Imagination and it's impact on depression

What is this research for? You might have to get permission from administration if you are planning on using this information. If it is just for knowledge, that is okay. But if it is for something else, please let us know. And I don't know if members want to participate.

And welcome to the forum.

Hugs, Karen...

I went through two long-term unemployment bouts during the past 4 years and a lot of added personal pressures and family tragedies. When I say "research" it is for personal research - not for anything public or professional. I've just been thinking about how one's thoughts begin to propel someone deeper into depression. I'm wondering how this works. What is actually happening in the person's mind. I remember feeling at a loss. I didn't know what to do. I had long-term goals...like improving my skills or adding a new marketable skill in order to become employable - but I also had immediate needs like paying my monthly bills and buying food for my family. I would feel overwhelmed by the fact that my immediate needs would require me to work menial jobs - as many as possible - which then would cause me to have no time to work on the long-term goals...which then would feed a hopeless feeling that I was running in a hamster wheel and I would be stuck working 18 hour days at dead-end jobs and barely surviving. Then my mind would start supposing 'what ifs' what if I had stayed in school? What if I had studied this instead of that? What if I hadn't married? What if I had never had children? What if I wasn't around would it be better?...So, now, things are much better - but I was just thinking back and wondering about the process of depression - the types of depression - and the role of imagination - daydreaming - and these what ifs...

You may want to turn you energies toward researching "mindfulness" and "meditation" or "prayer" to help with the depression.

Depression is an illness and needs to be treated as one, although it can be treated with positive thinking habits also.

I would talk with your doctor if you have not done so already.