Why do I feel the world is very dark and oppressive and depressing?

Question

I cant feel the joy or happiness, even though my life is good. I have a great family and good friends, however I cant seem to feel good about anything, I feel oppressed and persecuted. I know the value of having a faith, but even that is not real to me at the moment, It is like a big black mist surrounding me

I am not on any medication, and I am a good person to other people, and I know myself to be good, I just cant shake this feeling of unworthiness

Although i help others, and put a brave face on, I cant stop the feeling of crying, the pain of life

Answer 1

Read "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand.

Answer 2

It happens sometimes. My friend suffers from mild depression. You would never know it. She has a very good life. She takes an antidepressant and feels much better.

You described how I felt after an accident. I was never on antidepressants until I was in a motorcycle accident. It actually impacted my body and brain and it took 8 months on the meds to bring me back to equilibrum. I suffered from 'flexion extension' from the accident and if I hadn't gotten help it would have been worse. I was downright stubborn and refused to see that I needed the meds. I thought I was so tough that I could get through it on my own. I healed my body, ate to heal, did physio, worked it back into shape, exercised through the pain - why the hell couldn't I fix my thoughts! I thought that I could get passed it since I had never been on meds, didn't like the idea of taking something that would 'mess with my mind' and thought I should 'wait it out'. The problem was that my life was as great then as it is now and sometimes depression is far more biological than we like to admit. I felt better within 2 weeks...and was back to my old self as soon as the eight months were up. I have never been on meds since, but wouldn't necessarily rule it out if I needed to. I spent 4 months completely depressed and shouldn't have let it get to that point. I have always been very happy, very healthy and prefer using natural remedies so I refused to see I needed help until it got very bad.

My friend is in a different situation. She requires medication every day of her life, but it has brought back the person that she really is on the inside. The depression doesn't run her life anymore.

You may want to try St. John's Wort before you speak to your doctor about medication. It is natural. Don't do meds and St. John's together - dangerous.

Seriously, if it doesn't work for you, please speak to your doctor, you will be glad you did. You have depression. The world isn't the dark place you see right now.

Answer 3

You may feel the world is dark and depressing bacause ther are so few kind and caring people. You may be reacting to something in your past, you may be suffering from a lack of sunlight, or you may just be depressed. If these symptoms go on for longer that two weeks, see your family doctor. There is nothing wrong with taking medication for depression, and it can make you feel like there is a light at the end of the tunel.

Answer 4

Well my friend many of these answers are to the point
but all are based in eachpersons model of perception.
what is your model?
Maybe its christian maybe aitheist maybe agnostic maybe this maybe that.
whatever it is please note that your interpretation of the world
is a result of your model of perception
models of perception are like software
and like software you can install and uninstall them at will
sometimes you will need this one because it produces this effect
sometimes that one because it helps to do something else

Some models refute the usage of any others and this can be handicapping you.
free yourself from this entanglement of perception and give yourself permission to feel the joy even though others are suffering make your joy the easment of others suffering.
it may be you can't "feel" it because you feel guilty

feel ok being happy
understand that happiness or joy are states of mind you have trained yourself to feel in relation to certain preordained stimuli
such as ill be oky if thus or i will feel horrible if thus
do not say these things to your self
say i can at times be happy for not reason
because i choose to!
listen happiness is a feeling felt in response to conditioned stimuli
if that stimuli is out of your control then so is your happiness
train your mind/body to be happy because you choose to
let the stimulus of happiness be you personal mental choice
imagine happiness in the average person takes place when they experience the stimulus they like
lets say its there favorite tv program or even evidence of world peace. what happens in the body is that peptides are released into the blood stream which create the "felling of happiness"
this dynamic is conditioned meaning it is imparted on the individual throught life courses
if you accept the precepts of a religion for example you accept that you will be happy when these stimuli are reached
and not others
used to be you liked to joke around but your new religion say this is evil so you train your mind/body to not secret the happiness peptide/chemicals/drugs at the time you used to and only when your new religion says you can such as at church or when you pray or such.
you must tell yourself its okay to be happy
give yourself permission and move on
your happiness is yours own it and if you can share it because this world could use a little more!
peace to you friend

Answer 5

Too often we're too focused on the quality of "our" life instead of others. Whenever you're struggling with introspection that leaves you feeling "unworthy" give yourself a "reason" to feel better about yourself.
Get out of your comfort zone and try volunteering to help some folks that are lot worse off than you are. It might make you feel a little more valuable.
I suspect we seldom "find ourselves" until we stop looking and try "finding others".

Answer 6

Join the armed forces.
They will give you a sense of purpose and direction.

Answer 7

well there is a lot of scary things happening in the world these days, it's not anything like how it used to be.

Answer 8

It's possibly depression..
why don't you go to a trusted friend or maybe a pyschologist..or if you go to church maybe you pastor...or you can talk to me..

Answer 9

might be a phase your going through. try to fidn somethign fun to do that makes you happy! :)