[raspberrytorte]

One time my dad said to me, "Depression are those who live in the past."

What do you think?

I get depressed for absolutely no reason. Then I start getting the typical delusional thoughts that everyone would be better off without me, etc., but I'm certainly not "living" in the past. I don't know. Just something I was thinking of.

[MuddyBoots]

I think it's BS. I'm very much a "live in the present moment" person (most of the time), but I still get depressed. Sometimes in the present moment, my brain is telling me everything sucks. Sometimes that's true. If depression is living in the past, then why do people who had relatively healthy environments from birth to onset of depression get that onset of depression?

Because life is complex. We all have our vulnerabilities. At some point some/most reach our breaking point and those vulnerabilities are exposed. Those are symptoms of mental illness (though not necessarily a full blown diagnosable disorder). Those vulnerabilities can be depressive feelings, (hypo)mania, psychosis, anxiety, dissociation, self -harm, disordered eating, substance use, other addictive behaviors, etc. It's not because we're stuck in the past. It's because the present is breaking us down and revealing our vulnerabilities.

The past doesn't even exist. It can't be touched. It can't be smelt. It can't be tasted. It can't be seen. It can't be heard. We can remember those things, but those are just memories. It's like watching a movie at a theater. You experience it once, and then it's over and gone. You can rewatch it, but you can't experience it like you did the first time exactly again.

[raspberrytorte]

Originally Posted by MuddyBoots

I think it's BS. I'm very much a "live in the present moment" person (most of the time), but I still get depressed. Sometimes in the present moment, my brain is telling me everything sucks. Sometimes that's true. If depression is living in the past, then why do people who had relatively healthy environments from birth to onset of depression get that onset of depression?

Because life is complex. We all have our vulnerabilities. At some point some/most reach our breaking point and those vulnerabilities are exposed. Those are symptoms of mental illness (though not necessarily a full blown diagnosable disorder). Those vulnerabilities can be depressive feelings, (hypo)mania, psychosis, anxiety, dissociation, self -harm, disordered eating, substance use, other addictive behaviors, etc. It's not because we're stuck in the past. It's because the present is breaking us down and revealing our vulnerabilities.

The past doesn't even exist. It can't be touched. It can't be smelt. It can't be tasted. It can't be seen. It can't be heard. We can remember those things, but those are just memories. It's like watching a movie at a theater. You experience it once, and then it's over and gone. You can rewatch it, but you can't experience it like you did the first time exactly again.

I have to agree!

Obviously my dad has never experienced depression before.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I just think he doesn’t understand

[raspberrytorte]

Originally Posted by HALLIEBETH87

I just think he doesn’t understand

Yes.

I don't know about my parents though. When I came out about my illness, I printed out actual NAMI pages about bipolar, anxiety and schizoaffective disorder for them to read. My mom still insisted anxiety disorders don't exist because, "Everyone experiences anxiety." Whatever! I tried to educate them. Didn't work.

[HALLIEBETH87]

My family doesn’t
UndertaNd either and
They don’t try.

[HALLIEBETH87]

In fact my sister tried to say I have a “split personality” bc of mood swings. She doesn’t even know what bipolar
Us and when my IP T tried to help educate she was Uber resistant.

She herself
Has untreated childhood trauma

[MuddyBoots]

My dad thinks when I'm depressed I should just shoot some meth and when I'm manic I should just smoke some weed. I used to live with him and follow this advice. Surprise, it doesn't end well.

My mom just doesn't understand in the way anyone without MI wouldn't understand. She's not harmful. Not helpful, but not harmful.

[xRavenx]

I also experience depression with no apparent reason and begin to think that others do not want me around and would be better off without me.

There's still a lot of stigma and people who think you should just "snap out of it" or not dwell on the past, as if that would fix the problem, but that's simply not the case. My mom is starting to come around, but it was really difficult growing up with her when depressed since she held some of these beliefs.

[Crazy Hitch]

My depression is caused by CURRENT circumstances at work.
I don’t live in the past …

[Aurelius710]

Originally Posted by raspberrytorte

One time my dad said to me, "Depression are those who live in the past."

What do you think?

I get depressed for absolutely no reason. Then I start getting the typical delusional thoughts that everyone would be better off without me, etc., but I'm certainly not "living" in the past. I don't know. Just something I was thinking of.

"Depress(Ives) are those who live in the past."

Or in other words, "Just get over it!"

I can't say I don't obsess over past mistakes (or past "mistakes") when I'm depressed, but it goes without saying that there's much more to it than that.

[bizi]

I feel sorry for you guys with depression. thankfully I do not suffer with depression. I just have to watch out for hypomania. Which leads to mania if I am not careful.
bizi

[mote.of.soul]

Saying depression is for those who live in the past means nothing. It's something people who don't know anything about depression or mental health, say to make it sound like they have the answer or just to shut you up because, again, they don't know anything. That's it.

Sorry your dad's words have confused your situation, raspberrytorte.🙏