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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
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.
Anonymous
September 11th, 2016 1:02am
Chemical imbalance in the brain, mental illnesses are much more than just how you feel. Feeling depressed is not because your life is bad, it's much deeper than that.
Ikwan777
August 11th, 2018 5:01pm
Depression could be caused by unresolved core beliefs and certain automatic thought patterns. Some of these thought patterns disqualify positive outcomes and reinforce negative beliefs such that one could still feel depressed even when life is general going great.
Anonymous
April 22nd, 2019 12:12am
Depression isn't always a rational thing, and this can be really frustrating. I kind of get where you're coming from. In many ways I have a very successful life. I grew up in a good family, friends to stand by me, I have a job that I love and a home to come back to after my shifts. And yet I have struggled with depression all my life. There are many theories about what causes depression. Sometimes it's circumstantial, caused by something that happened in your life. However sometimes it just happens. Sometimes a person's brain just doesn't produce the right chemicals. There isn't any shame in it, just like you wouldn't blame a diabetic for having a pancreas that doesn't produce enough insulin.
Anonymous
April 19th, 2019 6:19am
Sometimes we just have that overwhelming feeling of being useless and unwanted. It is okay to feel like that, we can't just be happy the whole time. But you have to remember: There always is an exit, just keep searching for someone who can help you. You are not alone. And even when your life is okay, you sometimes just have to feel sad and scared. It is completely okay, too. But you have to remember: There always is someone who needs you, who will help you. So don't give up, keep searching and you will find the solution.
OceanRest
April 12th, 2019 2:45pm
Hi there and thank you for your question. Depression is not always caused by a life that isn't going great, as you put it. When depression is caused by something specific going on in our lives it is called situational or reactive depression and will often clear up when the situation has been dealt with. But depression can also be caused by trauma that we've experienced earlier in our lives or a chemical imbalance. In these cases, where there is a root problem or chemical imbalance, you can feel depressed even though your life is going great. Most often when there is a problem with serotonin or norepinephrine/noradrenaline (the feel good chemicals) in the brain a person can feel depressed. If that is the case antidepressants could help and it might be a good idea to discuss it with your doctor or a psychiatrist. But there are also other options like therapy. Often a combination of therapy and medication works well. Good luck on your journey and I hope you will remember to take good care of yourself during this difficult time.
Anonymous
September 16th, 2021 5:44am
Struggling with depression can be difficult and hard to understand sometimes. Even when things appear to be going well and you believe you should be happy, depression can cause you to feel as though you will never be okay. This can make it hard to confide in friends and family because not everyone understands what it is like to be depressed for seemingly no reason at all. Always know that there are people out there who do understand what you are going through and are more than willing to help. There are many available sources to look into and people to talk to, especially right here on 7 Cups.
kevinmontiel90
March 3rd, 2019 12:42am
There's no one reason why anyone feels depressed when life is going great. Depression can be caused by a multitude of factors, what many call "biopsychosocial" factors. Biologically, some people are predisposed to experiencing depression due to a family history of depression, genetics, and brain functioning. Psychologically, some people may have a pessimistic style of thinking, are more emotionally reactive, or have issues with self-esteem and identity. Socially, people may be under the stress of finances, relationships, the workplace, education, and experiences of prejudice and discrimination. All of these various levels interact to influence the likelihood for feeling depressed. In summary, there is no one real cause for why you are feeing depressed even when your life is going great. What I would recommend is to talk to someone you are close to (or even one of our listeners or therapists!) to help you get to the root of what is making you feel depressed. Don't be afraid to talk to someone, reaching out is the first step!
fantasticCandy62
February 14th, 2019 4:09pm
Sometimes you can feel overwhelmed even if you don’t notice it. Or you can get mad at someone and then just push it aside. Being depressed can happen at any time; it can happen when you are happy or sad. When I feel depressed it’s usually because I feel like my life isn’t perfect or I don’t have great friends even though I do. And I wallow in those thoughts until I just become plain out depressed. And if you feel like you don’t have great friends, go and talk to them about it to figure out what is setting you off. Or if you feel like your family is letting you down, go and talk to them about it. But don’t sit by yourself and contemplate things all alone. That is not what helps. Go surround yourself with people who care about you.
adjtor
January 26th, 2019 4:14am
Sometimes it does not matter what we have or how happy we are, depression can still be in the back of our minds. No matter how hard we try to ignore it or make it go away, sometimes it is right there around the corner waiting for us. It is not a matter of greatness, but a matter of our mind. It is not a choice for us, and we do not have control over it. It is just simply there. Maybe we feel good in the day, when we are surrounded by people, but our minds start to wander at night. Maybe we get depressed during the day, when we are around friends and family. Either way, no matter how great we are doing, depression can still show up,and it shows up uninvited. It is something many of us have to live with. No matter how great we seem to be on the outside, all of us have a something we are dealing with that we do not show. That is why it is so important to a great support system. People that will be there when we feel amazing, but will also stay when we don’t.
