2. People who deal with stress by putting problems in their ‘too hard basket’ are more vulnerable to getting depressed. There is a huge chicken and egg relationship here. If you ruminate about problems rather than tackling them head-on, it can contribute to worsening depression, but depression can also make people feel frozen.
3. When people are depressed, it can be hard for them to plan out a sequence of behavior. For instance, if you need to grocery shop and meal prep, declutter your house, or sort out your debt you may feel intimidated about where to start. Planning out multi-step tasks can feel overwhelming when your mind is foggy due to depression. Your refusal to get started can seem like obstinance when it’s actually difficulty planning out tasks when in a depressed state.
4. Depression is associated with “what’s the point” thinking. For instance, you’d like to be a parent but you think “Why would anyone bring a child into the world when we’re destroying the planet.” Or if your spending is out of control you might think ‘why should I try to fix my finances when I have student loans I’m never going to pay off. This type of thinking is often quite stubborn and frustrating to others (e.g., partners/spouses). The conflict and tension this type of thinking can cause in relationships can make the person’s depression worse.
2019-10-01