Depression: Going Out In Search Of Incentives To Live For

“It is the activity that makes man happy”

Goethe

We usually make the mistake of thinking that in order to lead projects or carry out activities, we must always have the desire or be motivated in some way,  and that if not, it is better to postpone it to another time when we are more charged.

This thought ends up being a trap, especially for people immersed in a depressive state of mind, since  the motivation will appear only after the continuous activation and not the other way around,  that is, the action precedes the motivation. 

This conclusion was obtained a few years ago, concretely in the 1990s, in the light of the results of a study on the effectiveness of Beck’s Cognitive Therapy, conducted by Jacobson, Dobson and collaborators.

The most interesting thing was to discover that behavioral activation alone was as effective as full cognitive therapy, as well as antidepressant treatments.

From this perspective, therefore, having a depressive state of mind would not be considered a disease, but a negative situation without reinforcements or stimuli in which the person finds himself. 

The goal would be that the person,  through action, verifies the existence of an infinity of people, situations, places, moments, experiences that can renew the enthusiasm for life  and restore happiness.

The problem is that the person with depression tends towards behavioral avoidance, that is, all the cons of what is proposed. He stops going out, completing the tasks or activities he previously considered satisfactory, stops relating, etc. This condition does nothing but maintain and increase sadness and apathy and, consequently, confirm negative thoughts about itself, the world and the future, which, as we know, are dyed the darkest black.

Obviously, if following the fact that I do not want to, I start living by inertia, avoiding living and enjoying what is next to me, it is impossible for my mood to improve and I will not be able to think more positively about life. , as  I do not give myself the opportunity to know the stimuli of life  that are out there waiting for me.

Realizing that taking action is the secret to improving emotionally is very important, as it breaks the vicious circle of depression and allows the person to get out of the trap  and makes them see that, in addition to injustice and adversity, there are also pleasures and joys.

With this we do not pretend that the person with depression goes to party after party; the goal is to plan realistic and invigorating activities each day that the person feels able to complete.

It makes no sense to propose activities that do not strengthen those who undertake them, since what we are trying to do is to renew enthusiasm, goals and motivations.

Later, when the person comes out of passivity,  activities will incorporate that require more effort and even some that the person has never done but would like to do.

One of the problems that usually arises when behavioral activation is proposed is that  the person, due to his depressed mood, finds reasons not to carry out the activity or to abandon it, because he does not feel capable, believes that he does not it will serve no purpose or that it has no merit.

It also happens that if the person is unable to complete the task perfectly, he will break down and complain about it. 

In this sense it is important to educate the patient, so that he understands that his thoughts influence his conduct, which  is the product of his negative vision. The rule, therefore, is to continue to activate, despite the negative thoughts and even if it requires tremendous effort, because the reward will be to get out, little by little, from this unpleasant state.

Depression is a vicious cycle in which the person turns until they are determined enough to get out of it. Behavioral activation is seen as an exit from this spiral, a door that leads to the discovery of well-being and happiness.