Anonymous
January 6th, 2019 6:46am
Probably because you're lonely. Something is missing inside you. And you don't know what it is. Or you may know, but you have no idea how to fulfill that missing part. You may hold negativity inside yours. It might cause by you, or by someone else. I am in 7 cups because I have depression. Sometimes I need to tell to someone about how I feel. Sometimes I just want to help people. Talk to someone is a good treatment for your mental health. And I'm glad I am in this community. I met some nice friends. Some bitch or pervert. But well, I blocked them who irritate me.
LucieMarie12
January 3rd, 2019 6:35pm
The way your life is going has nothing to do with the way your mental health works. Your brain doesn’t switch off just because things are going well, it is more than normal to still feel down during good periods of your life. It doesn’t make you “ungrateful”. It doesn’t make your depression any less valid than someone who might “have it worse”. Depression is not defined by your surroundings, it’s a health problem and it is always valid. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you shouldn’t feel how you do just because your life might be great.
Here2help10
December 14th, 2018 10:15pm
Depression can be do to many contributors. Unresolved issues can be like a nagging voice in our head. Even thyroid issues can cause depression. Just because our overall life is good doesn’t mean that depression won’t still effect us. When things are going good depression will keep you from being able to truly enjoy life. Which can bring us down even more. Even worse it came change how we persevere things that can help us. Or perhaps as it can also be caused by a chemical imbalance which can explain why when life is good we still suffer from depression.
Dana998
December 6th, 2018 3:15pm
There are many reasons for such a thing: 1- you faced sth in your past u didn't get over it yet 2- you made sth and you didn’t forgive urself for doing it 3-you dont know yet what your goal in life, which will make you feel that there is no reason for living, because you think that you life is meaningless, WHICH IS TOTALLY WRONG, you were born for a reason you came here for a reason you register here for a reason And the moment you know what is your goal your life will be full of productivity and happiness And you should be honest with your self why you are depressed, when you know why you can overcome the depression
Anonymous
November 13th, 2021 10:06pm
First of all, depression is something that can come about regardless of a person's situation. It occurs in places of wealth and poverty alike. A lot of people assume that if your life is "going great" you should be happy. Think about what makes your life "great." There might be something you are doing that may seem great, but it is actually causing you dissatisfaction. There could also be relationship issues (i.e. romantic, family, etc.) that are weighing on you despite other successes. Even if none of these apply, it's okay not to be okay. Above all, it's important not to blame yourself.
Anonymous
November 30th, 2018 3:57pm
Depression doesn't always have to do with your circumstances. There can be many reasons for this. First and foremost, if you are depressed, there are some chemicals in your brain that don't work the way they should. That's why you feel depressed (and also why there is medication). This malfunction can be caused by many different things, which don't always have to be your circumstances or major life events. It can also be caused by an imbalance in your hormones. Maybe you can see an endocrinologist to check on your hormone levels - that might be the first clue. If this doesn't get you anywhere, some therapy sessions might help you get to the bottom of things.
LouisaCT
November 8th, 2018 5:49am
There are many reasons you might be feeling depressed, but in my opinion the most common two would be: 1. lack of self-care: even if your life is going great we all need to make sure we take time for ourselves, right? If you don't stop and care for yourself then depression can still creep it's ugly head. 2. chemistry: when life goes great but we still feel depressed it might be a flaw in how our brain works. This isn't bad, it just means you might need a little extra help, like a medication or other tools. These medications will help fix the chemistry that's messing up and you will be able to take care of yourself better and manage to enjoy your life! While it's hard to know what the correct answer is, I would suggest going to the doctor. Any good doctor will want you to have the best quality of life possible. They will know if you require medications (if you're open to them), and what other alternatives might be best for you! Best of luck, cheers.
Anonymous
November 4th, 2018 6:52pm
Because depression doesn't always have anything to do with outside influences. I, myself, suffer from clinical depression that is chemical based. It has nothing to do with how well your life is going, it is biological, like any illness and therefore isn't wholly dependent on what is going on in your life at the moment. You wouldn't expect someone to have their broken arm fixed because they get a good grade, because they are not connected. The same can be said for mental illness. Whilst good things happening can help, depression is an underlying condition. It is not the same as simple sadness at certain life events.
