Opposite of Depression (Exactly what you need?)

In this brief guide, we will discuss the Opposite of Depression and how to get rid of the symptoms of depression.

Is there an Opposite of Depression?

There is no particular opposite of depression so to speak, but there are concepts that are very different from depression and can be explored in order to feel healthy and lively.

It would be easy to assume that the opposite of depression is just Happiness, but that is not entirely true.

Some people might also say that the opposite of Depression is Mania, as seen in Bipolar disorder, but that is not true either, as there is a dysfunctional basis for Mania as well.

Happiness or Expression as the Opposite of Depression

You might think that Happiness is so hard to get to and that it is the opposite of depression, and if you are depressed then you need to be constantly striving for Happiness.

But some experts are starting to think that happiness is not the opposite of depression at all. If this is true, then people are striving for the wrong thing, and that is possibly hurting them even more.

Some experts think that Expressing oneself is more appropriate as the opposite of depression.

Expression has Latin Origins, which have a literal translation of “a pressing outward”, which may mean that moving forward is the only opposite of depression there is.

Depression means a reduction in who you are, a decrease in how you feel, and how much you can do, so it makes sense that expressing oneself and doing things, or creating things and making sure you’re communicating, will be the opposite of depression and all it brings.

Opposite of Depression Quote and its meaning

Famous Author Andrew Solomon says: “The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality and my life, as I write this, is vital even when sad. I may wake up sometime next year without my mind again; it is not likely to stick around all the time.

“Meanwhile, however, I have discovered what I would have to call a soul, a part of myself I could never have imagined until one day, seven years ago, when hell came to pay me a surprise visit. It’s a precious discovery. “

“Almost every day I feel momentary flashes of hopelessness and wonder every time whether I am slipping. For a petrifying instant here and there, a lightning-quick flash, I want a car to run me over…I hate these feelings but, but I know that they have driven me to look deeper at life, to find and cling to reasons for living, I cannot find it in me to regret entirely the course my life has taken.”

“Every day, I choose, sometimes gamely, and sometimes against the moment’s reason, to be alive. Is that not a rare joy?”

Vitality as the Opposite of Depression

According to the Opposite of Depression quote above, it seems that Vitality and the zest to live is one of the most oft-quoted opposites of Depression.

According to this philosophy, it would seem that the opposite of depression is simply staying alive and living the best life possible, even in the face of low energy and sadness.

Andrew Solomon also says that it is vital to be sad. The movie Inside Out also teaches us this, sadness is an important part of life.

Just like it is important to feel the pain to know that there is something wrong with your body, it is important to feel sad so you know something is wrong with your mind.

Feeling sadness is important

Feeling sadness is dysfunctional when you feel it so much that you are not able to do anything.

But in proper conditions, feeling sadness is important, and even when searching for the opposite of depression because you do not want to feel sad anymore maybe you should stop and wonder why you are feeling sad.

When you feel sad and can’t figure out why you are feeling sad it can be quite scary, but imagine how scary it would be if you did not feel sad about the things you should, like when you lose someone or when you fail a class.

There are many mental illnesses where people’s ability to feel normal emotion is muted, and even those can be extremely scary.

How to deal with depression

Depression is something almost everyone deals with at some point or another, because as mentioned before, sadness is a part of life, as it should be.

It is also something like a mystery, sometimes, which is why people are always looking for more information about it.

Some people start feeling better without really doing anything, or taking a few pills, whereas others stay in therapy for years and things do not seem to get better at all.

For some people, it gets even worse and leads them to commit suicide because of it.

Is depression rising?

Depression is a strange, crippling phenomenon that is said to be on the rise.

Especially in the time of COVID-19, it has been seen that there are rises in cases every day especially among young people, who have pressures of setting up their careers and education but al that has been brought to a halt by the pandemic.

 It is, therefore, necessary that some contemplation about this situation is necessary, to protect the young workforce and ensure that we find the opposite of depression and move towards it.

 Mania as the Opposite of Depression

Some people assume that the opposite of depression will obviously be mania, but that is not the case.

Let us examine what mania is, first. It is defined as “an unreasonable elevation of mood”.

It is important to remember what Mania is not a normal state, it is a highly disruptive problem which breaks relationships and causes extreme harm to the patient, even physical harm.

A person suffering from mania is likely to do impulsive things, engage in promiscuity, take substances like drugs or alcohol, and not eat or sleep properly due to the bursting energy.

Even reading the description would give someone an adequate glimpse into how problematic Mania is, and so it cannot possibly be the opposite of depression given how bad it can get.

Bipolar disorder and the opposite of depression

Bipolar disorder is a cyclical mental illness that consists of two states, one is Mania and the other is depression.

This disorder can present with psychotic symptoms as well, but for most people, it only has the two mood states.

Bipolar disorder gives us a good example of how much difference there is between Mania and depression. On one hand, the person with depression will barely move for days and refuse to accomplish anything, and on the other hand, the person with mania will be impossible to stop.

As we already accomplished, Mania is not the opposite of Depression due to how abnormal it is on its own, but it is informative to consider how these two conditions make up the entirety of the abnormal mood spectrum.

Opposite of Depression can be Play

Some philosophers or and psychologists seem to think that the opposite of depression is actually Play.

Play is defined as any behavior that involves pleasure and seeking new people and experiences.

There are many benefits to Play behavior, and among some of them is the fact that play helps us belong to social groups, and helps us be with people of our own kind

According to Maslow’s theory of Self-actualization, Belongingness is one of our chief needs, so any behavior that aids this is great for the well-being.

Being alone can make us feel isolated and alone, which can give rise to depression.

This theory would give some merit to Play as being the opposite of depression, given how much it seems to affect the depressive mood state.  

Concept that should be the opposite of depression

According to things discussed above it seems pretty clear what the opposite of depression means.

It needs to be a concept that is not abnormal and can be achieved by healthy human beings.

It also needs to be something that is not completely on the other end of the spectrum just because it is the opposite of depression like Mania is.

In addition, it also needs to be productive and creative, and engage the person well.

How can I achieve the opposite of depression?

To achieve something that is the opposite of depression, one may try a few things:

·       Seek new experiences, talk to new people and people already in your life.

·       Find activities to do with your partner, friends, or family

·       Find new hobbies and devote time to learning them well

·       Spend time with your pet, try to run around and play with them

·       Make time for physical exercise, sitting idle can lead straight to depression

·       Learn how to manage your attention, learn to concentrate better on things

·       Invite others to participate in things you enjoy, do the same with others and participate in what they enjoy

·       Learn how to ask for help, we are social creatures, we cannot exist in a vacuum.

·       Learn to increase your workplace motivation, increase your willpower, and work on your resilience.

Happiness is easy to achieve

Achieving happiness is easy, it’s maintaining it that is the problem.

Try to keep in touch with your emotions and make sure you allow yourself to feel sad occasionally.

There is a quote that is very fitting for the concept of the opposite of depression, which says “Without the dark, there is no light”, remember that and that should tell you how important both happiness and sadness are.

There is another quote that speaks to the importance of finding the true opposite of depression. It is a line in a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, which says

“If Winter comes, can summer be far behind?”

This suggests that there will always be a change in whatever state you are in currently and that losing hope is never good.

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we discussed the Opposite of Depression. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.

FAQ: Opposite of Depression

Citations

“The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987713002417