Self-Management of Depression

We have all heard the phrase “every cloud has a silver lining,” which suggests that there is something good in every outcome, no matter how difficult or challenging the situation may be. This is also relevant when it comes to using optimism as a tool to overcome depression. When going through the throes of depression with its propensity to see everything in a negative light, being optimistic can be challenging. However, one can still find optimism even in adversity and suffering as did Victor Frankl during his years in the World War II Nazi concentration camp (Frankl, 2006). Frankl describes “tragic optimism” as: Feeling optimistic in the face of tragedy Making the best of any given situation Turning suffering into a human achievement and accomplishment Using guilt as an opportunity to change yourself for the better Using the knowledge that life is transitory as an incentive to take responsible action If you can learn to identify something good in a bad situation, then finding the one...

When faced with trauma, mental health influencers often "therapy speak" people into becoming more resilient and growing from such a challenge. This narrative, however, encourages people to internalize the message that adversity should always lead to growth or that trauma is a prerequisite for growth. In  the psychological lexicon, this positive outcome, or "bouncing forward" following adversity, is called  posttraumatic growth  or an overlapping concept,  benefit-finding and growth  (Lechner et al., 2009) . While benefit-finding and growth captures more of the lifestyle, behavior, and perceptual changes, posttraumatic growth tends to refer to the transformative changes occurring at a cognitive level, i.e., how one becomes wiser (Lechner et al., 2009). People who experience posttraumatic growth describe it in one or more of the following ways (Hefferon et al., 2009): Reappraisal of one’s life and restructuring of previous priorities Revaluation and changing of li...

What is optimism? We live in a society that obsesses over positivity, and pop culture continues to push optimism as a tool for seeking happiness. Avoiding jargon and using common-sense terms, optimism is looking at the bright side, seeing the glass as half-full rather than half-empty, finding the silver lining in a cloud, feeling good about your future and the future of the world, believing that defeat is a temporary setback and not your fault, and confronting a difficult situation and trying harder (Lyubomirsky, 2007; Seligman, 2006). From a psychological perspective, optimism has two key components (Segerstrom, 2006): A thinking bias toward focusing on and recalling positive experiences in your life. A tendency to view your goals as achievable and worthwhile. An important lesson here is that being optimistic doesn’t mean denying the negative, avoiding all unfavorable information, or constantly trying to control situations that cannot be controlled.  Benefits of optimism Besides p...

What are Character Strengths? Surely, you must have come across the word “character” several times in your life – in biographies, biopics, moral lessons from your elders, etc. The Oxford Dictionary describes character as “the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.” The field of positive psychology defines character in terms of character strengths and gives this amorphous concept some legs. Character strengths are considered as the building blocks of human goodness and human flourishing. They are the foundation of optimal life-long development and thriving (Park & Peterson, 2009). In psychological terms, character strengths are those aspects of personality that are morally valued and good character is not the absence of deficits and problems but rather a well-developed family of positive traits. They are substantially stable and manifest through thoughts, emotions, volition, and action and are influenced by both genetics and environment (Niemiec, 2013). Character s...

What is Optimism? Optimism is the belief that you can somehow accomplish your goals. Expressed in everyday life terminology, optimism is looking at the bright side, seeing the glass as half-full rather than half-empty, finding the silver lining in a cloud, feeling good about your future and the future of the world, believing that defeat is a temporary setback and not your fault, and confronting a difficult situation and trying harder (Lyubomirsky, 2007; Seligman, 2006). A simple way to look at optimism is to ask yourself, “In the face of difficulties, do I nonetheless believe that I can achieve my goals?” If yes, then you are optimistic; if no, you are pessimistic (Peterson, 2000). An important lesson here, however, is that being optimistic doesn’t mean denying the negative, avoiding all unfavorable information, or constantly trying to control situations that cannot be controlled. What is Your Best Possible Self? The Best Possible Self exercise is the most studied optimism inter...

When faced with an adversity, people with depression default to a pessimistic explanatory style (Sweeney et al., 1986). This rigid style has three facets, also called the 3Ps (Reivich & Shatté, 2002; Seligman, 2006): 1. “Personal” thinking wherein a person finds a cause within themselves to explain an adverse situation. For instance, if your boss doesn’t respond to your “Hi,” you might assume they're unhappy with you. 2. “Permanent” thinking wherein a person facing a bad outcome believes that the situation is a never-ending ordeal rather than temporary. For example, you have a disagreement with your coworker, and your knee-jerk reaction is, “She is always doing this to me.” 3. “Pervasive” thinking in which a person thinks that a particular problem will affect many areas of their life rather than having a circumscribed effect. For instance, you fail to meet a deadline at work and feel that you have never been an organized person in your entire life. ...