Depression (2): Try something new

Keeping on, keeping going, keeping on going, is not the only technique that can be used to address problems of depression.  Keeping doing the same thing, and expecting a different result, is often referred to as the definition of insanity.  Therefore, it is likely that, in terms of addressing issues of depression, it is important to try something new.

Trying something new, in the midst of depression, is, for those who are not practiced in the procedure, as difficult as keeping going in the face of depression.  Those who are depressed are fixated, and fixation obviously obviates the ability to address or create, or even follow, new ideas.  Therefore, as with the practice of keeping on, this is easy to say, and difficult to implement.  Still, it is one technique to address issues of depression, and create an opportunity for some version of success, and therefore a way to address the learned helplessness aspects of depression.

There are a number of techniques that can be used to attempt to address depression, and to create ideas to generate possible new ideas.  Those who teach creative writing, in various ways, have a number of techniques that they use in this regard.  There is the old standby of taking a break and going for a walk.  Again, in the depths of depression, it is difficult to work up the energy to do anything, so getting up the energy to go for a walk is easier said than done, but it is at least a possible start.  Other options are simply to explore anything.  Chasing through random YouTube videos or websites, may trigger new ideas.  Part of the practice of following something new is to recognize these new ideas, and to at least follow them a certain way, rather than dismissing them immediately.  Therefore, part of the practice is to force yourself to think about new ideas, no matter how unworkable or outrageous they may initially seem.  Pursuing, at least to a certain extent, a new idea, even if it is a ridiculous idea, may trigger a more workable idea.  Therefore, a bit of mental flexibility, which is difficult going in a fixated state, and the pursuit of all ideas, regardless of how outrageous, is part of the practice.  And it is a practice.  For those who are trying it for the first time it is going to be difficult.  However, over time, with additional practice and experience, it will become easier, in the same way that exercise of the body becomes easier with the strengthening of muscles.

Another possibility is simply talking to other people.  Having a conversation.  This is best with people you know, and who are intelligent.  The new ideas that you want are unlikely to be triggered by superficial social conversation.  You are going to have to find your friends who are willing to explore outrageous ideas with you, and it is likely that you were going to want to engage in conversation with your weirder friends for this purpose.

Depression fixates.  Depression also results from the loss of a fixation.  Depression very often results from loss, whether it is the loss of a spouse, a friend, a job, or even a hobby.  Depression is also is often part of grief.  Because of the loss.  Depression is frequently seen in someone who has lost a job after many years.  The job is part of their identity, and the loss results in depression: they don't know what to do anymore, so they do nothing.

This is possibly part of the reason that doing new things can help with depression.  It gives the person some new activity, or even identity.

I have had to change jobs many many times in my life.  In fact, the onset of the first time that I noticed a serious depression in myself corresponded with the loss of an expectation that I would train to be a doctor.  So, it may be that that loss triggered a depression, and possibly created the situation for the cyclic depressions which followed: it's hard to say.  However, it is also true, that the variety of jobs that I have had in my life may be one of the reasons that I am handling depression better at this point in my life.  (For my fiftieth birthday, Gloria threw me a wonderful birthday party, and give a speech listening all the jobs that I had had in my life.  She wanted to get to fifty: in fact she got to fifty-six.  My personal favorite was hovercraft skirt repair technician, wherein I was ably assisted by my niece, assistant hovercraft skirt repair technician Kirsten.)

So, it may be that some new activity can assist in dealing with depression.  Therefore, trying new things, to see what you might enjoy doing, or what might give you a sense of accomplishment, is it a good idea.