Positive thinking?

Is it just me, or does "positive thinking" make you feel worse when you're depressed?

I've been trying to remain positive, but with all the sh#t I've got going on, positivity ain't happenin'.

I guess trying to be "positive" reminds me of the fact I'm still depressed. It's like: "Nice try, kiddo... but you're still depressed!"

I'm trying not to be a fun sucker, but the more positive I think, the more of a fun sucker I become! Fun suckers are lame, and I don't want to be lame.

I think it's just brain chemistry doing that. Don't worry too much.

Trying to do positive thinking when I'm depressed usually ends up beating myself up because I'm not getting better. So, I take tender care of myself and ask for help.

I can relate to this a lot. I try to follow everyone's advice to stay positive, but there's that little voice telling me otherwise in my head. You sum it up perfect: it's like, "Nice try."

My therapist has done some mindfulness stuff with me that teaches you to accept and validate your response to a situation, for instance, by saying to yourself, "Things are hard right now and might be for a while, but it's not always going to stay this way," rather than judging yourself on how you should or shouldn't feel. I have a way to go when it comes to practicing this, but I like the concept behind it.

Absolutely yes. When at work, doing homework, driving somewhere, or doing chores, it's acceptable to feel annoyed or frustrated because those are normal reactions. When surrounding by positive situations and still feeling empty, it really hammers home the point that something is wrong and can mislead you into thinking that "if good things in life can't make me feel okay, then nothing will." But that is of course just temporary.

Hello, I kind of know how you feel. When I'm depressed I think positive thinking is a load of garbage. When I'm in a manic state, I think positive and just know it will help me. I'm Bipolar. When people tell me just think positive I just feel like laughing. They don't understand.

There is no way to think positive or foresee a future being depressed.