The Eerie “Comfort” That Comes with Depression and How to Address It

Mental health is our emotional, psychological, and social well-being; It is a crucial element affecting how we feel and behave from childhood to old age. It plays a pivotal role in deciding how we deal with stress, interact with others, and make choices. Mental health is unique; no one person feels exactly the same as someone else, and it is challenging and finicky to talk about because of that. And sometimes, just like in a video game, we approach a certain “level” that we just can’t pass; and so, we become complacent. We live with the idea that we’ll never “pass” said level, and simply learn to coexist with our mental health challenges rather than find a way to break through [to the next level] in order to achieve a healthier state of mind.

When you have been dealing with a mental health problem like depression for a long time and you are stuck in an unhealthy environment, it can become hard to recover and grow. One can fall into an emotional state where they almost don’t want to recover as it can become eerily comfortable. That comfort that feels strange to comment on is genuine, and can be detrimental to many. Unfortunately, it can be easier for some to be ill and unhealthy; to cling to that contentment when you’re used to feeling sad than to be “lost” in a foreign land of emotions where things are scary and don't feel right. Ironically, those feelings of self-hate, sadness, anger and anxiety can make one feel empty when they no longer experience them. It sometimes gets to a point where you almost don’t want to get better, because it’s either too hard to break out of this state or because you don’t know how to because you’re scared to. 

The experience of sadness and or depression is a universal emotion that we all experience at one point or another. However, even though being in a depressive state can feel overwhelming and uncomfortable, it is often necessary for growth, self-reflection, and healing. Sadness can also be a powerful motivator for making positive changes in our lives and learning to appreciate life's joys more fully. Embracing sadness as part of life's journey; and, believe it or not, it can, again, be a rewarding experience that leads to building resiliency, deeper relationships, and ultimately, a stronger sense of self.

If you are depressed, sad, or unable to articulate your pain, please talk to someone–anyone, for that matter. It can be a close friend or relative, a counselor, a trusted teacher, someone who will listen and help guide you in the right direction. No one should ever be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Talking about what’s hurting you or making you feel sad is hard, but unless we try to work through those uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, we run the risk of living in an endless cycle of sadness, which again can be scary and unhealthy.

Instead of being comfortable with our sadness, reach out to someone and ask for the help and perspective you need to push forward.

We all deserve to feel like a whole person.