Existential Depression: What Is It and How To Cope
Existential depression is a lesser-known type of depression that can progress to clinical depression. Get more details inside.
Depression can appear in many forms, and one of them is existential depression. It is observed in people who have constant feelings of depression and hopelessness. People who cannot find meaning in their lives, who overthink unanswered questions, and who feel lonely and isolated are the most affected. Depression is not an officially recognized disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition. Instead, a psychiatrist may diagnose a person experiencing these symptoms with major depressive disorder (MDD).
According to Counseling Psychologist, Ms. Divya Mahindru, by embracing imperfection, such depression is due to self-isolation. This usually happens after:
- Loss of connection with loved ones
- Righting past wrongs
- The guilt of past actions or decisions
- Loss of self and loss of purpose in life
- relationship breakdown
Existential depression is mostly seen in gifted individuals, who need more intellectual stimulation and have higher academic performance than their peers. Existential depression is different from an existential phobia, which is more common in humans. In existential depression, the person is constantly in a cycle of unknown questions, which leads to a loss of motivation and thoughts of suicide and death.
How to cope with existential depression?
As a psychologist, Divya Mahindru suggests some coping strategies for the individual to break this cycle of fear and depression.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is key to breaking this pattern. Creating intentional meaning in life is essential. Small decisions should be focused. Taking care of loved ones and situations will definitely help.
Individuals should be encouraged to use their uncertainty for growth because positive integration theory suggests that approaching life’s difficult questions can create a more authentic, fuller human experience. (Click here to know the benefits of mindfulness)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
When such feelings occur the person should be encouraged to seek professional help. But the right therapy may be to seek cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help the person process their thoughts and experiences in a more structured way.
Although it is normal human behavior to have self-doubt and insecurity about yourself, a person should recognize if these questions are repeating themselves almost intrusively to you.
- What is the meaning of life?
- Why is suffering?
- Why do people die?
- Can I make an impact on the world?
- Why do bad people go unpunished?
- Why do good people feel pain?
We all worry about these things at some point in our lives, but if it causes depression and interferes with our daily activities, we must seek help. It’s okay to feel down but it shouldn’t be frequent. It can cause you to slip into existential depression. So take utmost care of your mental health and seek help from your loved ones or a professional therapist wherever needed.
