Why Fight? — Keeping Sight of My Life’s Purpose Even When Depressed
My ability to work during depressive episodes is compromised, but, using these techniques, I always have a reason to hold on until I regain my focus
The single most harmful depression myth I have encountered is it is ‘curable’, and sure, there are cases when, after a negative life event, a person experiences symptoms of clinical depression for a limited period before stabilizing; but that is ‘situational depression’, not clinical. Clinical depression, as shared by mental health writer Claire Sissons and reviewed by licensed psychologist and board-certified psychiatric nurse Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD, has no ‘cure’. But it is ‘highly’ treatable/manageable.
I feel this myth imbues false hope, which, when crushed, worsens our depression, and while any type of depression is dangerous, and situational depression, left untreated, might develop into clinical, in general, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes multiple patterns of depressive episodes, but the two most pertinent to clinical depression are:
- Single Episode Depressive Disorder: The person has one, and only one, depressive episode in their life. The lucky devil.
- Recurrent Depressive Disorder…
