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Why do I feel depressed even when my life is going great?

291 Answers
Last Updated: 05/14/2022 at 3:02am
Why do I feel depressed even when my life is going great?
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

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
Anonymous
March 29th, 2018 2:55am
Life is full of ups and downs and it's really easy to see the downs. It's ok to feel down when everything is going great. It's not something out of the norm. I find taking a moment to look at what's going on that's making me feel depressed and asking myself, "Is this really what is happening? What are some of the great things that I have done lately?"
emilyb1999
November 23rd, 2017 2:40pm
depression is an illness to the mind and not a second goes by when as humans we can block out emotions and thoughts, therefore no matter how hard you try your depression will constantly be a part of you on the good and the bad days but 7 cups will always be here to help you out with anything
Robin13
October 16th, 2016 1:57pm
Because depression doesn't have much to do with your situation, it's about your mental and hormonal state. You could have a great situation and still have depression, or have a terrible life and not have depression. Depression is an illness and just like any physical illness it doesn't matter to depression how well your life is doing.
EmpathicSunshine22
December 13th, 2020 9:10am
Depression creeps at you quietly, it doesn't need reasons to emerge, it can be a result of cumulative effects from past events, trauma, even after years have passed and when life in the present seems great, it can strike anytime. At first it's like a headache that you tell yourself it'll go away on its own, just another bad day..But how many bad days does it take to realize something is not right. People think depression is being sad and crying all the time which is wrong. It's the constant feeling of being empty, numb, feeling worthless with an incredible low self esteem and life begins to seem pointless, isolating yourself from socializing to avoid questions sometimes completely shutting your close ones off. Thoughts like why keep trying if nothing makes you happy anyway? That's depression. If you are experiencing that today, know that you are not alone and there are many listeners, good friends as well as therapists who are happy to help you through your recovery journey. Never be afraid or shy to reach out before it's too late. Depression is manageable and for all people reading this, always remember you matter, you are loved, you are important, you value exactly as everyone else, never less!
Anonymous
April 5th, 2015 4:35pm
Sometimes you may not know that you are indeed depressed. It kind of remains suppressed, for the lack of a better term. It's there, but you don't feel it's presence. It comes to your realization when you finally get tired and I don't mean that physically. Though mental exhaustion can result in physical one as well.
Anonymous
May 22nd, 2015 10:30am
Depression isn't logical, as frustrating as that is. Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain, and it isn't always triggered by an event in your life. Sometimes we can be depressed when things are going great because depression isn't always caused by outside forces--it's a mental illness. Just like you can get sick with cancer when your life is going great, you can get sick with depression.
NeverendingSun
December 14th, 2015 4:15am
Sometimes we all need a break, we are all humans after all, and once in awhile, we all break down.
Anonymous
April 5th, 2016 4:16am
Sometimes our hormones affect the way we feel our emotions. Going back to the basics is very helpful to manage hormones. This is things liked getting proper sleep, proper nutrition and exercise.
Anonymous
June 14th, 2016 4:41pm
Because deep, deep in your heart, you know something is missing . I dont know what that is, only you know what is inside your heart .
Anonymous
March 31st, 2018 8:07am
Sometimes even though everything is going great we feel something very important is lacking in our life. Try finding out what exactly is lacking. You'll be fine.
Anonymous
September 11th, 2016 12:26pm
You need to start analyzing yourself with great introspection as what are the beliefs or mental habits that are hindering your pursuit of happinesss and assess those mental habits whether or not they are reality based and then substitute them with more adaptive mental habits.
elsalovelove
December 2nd, 2017 9:05am
Depression and mental illnesses can be caused by factors other than challenging things happening in life. First of all, depression and many other mental illnesses can be genetic, so it may not matter if your life is going great or very badly. Your illness is still an illness, and you should not belittle your feelings just because it seems like others go through tougher times than you. Pain is relative, and please seek out help if you even have to consider doing so :)
Freeurself
October 12th, 2016 7:01am
Sometimes we have gone through so much that we cannot see the good in what's happening around us. We tend to go back and reminisce the past that has caused the depression. When life's going great, we tend to question it.
Nasrz8
April 28th, 2018 8:35am
Could be many reasons : 1) You remembered something bad happened to you in the past and keep thinking about it. 2) You're alone. No partners (relationship) or less friends. 3) You're always focusing on the bad sides of your life. 4) You're comparing yourself to others. (very wrong indeed, you never know what other people may be suffering). 5) You're focusing on what other have and you don't, so you think you need it in order to be happy.
Luvnbeast
September 28th, 2017 8:19pm
While a good portion of the people with depression does have depression from their current environments, many actually do have depression for unknown reasons. Basically, depression is the brain's way of slowing down neurological functioning to protect itself from more harm. It literally goes into a waking hibernation mode where the sufferer does the minimal effort, to conserve energy and to try to heal from stress damage given to it by the environment typically. So, sometimes the brain either is not fully healed and forced into action or the person might have been so badly overwhelmed by stress the effects have lasted long after the event has ended. While the reasons for the depression could vary, the effects could potentially last a lifetime. However, there is hope to understand that usually, depression does happen in cycles, is never permanent, and the effects can be treated either with counseling or possibly medication. Another point to add is that the brain also needs exercise and stimulation. Without it, the brain literally gets "bored to death". So the no apparent cause literally could mean that the depressed person literally has very little real stimulation in their environment that is real to them or challenges them.
