[tranquil_emotion]

Most of the time recently I have been able to maintain a more positive outlook on things. But sometimes it gets really hard to stay positive and motivated. And I've tried the distractions, and things like that, but they never seem to snap me out of it. I hate getting stuck in a depressed state, I really want to prevent it. And I realize that the faster you get out of it the less often you will get depressed, this has been true for me. But I've reached a point where I have control over it most times, but sometimes I get depressed and things don't pull me out of it.

When I'm depressed I'm irrational, and my anxiety is up, how do you get back to rational thinking?

I have read that in social anxiety a way to get out of feeling so panicky is to use your thinking part of the brain, because the emotional part is what causes the irrational thinking. Could this be true for depression? Because distractions like listening to music or trying to distract myself those ways never works. I've wondered if actually trying to problem solve is responsible for getting me out of depressed states all along, I just never realized it.

I can feel like I am in a dream like state, depressed and like I have a different personality, until something gets me thinking and wanting to solve stuff and sometimes I feel like it brings me back to reality and back to my personality, and back to some confidence and hopefulness. Whereas distractions that I've heard suggested before do absolutely nothing. Has anyone else felt like this? Can anyone relate?

Added: If this post belongs somewhere else please move it.

 

[Burningforce]

your anxiety is most likely cause by your depression. They like to feed off each other. How to get back to "rational thinking" you ask? Well you have to stop being depressed. That is why you get the dream/zombie feeling.

For me, getting out of a depressive state of mind is hard. So I have to rely on myself to get myself out of it becuase I have no support. But if you have family or friends, let them know how you feel. They can give you the support you need to make you feel better. Also negative thoughts make the effects of depression/anxiety even stronger. So you have to try and think positive all the time. If this does not help then maybe you might be a canidate for anxiety/depression counseling.

If this is happening almost everday, then I suggest you talk to your doctor. They might put you on a anti-depressant if you are not already on one.

Keep me updated ^_^

 

[Caedmon]

I can't think my way out of my depressive phases. I have to do something, hopefully something active and that keeps my mind occupied with other things. If I feel a depressive mood at onset I start doing things like cleaning or getting things done that need doing, and I pursue them rabidly. This is the best plan that I've come up with so far. :stu

 

[James of Maine]

I cannot "think" or "reason" my way out of a severely depressive or anxious episode. I think it's just something with the wiring of the primal, animal, unconscious part of the brain. It seems to completely override everything else. I have no conscious control over it, no matter how hard I try.

 

[tranquil_emotion]

I think that my depressed feelings are like a combination of stress at home right now mixed with remembering how I felt when I was a kid.

A lot of times I start to feel like I did when I was a kid, I couldn't do anything about this then, I was helpless, I couldn't speak to people, my parents didn't listen to me, I felt like no one cared, no one wanted to care, I didn't have one person that I could talk to cause I couldn't talk.

I was constantly labeled "shy" by my parents and by the school, the school gave me awards for being "quiet", a couple of times I was awarded "quietest in the school" and they took my picture and put it up for all to see on display on the wall in the cafeteria. I don't even want to talk about how that made me feel. :sigh

I just totally feel like the label that everyone called me, I try to think myself out of it, sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes trying to change my thoughts feels like added pressure. I fail way too much at getting myself out of these feelings. :fall

Since I'm depressed right now, I'm not real enthusiastic, I feel like I'm suffocating. I'm tired, and feel like everything is a disaster, everything is out of control, I just want to hide, escape from my constant thoughts that never stop. I want to be able to sleep at night without so much anxiety, I go to bed tense and I wake up tense, I hardly ever feel relaxed.

I'll say something rational:
I will come back and beat this SA when I feel better, I don't give up, and I've felt way worse than this before. Things are less out of control then they seem. I'm not useless, not hopeless. I'll be back