What’s the opposite of depression (A complete guide)

This article will answer the question, “ What’s the opposite of depression”, a brief idea about depression and it’s major signs and symptoms, causes of depression, facts about depression, the mood spectrum, opposite of depression and a few frequently asked questions in regards to the topic.

What’s the opposite of depression?

The opposites of depression are:

• Bliss
• Ecstasy
• Contentedness
• Jubilation
• Exhilaration
• Glee
• Rapture
• Elation
• Joyous
• Euphoria
• Delight 
• Cheer
• Fulfilment
• felicity 
• Hopefulness
• Merriment
• Blessing
• Satisfaction

Depression

Depression is believed to be the key cause of disability around the world. It is a mood disorder characterised by the feeling of persistent and prolonged low mood, sadness, loss of interest in pleasurable activities: anhedonia, feeling down and low throughout the day, weeks and months. 

Although the feeling of sadness and loss of pleasure is familiar and a normal feeling to every one of us, depression is something that persists and causes severe impairment in an individual’s life. It can affect people from any age group ranging from children, adolescent, adult and geriatric population.

The duration of depressive episodes differs and varies from each individual wherein, for some cases, it lasts for about 2 weeks while in others it might persist for months and years.

Symptoms of Depression

Despite Depression being a mood disorder and causing severe impairment in the individual, there are other associated effects of depression in the everyday functioning of the individual. 

It can take a toll on one’s psychological health, physical health, job performance, social relation and overall well-being. 

Some of the signs and symptoms of Depression are:

• Sustained and prolonged depressed mood
• Loss of interest in normally pleasurable activities or those that one enjoys doing
• Loss of sexual drives
• Fluctuations in body weight
• Disruption in sleep cycle resulting in insomnia and hypersomnia
• Muscle agitation, restlessness and twitches
• Disruption and disturbance in speech
• Fatigue and low energy in performing daily task
• A feeling of worthlessness and excessive guilt
• Recurrent thoughts on death, suicide and attempts for suicide.
• Impairment in concentration and attention

These are some of the major signs and symptoms of Depression. The severity and the interference of these symptoms differ and varied individually owing to other underlying reasons.

Causes of Depression

There is no particular factor that leads to depression and often medical professionals find it hard and difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of depression. It is a result of the interplay of different factors.

Triggers of depression in an individual range from genetic disposition or inheritance to other social stressors. 

Some of the factors resulting in the Depression are:

• Genetic factors and inheritance 
• Change in the level of the neurotransmitters and chemical imbalance 
• Environmental factors like weather condition, pollution, housing condition, nature around etc.
• Psychological factors like overthinking, negativity, pessimism, fixed mindset on lack of internal control, distorted and irrational beliefs etc.
• Social factors include job stress, unemployment, abusive family relation, limited social circle, personality factors, discrimination based on race and ethnicity etc.
• Other underlying mental conditions and physical illnesses such as Bi-Polar Disorders, Diabetes, Stress, Cancer etc. 
• Bereavement and loss of significant one
• Substance abuse and use
• Other serious personal problems

These are some of the factors that are responsible for an individual’s susceptibility and vulnerability to depression.

Facts about depression

Among all the people from varied age groups, teens are believed to be most vulnerable to fall in or suffer from depression. 

• Female teens are more vulnerable to depression than men.
• Teens with the history of abuse and neglect from their primary caregivers are actually at higher risk of depression. 
• Those teens with underlying chronic illnesses and medical conditions are also at higher risk of depression
• Teens with a family history of depression and any of their members with depression are most likely to suffer from depression.
• Tends with untreated medical or substance use are also at higher risk of depression and has another 

Mood spectrum 

The mood of an individual varies and it ranges from the depressed mood to mania. Both these moods are polarized and often result in severe disturbance and disruption in an individual’s functioning. 

When either of the moods is experienced by an individual, one should seek proper treatment. 

Normal functioning individual’s mood is known by “Euthymia”, it is a state of living where the person lives without mood disturbance. 

The state of mood is defined by cheerfulness, tranquillity and calmness. It lies in the middle of the mood spectrum wherein one extreme side is the depression characterised by persistent low, sad and depressed mood, while on the other side of the continuum, mania is known by the feeling of elevated mood, hyperactiveness, excessive talking and exaggerated self-confidence. 

In the mood spectrum, full-blown depression is diagnosed with Clinical Depression, otherwise, a milder form of Depression results in Dysthymia / Persistent Depressive Disorder, which tends to last longer. 

While on the other side of the continuum, full-blown elevated mood and activeness are diagnosed with Mania while milder form or a less severe version of Mania is  Hypomania.

