Fear, Uncertainty,Doubt

Workplace layoffs, job loss, and the general malaise in the economy creates a catch-22 for the brain. The triple threat of fear, uncertainty and doubt combine to form the perfect backdrop for stress.

A stressful work environment brought on by lack of team spirit increases worker depression and the odds that employees will turn to antidepressants for relief, a new study finds. — via Mental Health, Brain, Behavior: As Work Stress Rises, So May Depression.

This brings up a number of questions for me –

• Isn’t it normal to be depressed in a depressing situation?

• If that is the case, is being depressed a healthy response?

• Is this the same as clinical depression?

• Can getting rid of it make it worse?

Pain or Suffering — You Choose

Here is my take on this –

Sadness or feeling depressed at different times is a normal part of being human. Intervening in this natural rhythm may even lock depression in place.  The rule about these internal (or private) events that we call thoughts or emotions is “the more you run from them, the faster thay catch up with you.”  Or the more you resist, the more they persist.

Why would comeone just want to accept depressing thoughts and feelings?  You would accept them in service of something you have chosen to make more important.  This, as often is the case, brings you back to values and value-ing.

This is NOT to say that you want to or enjoy being depressed or sad, that you are having a good time having crappy thoughts, but that you have what is here, and you work with what you have.  The key may be developing resiliency and psychological flexibility, two essential qualities of personal development.

The difference is between pain (accepting life and leaning into it) and suffering (running away, conrolling, or resisting).

Mike

Photo via Sakurako Kitsa’s photostream