Anonymous
June 9th, 2018 5:40am
You often feel depressed even though your life is going great because even though you are most likely having your physical needs being met, your emotions needs are being neglected. We are always told that we should be grateful and that we "should" be happy of the things in our life that are going great but that's a problem because that makes a space where now your emotions are now being invalidated. Society has a stigma towards emotions, as if its not ok to feel angry or sad or jealous etc. But it is, how you feel is completely valid. It is important to acknowledge and work through your emotions.
Anonymous
April 18th, 2018 8:41am
For me, it's because my thoughts and perceptions are different than what is actually happening around me. It helps from time to time to ground yourself with mindfulness.
wearywickedheart
July 29th, 2018 6:25am
Because depression or sadness is like an injury. If you get shot, you.need medical care and alot of time and TLC to heal. It's going to take time and sometimes professional help to heal.
departedspirits1
December 6th, 2018 10:22am
one essential thing in my opinion is, that its missing inner love. real love and real happiness come from within you, how well you can control your body and emotions. unfortunately, real happiness and love doesn't come from the outside, that is a dangerous game and very risky which will always lead to sadness. One must really focus on oneself and understand themselves. So please, when you are feeling pain and sadness in the mornings or in the nights, try to create love from within yourself it is very important to learn how to create love from within yourself, once that is done, the other things in life become much easier to deal with. But it is one thing to know it in theory and its another whole thing to experience it really.
Anonymous
March 27th, 2019 6:46am
Depression happens because of something going wrong in the brain. So even though your life may be fine, you can still feel depressed. Now I hope you know that just because you have a "great life" doesnt mean that you being depressed is any less important than someone who has less of a great life. Your problems, experiences and feelings are your own so they should never be compared to other peoples. I hope that this helped and I hope that things get better for the people who feel this way. Just remember that you matter and that you are loved, have a good day.
Anonymous
September 15th, 2017 6:49pm
There are two reasons for being depressed. First is due to the chemical imbalance in the brain. The other reason might be situational. Now the chemical imbalance can be treated with medicines prescribed by a psychiatrist. The other can be dealt through therapy or counselling. It might take some time but the results are mostly fruitful.
Anonymous
April 17th, 2020 8:02am
I guess sometimes people feel depressed irrespective of how well your life is at that moment. Maybe subconsciously you are worried about something or you might have been too much exposed to your current life style which would have given you an unsatisfied feeling. Being in your comfort zone for a prolonged period can also be the root cause of this feeling. When people actually move out if their comfort zone and explore the new things it will keep their mind and body busy as they will be learning how to tackle their new blockers in life. Other reasons might be lack of inner happiness and peace. Even when your life is really great and if you lack things inside you, the soul will not be happy leading to depression. Try to explore your own being, alot of surprises and hidden talents would be found. Feel blessed for what you have got better than others.
Anonymous
July 1st, 2017 9:26pm
Feeling depressed is a chemical imbalance in the brain. It isn't always caused by rough times in life. Medication can help.
AndyP84
June 29th, 2017 2:14am
Depression is sometimes more of a problem with serotonin, dopamine, and other parts of your brain's biology. It's not always the result of what's going on in your life.
hyacinthw
May 24th, 2017 11:23pm
Depression is an illness, a chemical-imbalance in your brain. Sometimes, your brain doesn't care that life is working out. Just like with a chronic illness, it doesn't matter if your life is great or you should be happy. You're still sick, regardless. The same goes for depression.
safeshoulder2CryOn
July 11th, 2020 2:54pm
Even when everything one can wish for is "in place", a person can still suffer from depression. Regardless of a sufferer's external circumstances, it's their internal emotional states that matter more when it comes to depression. Depressive thinking can sometimes lead to emotional arousals that makes it more difficult to snap out.Depressed people return to dwell on those past times that had traumatized them.Until a sufferer's emotional needs are met, it is likely that he/she continue suffering from depression. At these times, help from a trained professional can help but there is still no substitute from deriving joy from freedom of traumatic thoughts. In orders, one must talk n share these traumatic past events in order to desensitize themselves from trauma.
hopefulPower94
April 1st, 2017 9:50pm
The cause of depression is not always external. Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain that can be triggered by many things from the death of a family member to genetics. It is a physical illness and you don't need to have a "bad" life in order to suffer from it. You didn't choose this, it is not your fault. You have nothing to be embarrassed about and you deserve support. Sending positive vibes your way!
Anonymous
November 24th, 2016 5:16pm
Depression doesn't have to have a reason when it hits you. Depression can come out of the blue, even when you're doing perfectly fine. It usually becomes more of a mind state than a feeling, and it comes and goes very often, even if everything seems to be fine.
Anonymous
July 25th, 2016 9:08am
My perception is that you are happy on the surface. However, the core of your being knows that you aren't. Explore what depression feels like and why an individual would be feeling depressed even though their life is going great.
MeiStorm
October 6th, 2016 8:13pm
Sometimes depression happens to people who have a perfectly fine life. It's a chemical imbalance. Maybe try seeing a therapist.