camel's back, the final blow.
So, if you depression is based on external events, then what has happened is that you have been overcome by waves of circumstances that have sunk you to the point of drowning.
Why am I so Depressed – Two
If your depression is based on your chemical make up, then you are most likely not producing a sufficient amount of the chemical serotonin as is reported in Medical News Today:
Fast facts on serotonin
Here are some key points about serotonin. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.
- Serotonin is a chemical created by the human body. It works as a neurotransmitter.
- It is commonly regarded as a chemical that is responsible for maintaining mood balance.
- Serotonin is created by a biochemical conversion process.
- Serotonin is manufactured in the brain and the intestines. The majority of the body's serotonin, between 80-90%, can be found in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Serotonin that is used inside the brain must be produced within it.
- It is thought that serotonin can affect mood and social behavior, appetite and digestion, sleep, memory and sexual desire and function.
- An association has been made between depression and serotonin. Scientists remain unsure whether decreased levels of serotonin contribute to depression or depression causes a decrease in serotonin levels.
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can affect the levels of serotonin in the body.
- If excessive amounts of serotonin are accumulated within the body then serotonin syndrome can occur.
- Other ways to increase body serotonin levels include mood induction, light, exercise and diet.((1 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232248.php))
As you might have guessed, many of the antidepressants on the market are developed to boost your levels of seretonin.
Why am I so Depressed – Action Plan
Now you know the answer to why am I so depressed. Either because of events that have transpired in your life and you have been finally overwhelmed by your thoughts and memories that you replay frequently or because of your own chemical make up. A third reason can be a combination of them both. Many people suffer from negative life experiences without falling into depression, so clearly, there is a vulnerability in the make up of a person who does.
Whatever the case is, you are now in a state of depression. In my view, how and why you got into this state of depression is less important than how to get out. Depression is decadent misery, rich in the sense of being in hell without even having died. Untreated Depression is the number one cause of suicide.((https://www.suicide.org/suicide-causes.html)) Next to dying because of depression, living in depression is the next worst scenario because as you know living in depression is no picnic.
The action plan to get you out of depression has several major components. Even though I originally said that this post is only for answering your question of why am I so depressed, it is not possible for me to stop there because of the urgency of taking steps now, today to get you on your way out of depression.
Mind and Body Fitness One Day at a Time
Huh? What does mind and body fitness have to do with leaving the ‘state' of depression and landing in the land of the living? This is your action plan, mind and body fitness one day at a time. Every day you want to make gradual if not spectacular improvement in your mind and body fitness and you will see that you will be able to not only stop your descent into deeper depression, but you will also be able to start climbing out of the pit of depression.
Why am I so Depressed – Mind Fitness Actionable Steps
1. Make a committment to stop descending into further depression. How? By making the committment! Make the choice. Use your own POWER, because there is no pill on the planet that will give you more power than you already have within yourself. Make the choice! Say that you have had enough and commit to no longer going deeper down into your depression.
2. Instead of spending the majority of time in your day replaying the failures of the past, start to visualize and affirm a stronger present and future. That is right, you are going to have to start thinking differently as well as speaking differently. You need to build a new home so to speak with new rooms that will motivate you to take new action every day to attain your goals. So, instead of replaying the scenes in your mind of let's say your divorce, or job loss, or that you are now 275 pounds, now you have to see yourself building a new life with a new career, new relationships and a new physique.
As mentioned above, mood induction is a natural way to increase body serotonin levels. Alterations in thought, either through psychotherapy or self-induction, could increase levels of serotonin if the interaction between serotonin synthesis and mood is a two-way relationship. The better your mood, the more serotonin and vice versa.
3. Instead of hiding in your man cave or she shed, get yourself out into the light, into the sun for more light and if you cannot get any light, start to supplement with vitamin D3. A few studies have suggested that light can be used to treat depression.
Why am I so Depressed – Body Fitness Actionable Steps
1. Start moving! Take a walk, go for a swim, play outside, I know you are not in the mood and if you are already on antidepressants you are likely suffering with dry mouth and a lack of energy, but push yourself to get exercise. As noted in the above article of Medical News Today exercise has an antidepressant effect, and some research has suggested that it can increase brain serotonin function.
2. Start eating real food. Foods that have higher levels of tryptophan than others could be linked to improved mood and cognition, possibly due to increased serotonin levels. Better nutrition is going to result in a better body and a stronger healthier body is going to produce more serotonin. Foods with the highest levels of tryptophan include spinach, eggs, soy protein and tofu.((https://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-000079000000000000000.html))
Why am I so Depressed – Build your mind and body fitness one day at a time
Do not give up! I know how overwhelming depression feels. You do have the power to change your thoughts, how you speak and the food you eat and whether you move your body or not in any form of exercise. Think of yourself as building a new you and once you do that, you know that the construction is a process one day at a time, you have to lay the foundation and put up the structure and this takes time. You will have to go at your own pace but you are the one who is in control and you are the one who has the power to build your mind and body and once you are on that path I hope that your question of why am I so depressed ceases to be an issue and instead you and others will be benefit from the fruits of your labor, a new, productive and happy you.
Rich is a Certified Personal Trainer-AAPT, an