To Overcome Depression, I Had To Discard These 8 Terms/Phrases from My Dictionary

Each of them encapsulates an entrenched hurdle to healing

Photo by Emre Öztürk on Pexels

Having battled acute clinical depression for 12 years, taken hundreds of pills, attended countless counseling sessions, and almost died once, I realize the importance of positive self-talk. As the American Psychological Association (APA) reveals, the depressed are more prone to dwelling on negative thoughts and events, making their future appear bleaker.

I can attest to the fact that when we are depressed, it is like our mind has an inbuilt filter of negativity, like it is wearing shades. Depressive episodes alter my thought patterns, make me a much more negative thinker.

That is the reason registered psychologist Danielle Forth, MSc, RPsych, urges us to not believe everything we think when we are depressed.

As such, it is vital we recognize when our brain is attempting to make our situation appear worse than it is, such as by using certain terms and phrases that are not helpful in the slightest, which exist merely to take us down neverending rabbit holes of repetitive negative thinking.

Over the past 12 years, I have recognized several such terms/phrases, and have, over a span of years, filtered them out of my…