Do you have to have a reason to feel depressed?
44 Answers
Last Updated: 12/21/2021 at 12:40am
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Alex DS Ellis, MA, LMFT
Marriage & Family Therapist
Feeling depressed or anxious can be so overwhelming. I want to help you feel better and be able to enjoy life. You are not alone and you deserve emotional support.
Top Rated Answers
No! This is one of the many reasons why many people don't speak out about their depression, they sometimes feel that they do not have a 'valid' reason to be depressed because from the outside their life seems perfect. However, depression can affect anyone of any background and any age.
Anonymous
February 22nd, 2015 12:00am
No, not at all. In fact, it's way more common to NOT have a reason. Depression can come at any time, to anyone, for any reason, including no reason at all.
No not always. It's clinically considered to be a chemical imbalance in your body - so in a way it's your body's way of telling you that something's not quite right.
Anonymous - Expert in Depression
August 4th, 2015 1:23am
There is always a reason - but not the kind that you think. It may be chemical/hormonal change, events that have happened to you, a result of other disorders, a change in medication, a change in mindset, low self-esteem, anxiety, numbness, emptiness, confusion of thought or emotion, or simply bottled up emotions that are now finally being released.
No. Depression is an mental illness that is very hard to control and doesn't really have an cure. Being sad is very different than being depressed. You don't have to have an reason to suddenly or slowly feel depressed.
Anonymous
August 18th, 2015 2:09pm
No. You can depressed but you don't need a valid reason because depression is something uncontrolable and can just randomly spike so you don't need a reason for the way you feel.
Nope. Depression is something that doesn't make sense. We can have the "best lives ever" and still experience period of depression. Depression has no boundaries about who it affects.
Depression is often (though not always) triggered by external events - either immediately after they've happened or by remembering and dwelling on them.
Anonymous
January 26th, 2016 6:46am
Not at all! Depression is a mental disease- you can have it your whole life or have it triggered by something. You can't choose whether you have it or not, and you can't choose if there will be something specific involved with it
we all have one , even if it was small , but still it counts.
as soon as we know what caused it we will be able to handle it.
Not really sometimes it is caused by emotionally being drained from working too hard or just sitting and doing nothing
Not necessarily. There can be a variety of reasons that we can feel depressed. Sometimes it could be hormone imbalances, something that happens a lot when we're teenagers. Sometimes its a reaction to something significant that has happened in our lives, and sometimes, there isn't necessarily a particular reason that we feel the way we do. The important thing to do when you sense that you aren't yourself, is to get help as soon as you can. It only makes it so much harder when we try to battle depression by ourselves, even if we don't want anyone to know, or the extra company. As people, we were made to be in community with each other, to support one another.
Anonymous
August 10th, 2015 4:36pm
No - there doesn't have to be a reason. Depression can affect us all and there isn't always a clear reason why. Fortunately there is a lot that can be done to overcome depression! Start by talking to someone about it, getting regular exercise and having some productive hobbies such as art or an instrument. Try to accept positivity into your life.
No, you do not. While Depression can be a symptom of physical illnesses (thyroid problems, Vitamin D deficiency etc.) or be a reaction to an event or a drug, it can be "idiopathic" as doctors would say, which means without obvious cause.
And even if there was a cause there is no need to know the cause for the feelings to be valid.
Anonymous
March 14th, 2016 11:45pm
No, you don't need a reason for any emotion or feeling, but if this is something that is ongoing, there may be a bigger issue at hand.
No you do not. Depression is a mental illness. Just like there is no reason someone might get cancer there is no reason why someone might get depression. Be kind on yourself and always use resources to broaden your knowledge.
Anonymous
June 18th, 2015 2:12am
Many people don't, or they can't pinpoint a specific reason. Sometimes depression may be caused by the accumulation of small failures, or a big failure, or big grief, anything.
Anonymous
November 16th, 2015 10:56am
Plenty. Past bullying at school, being abused in a relationship, grief from losing my dad and daughter, low self esteem by my appearance, break ups.
Not always, however there must be a trigger to it. Sometimes we forget to attend to our little problems that we don't realise it grows into something deeper. No matter what causes it, what you feel is what you feel even though sometimes it is hard to translate this into reason.
Anonymous
January 4th, 2016 8:41am
Depression is a very multifaceted experience, which can make it very difficult to pinpoint its underlying reason(s). That's why so many have found joining forces with a professional (counselor, psychiatrist, etc.) extremely valuable when tackling depression: they are able to use their own self-knowledge and the skills of the professional to track down the reason(s) for the depression and the best way(s) to begin resolving it.
tl;dr - I believe so, but that doesn't mean finding it is always easy.
Not always, depression can effect anyone of any age with any backstory, since depression is an illness and nothing in your life can change that
No!! Depression can be as simple as a deficit of chemicals in the brain. Although it's also worth noting that it's a natural response to a world we live in that can be horrifying at times. When you feel powerless, you feel hopeless and depressed. That isn't to say it's a good thing, but you don't have to justify it.
Anonymous
April 30th, 2015 3:59am
Not at all. Sometimes things bother us and it can get the best of us. We may not know why but it is normal to sometimes feel depressed.
No, depressive episodes can come out of nowhere without knowing the cause or what triggered it. Because Clinical Depression is caused by biological/internal factors, you don't necessarily need an external factor (caused by the outside environment) to trigger depression.
If by reason you mean a specific event then no. There are many different reasons for depression but these reasons may not be clear. They can be psychologically induced from past events in your life (maybe ones you're not even aware of) or even induced due to your brain chemistry. There are so many reasons that could be possible (even genetics). I know people who battle depression because it runs in their family. They get depressed seemingly for no reason, but that's just because the reason isn't something a stranger would know right away.
Anonymous
June 21st, 2016 6:36pm
No. Your brain's chemicals could be the complete reason for depression. It can happen to anyone no matter what they have.
Anonymous
July 18th, 2016 11:45am
now a days, reasons are not required to feel depressed.but people who learn to be happy and having respond in "take it easy".i have no reasons to depress but thousands of reasons to happy
Anonymous
October 10th, 2016 2:38pm
No you don't. You can be depressed even without a reason. If you can't think of a reason why you're depressed, don't stress, because depression can come even without a reason
Absolutely not! It can be hard to explain to people who haven't experienced depression, but you absolutely do not have to have a specific reason to be depressed. There is a difference between situational depression, which is depression in reaction to a certain event or situation and is usually short-term, and clinical depression, which is usually caused by one's brain chemistry and can be chronic. Sometimes, one can develop clinical depression if he or she has symptoms long after a "triggering" event or situation. Feeling as though you don't have a "good reason" to be depressed can be very frustrating for sufferers, but we have to remind ourselves that there doesn't have to be a reason to feel this way. Your feelings are valid, even if there's no discernable cause for them.
No you don't. Feeling depressed or anxious or stressed sometimes can become overwhelming and you cannot pinpoint the exact reason or sometimes there just isn't any. You are not alone in this situation. always remember that. Give yourself some time. Be patient with yourself like you would be with a good friend.
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