Opposite of Depression

Depression characterized by persistent and sustained low and depressed mood, while the opposite of depression doesn’t always define happiness however 

Happiness is a word that carries enormous meaning and it is something very subjective. There is no particular object that can guarantee a happy life and prolonged happiness rather. 

And oftentimes we try to struggle hard to find the right space and experience to feel happy and jolly, however, the struggle always fails and results in the low mood since happiness is something transient and temporary.

It is also evident that when treating depressive patients, the focus is not on making them happier or inducing happy hormones since these effects are short-term and don’t dig down into the root cause of depression. The treatments emphasize changing the cognition by disputing their irrational and distorted beliefs. 

Although our brain is wired and structured in a way that we keep hold of good memories and pleasurable thoughts, engaging in such a network of happiness and happy thoughts when battling with unhappy thoughts is not the antidote of depression. 

People who are actually diagnosed with depression and dealing with the depressive symptoms don’t engage in and try to evoke the good old happy memories since these moments pass and they tend to feel the loss.

Defeating depression solely by focusing on achieving happiness and pleasure doesn’t seem to be the ideal option perhaps might fail in building resilience, strength and confidence of an individual. 

Thus, embracing life as a blend of loss, sadness, failure, disappointment and happiness helps in building perseverance, our character strength, self-confidence and satisfaction.

Satisfaction can be an antidote to depression which are often overlooked and underestimated by much of the people who are happy and living their life. When in the phase of climbing out of depression, ignoring and passing over the reality of tough times lose the opportunity to feel grateful and good. Just like the good moments that don’t last forever, gloomy days and darker moments remain forever either. Learning to get through these phases by keeping oneself satisfied can be an opposite to negative thoughts, prolonged sadness and low mood of depression. 

Satisfaction is a state that aids the person in rising over the negative thoughts and dispelling the darker moments of life. Happiness is momentary while satisfaction stays through the life phases. 

Manic

It is a psychological condition where the person experienced unreasonable euphoric state, intense mood, hyperactivity and impulsiveness and delusional state. Manic is a symptom of Bi-Polar disorder as well. 

Manic is often believed to be a dangerous and risky condition for some reasons.

• People don’t sleep and eat like usual
• They often engage and perform self-harming behaviour
• Manic people are at a higher risk of going through hallucination and other disturbance in their perception

Some of the symptoms of mania are:

• Abnormally wired and upbeat
• Increased in energy and agitation
• Euphoria
• An elevated and exaggerated sense of well being and confidence
• Racing thoughts
• Excessive talking and distractibility
• Overconfidence
• Grandiose  thoughts
• Increased in goal-directed activities and behaviour
• Poor Judgement 
• Restlessness

These are some of the common symptoms exhibited by people diagnosed with mania and are battling with mania. 

Causes of Mania

There are different possible causes of mania, some of them are:

• High level/ Elevated stress
• Change in sleep pattern and disruption in sleep 
• Use of drugs and substances and their effect
• Seasonal change, a higher chance of mania and hypomania in spring
• A significant change in life and other related events
• Childbirth: Postpartum Psychosis
• Brain Injury and Brain Tumor
• Stroke
• Medication and its side effect
• Trauma and Stress
• Dementia 

Mentioned above are some of the major causes of Mania in an individual, which varies and differs from genetic predisposition to other underlying reasons including both environmental and personal.

Mania is experienced in stages known by the severity of symptoms. Hypomania is the first stage of mania followed by acute mania which is the second stage and finally delirious mania, the last stage of mania.

FAQs: What’s the opposite of depression

Conclusion

This article answered the question, “ What’s the opposite of depression”, provided a brief idea about depression and it’s major signs and symptoms, causes of depression, facts about depression, the mood spectrum, opposite of depression and a few frequently asked questions in regards to the topic.

Following sites can be referred for more information:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/depression-management-techniques/202001/is-happiness-the-opposite-depression-or-its-enemy

https://thephilosophyforum.com/discussion/4381/what-is-the-opposite-of-depression

Bibliography

Calculating Mind. (2018). THE MOOD SPECTRUM. Calculating Mind. https://thecalculatingmind.com/2018/06/03/the-mood-spectrum/

Lasher, D. (2017). Expression is the Opposite of Depression. Sandy Gingras. https://www.sandygingras.com/expression-is-the-opposite-of-depression/

Lindberg, S. (2018). Euthymia and Bipolar Disorder. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/euthymic

Wehrenberg, M. (2020). Is Happiness the Opposite of Depression—or Its Enemy? Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/depression-management-techniques/202001/is-happiness-the-opposite-depression-or-its-enemy