How To Escape My Depressive State

[Kabuto]

Hi everyone.  

I am a very firm believer that depression is a very complicated, something far more complex than simple binaries.   Upbringing, Personal experiences, Life Environment, Instincts, Work Scenario, Coping Techniques, Exercise/Diet/Sunlight....all of these are factors in what creates a depressive or a non depressive scenario.   Therefore, depression is a "state", and a "state" can be changed!   

Every personality can end up in a depressive scenario, but my personality type is a personality that often can be prone to depression, I am an 4 with a 5 wing on the Enneagram personality test.  

There are reasons why my personality type can be prone to depression:

1)   I am VERY introverted.   This being the case, I tend to think a lot.   My introversion also tends to make societal integration difficult at times.   Not only that, but not a huge amount of careers necessarily adhere to this.

2)   I am also HIGHLY analytical.   This not only leads me to think, but it also leads me to ANALYZE.   Thus, since the world is a rough place, when we overanalyze, it produces a depressive scenario due to focus on negative thoughts.

3)   I am very individualistic, to the absolute extreme.   People in my personality type are often individualistic to an extreme:   which is good: but also, it comes with a price when it comes to relating to others.  I am very picky with people I relate to.   People in my personality realm don't generally want to waste time with people who aren't on their wavelength.   However, this is often more alienating.   I would say that I don't relate to at least 75-80% of other people.

4)   Despite viewing the world bleakly at times, I can still be overly idealistic.   

 

So I'm very much trying to learn how to adhere to my personality's strengths without falling into my personality's faults.   Anyone have any recommendations?   Thanks!

[Kabuto]

Bumping this to perhaps gain some insight.

[Jules19]

I am also introverted & individualistic.  I am naturally analytical, but I've trained myself to not overthink things & to just do them.

You have to learn how to not care what the world expects of you.  Find out what you want & what makes you effective, and go for it. 

[ejc]

I am #1 & #2. being analytical in think is what makes things worse bc you fixate on thoughts that often carry negative feelings and it's tough to let go. 

i don't have an answer, sadly. 

Edited April 13, 2016 by ejc

[DurandalBlue]

Hi Kabuto :)

Yes depression could be from a multitude of things. So let's start by giving you one of the most powerful tools for transforming it shall we?

Since you are a major thinker and analyzer I think the best remedy for you is meditation. With a loud, noisy and chatty mind you can never feel peaceful, serene and joyful. It is essential to achieve a stiller mind in order to feel happier. Think of a surface of a pond. When nothing is happening the surface is calm and still but when you throw a rock into it ripples and disperse outwards disturbing the stillness. The mind is the same way. Every thought is like a rock being thrown into the water. You are in a constant state of ripples going through your mind and you can't ever feel relaxed and happy.

So for you I highly recommend meditation. I would recommend it to anyone in fact regardless of whether they are happy or depressed. There's a reason people have been doing it for 1000's of years. It will bring you acute improvement in your mood and the benefits will increase over time with daily practice. How do you escape your depression? You don't run away from it...you sit and be still...and that's where the transformation begins :)

Hope this helps