Meet Daya
A traumatic childhood of deprivation and abuse left Daya vulnerable to severe depression from an early age. With a history of troubled relationships, self harm and suicide attempts, she eventually found sanctuary in a therapeutic community which gave the support she needed to turn her life around... more >>
Many people who have moved on from depression say that in hindsight the depression was a 'wake up call', forcing them to recognise unsustainable or harmful ways of living and to make important fundamental changes in their lives.
Some of the very successful new therapeutic approaches* being used to help with depression have taken such ideas more seriously. They draw attention to some of the social and cultural attitudes which may be setting people up for greater vulnerability to depression - particularly our ideas about what 'happiness' consists of...
A key problem is a tendency, in western culture particularly, to confuse 'happiness' with 'pleasure'. Happiness becomes defined as the absence of anything difficult or challenging, or mistakenly seen as a steady state of being rather than one of the many fleeting feelings which combine in the rich tapestry of a full life.
As well as chasing possessions and achievements in the vain hope that they will provide this state of happiness, we also get drawn into a vain struggle to avoid experiencing any of the painful or distressing feelings which are also an inevitable component of a rich, full life.
Unfortunately, this avoidance of full experiencing and struggle against difficult feelings tends to simply pull us down further into a depression habit spiral. And as we struggle against the depression, perhaps getting angry with ourselves and taking up a self-bullying attitude, this just pulls us down even further! Without effectively escaping the difficult feelings we also generate additional suffering through this struggle (see Depression and the Meaning of Life).
Many of the habits of depressed thinking - perfectionism, self-bullying, 'disappointment insurance' - as well as many types of anxiety-based avoidance and withdrawal are examples of ways in which we get caught up in this struggle.
Newer therapeutic approaches to depression focus on cultivating a different approach to life. This perspective:
You can read more about these ideas and the therapeutic approaches of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)in some of the books listed on the Books page, including:
See also the pages on Depression and the Meaning of Life, Challenging Self-bullying, Mindfulness and Creating a Life Worth Living.
Besides attitudes towards happiness there are many other social and cultural factors which may play a role in vulnerability to depression. Depression is a growing global phenomenon and factors within modern global culture may reinforce the dangers posed by the happiness trap...