Social Life and Depression

The social lives of those living with depression are one based on isolation or having a small social network. There is a tendency to resent companionship from other people. People living with depression can be untrusting of other people, especially if it was hurt from a previous relation that caused the onset of depression in the first place. This will lead to missed opportunities to develop social skills and a network of friends. There are some social issues with depression that reinforces the illness.

Most psychologists argue that most cases of depression stem from within the family network. It may be due to social conflicts or genetic inheritance. Family plays the role of the nurturing ground for each individual as they grow. It is during this stage of our live, we learn basic social patterns and expectations. We learn right from wrong and the moral principles of society. Children of parents living with depression are more likely to become depressed themselves. They will also develop a negative view of the world. The rate of divorce can be directly correlated with depression. If both or either party is depressed, it is very likely the marriage will end in a divorce. Divorce also leads each party into a path of depression. Hostile environments within the family unit are one of the main initial causes of depression.

Not having a healthy network of friends is dangerous. Social isolation can be seen as a causative factor as well a determining factor of depression. Given that depression causes people to fear social interactions with other people because of perceived conflicts that may arise. Persons living with depression make a special effort to stay away from social arenas where someone may try to engage them in conversation. They fear that relationships developed may end in more pain and hurt. Fear of rejection is a main concern.

Isolation results in social skills being underdeveloped. Given that one of the traits of those living with depression is being unable to deal with rejections; depressed individuals are heavily impacted by rejection. Non-depressed individuals handle rejection much better than depressed individuals. Social awkward situations may also arise because depressed individuals have poor social skills. They may respond incorrectly to normal social queues. For example, they may not know when to laugh at a joke or know when to show empathy. This leads to the depressed person being misinterpreted or misunderstood. Hence, poor social skills reinforce depression by causing rejection in social circles.

Having a negative outlook on life will always lead to negative results. If you think something will work, you will try everything in your power to make it work. If you think something will not work out, you will not give your best shot, because of the fear of failure. Pessimism is the number one reason why depressed individuals have problems forming relationships. Breaking out of depressions is about embracing rejections and taking on more social risks.

Living with depression is associated with low self-esteem. Thinking that you are not worth anything is negative. Having a low self-esteem is a powerful reinforcement factor of depression. For example, a musician gets depressed and no longer wants to play music. The musician is forced to play on the band in a depressed state. Performs poorly, which leads to criticisms. This leads to the musician feeling worse than before and eventually dropping out of the band. This is an analogy of what happens in social relationships. Depression is normally broken when the depressed individual takes on a positive attitude in life.

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· What Suicidal Risk Factors to Look for in Those Living With Depression:This is basically a guide in assisting those that are living with depression and may be thinking about suicide.

· How to Spot Teenage Depression: The life of teenagers is filled with a lot emotionally turmoil. This article explains how to spot teenagers living with depression and offer assistance.

· ·Foods that can cause Depressions: Discusses the negative impact that processed foods can have on someone living with depression.

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