Is it good to recommend to someone who is depressed to see things in a positive way?

Have you ever wondered why when you're down, it seems like other people see positive aspects of your life that you can't?

The truth is that today, thanks to various studies in psychoeducation, support networks and the development of empathy, we know that when someone goes through a difficult time, mention the positive aspects of life or encourage him to put more impetus (or desire) to his day to day can not only be counterproductive, but aggravate the course of some conditions such as depression (the person could begin to consider that -"not even to see the good things I serve").

So, while intuitive, trying to help people with these types of phrases might not be very useful in practice. But do phrases like “you have good things” have any truth? It would be complex to affirm, although it is not entirely deniable either.

• Related article: "Major Depression: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment"

An optimistic outlook on depression?

It happens that some conditions in mental health are given by the way in which our brain processes things. That is, the perspective we give to events can be decisive in the degree of emotional discomfort.

In fact, several studies have found that our mind jumps to conclusions with insufficient information, especially when we are depressed or anxious.

It is not a decision on the part of the individual (since the grouping of events and their consequences facilitate this perspective), and since it is not a decision, the modification of any perspective generates a phenomenon called cognitive dissonance in which people experience confusion due to these ways of seeing situations differently.

• You may be interested in: "Types of cognitive therapy: what are they and what are their characteristics"

The interpretation of reality

For many theorists like Aaron Beck either Albert Ellis (renowned researchers and authors of some of the most commonly used types of psychotherapy today), the way we naturally interpret some things arouses anxiety reactions. An example is hypochondriasis, a condition in which people interpret changes in the body (example: a mole) as indicative of cancer or some more serious condition.

Although for others it may sound exaggerated, this is experienced with deep anguish and it is totally valid to feel that way. This is where our perception and interpretation come into play. Our experiences, lifestyle, health in general... shape the way we see things is a learning system.

So this little model explains a lot of conditions. It is not a simple statement, of course, and we must not ignore the many additional related external factors that They lead us to interpret things in a certain way, such as our family, work context, diseases with which we live, violence, etc

What role does psychotherapy play?

The therapy works not only with the way we see things; it is accompanied by changes in lifestyle, the way we relate to others and the setting of limits for ourselves and others.

On the whole, we allow our brain to process information in a kinder way with us and allows us to cultivate greater emotional well-being.

Concluding...

As we can see now, it is not just about recommending a positive perspective to others when we go through difficult times, it's a change from many sources of stress to learn to see the big picture, and most importantly, in a kinder way for us. Although for several authors, definitely, the way we see ourselves and the world can profoundly affect our state of mind.

Author: Dr Octavio Gascón - Medical specialist in mental health and cognitive psychotherapy.