RE: The difference between empathy and sympathy and why it's important
February 22, 2016 at 6:40 pm
(This post was last modified: February 22, 2016 at 6:47 pm by bennyboy.)
I've always found depression (and this is maybe just me) to be more about a lack of momentum than a feeling ABOUT something. So like you said, Aegon, if I have too much free time and "relax," then even the things I should do I put off, until I realize I've been lying in bed two days. That's when I start to struggle-- I feel guilty because I didn't do anything, so I make a big deal out of doing things. But then because I've made a big deal out of whatever, it starts to seem scary, like a struggle with my willpower or something.
My "cure," and again this is just me, is to do ANYTHING. Like, I'll just make it my goal to get out of bed. Once I've made my bed, I'll grab a couple dishes to go to the kitchen. If I'm feeling up to it, I'll wipe down the sink a little. As I start to gradually exert control over my environment, I little by little start to feel empowered, and that big monster called "willpower" starts to shrink to a manageable size.
A lot of people think depression is sadness, and it certainly isn't happiness. However, I think the root of it is more a sense of powerlessness than a sense of sadness, especially the sense that one has to negotiate or struggle with one's own self just to do simple activities. It's like my willpower doesn't realize that it's supposed to be working along with the rest of me, but as soon as I get things working as a single "me," I'm off to the races.
My "cure," and again this is just me, is to do ANYTHING. Like, I'll just make it my goal to get out of bed. Once I've made my bed, I'll grab a couple dishes to go to the kitchen. If I'm feeling up to it, I'll wipe down the sink a little. As I start to gradually exert control over my environment, I little by little start to feel empowered, and that big monster called "willpower" starts to shrink to a manageable size.
A lot of people think depression is sadness, and it certainly isn't happiness. However, I think the root of it is more a sense of powerlessness than a sense of sadness, especially the sense that one has to negotiate or struggle with one's own self just to do simple activities. It's like my willpower doesn't realize that it's supposed to be working along with the rest of me, but as soon as I get things working as a single "me," I'm off to the races.