Anonymous
October 13th, 2018 2:31am
Your life going great and you still being depressed doesn't really have anything to do with each other. A great life can help improve your depression and make you feel better, but you're not going to suddenly wake up and say, "Oh hey, I'm not depressed" all because of say, a good grade, lots of friends, a birthday, getting a new pet, etc., since depression is caused by a number of things such as chemical imbalances. This means that your brain doesn't make enough chemicals (like serotonin) to make you happy. I am really happy for you though, it's great that your life is great, that means you'll be on the road to recovery if you aren't already :)
AlanValdez
October 12th, 2018 8:42pm
Depression is not about your life going great or bad. It is more so about the chemical disbalance in your organism. In your body, there are millions of tiny neurons, especially in your brain. They communicate everything that happens to your body, all your thoughts and feelings and so on. To do so, they need help of neurotransmitters - their personal messengers. One of these messengers is dopamine. Low levels of dopamine are associated with depression. Therefore, your depression might be caused by your body not producing enough dopamine to support neurons. Fortunately, you can fix this by performing activities that activate your reward centre, responsible for producing dopamine. This includes exercise, walking, doing activities you enjoy, eating chocolate and more.
Dontletyourselfdown
October 7th, 2018 4:48pm
Depression is a mental illness and the people who have it first of all I salute to them because they are living with every single day and I'm one of them too... the reason you feel depressed even when you are happy is because the depression messes with your chemicals in brain and the solution of this is yoga and exercise because exercise releases endorphins and it helps you boost your mood and feel refreshing... that's all I can say... I know it's so hard to live with it... but we all should always try to find ways that we can improve ourselves each day... Good Luck! :)
CataD
December 17th, 2021 7:23pm
Sometimes you think that your life is perfect because this is what you see everywhere around you. For you, on the other hand, it may not be what your soul desires. First you have to find out your true self and your own expectations and then start asking yourself questions. For example, what area of my life is not how I want it to be? What needs improvement? What needs change? Maybe your life is not created on your own values, but on something that the outer world imposed on you. Find yourself and then start creating the life that you enjoy.
Anonymous
October 3rd, 2018 8:50pm
Well in my personal experience, it can have to do with how things have been in your past not necessarily how things are now. Or maybe a bad experience you had at work/school or something similar. Maybe it's because of the way other people that are close to you have treated you, there are loads or different reasons. Some have to do with a chemical imbalance in the brain, others are to do with grief or missing some one close to you. It depends entirely on you and your life. How you see things, your opinions and how you approach tasks in life. The way in which you look at or experience the world can have a drastic effect on how you feel.
CaseysTea
September 19th, 2018 11:56am
Sometimes depression can feel like a mystery when external factors are going well but it's the internal ones that are most important as you need to be able to truly enjoy and find fulfillment in what you do and achieve in your life. if you're not able to do so, even if from the outside things look great for you, you can be left feeling depressed, empty and unfulfilled by an otherwise 'great' life because your emotional and mental needs are not being met. We all have the very human need to feel connected to our own lives and to each other, to feel enjoyment in our lives, to make meaningful connections and impacts upon ourselves and others and to feel understood and supported by those around us. Without that, we can be left feeling adrift and unconnected.
CreateYourOwnMagic
September 16th, 2018 4:22am
Because depression impacts your brain in a way that still affects us despite how good our life is going. Even days where we think "I should be happy right now" we can instead feel empty, sad, or other emotions related to depression. Depression can go deeper than external events. In fact, during parties, vacations, or other happy activities we may feel even more depressed than usual. This could be for a variety of reasons. Depression, if severe enough, may also dampen our ability to feel positive emotions with the same intensity. So in short, sometimes experiencing depression doesn't change if our life is going great or not great. Depression just is. Going to counseling or working through the underlying causes of the depression might help to attempt to balance the parts of your brain that are making you feel this way.
Kleink
September 13th, 2018 3:55am
You are allowed to feel depressed even when it appears life is going great for you. I understand it is confusing for you feel like there is no reason to feel depressed yet you do feel that way anyways. Depression is a mental illness and can be both due to events that occur/ period of your life or it can also be biological factor/ chemical imbalance. Both are not the fault of yourself and you should not feel guilty about the situations, for it is not something you asked for. It is kind of similar in the sense of people who need glasses because they do not have 20/20 vision, they did not ask or choose to not have perfect vision, in a way that is what it is like with mental illness. It is not based on what is occurring around us all the time, sometimes it is just the way our brains function. This is perfectly normal and there is no shame in it. Luckily we have the technology advancements that allow us help with these situations! Some stuff works for some people and some stuff does not, do not feel discouraged about that. Feeling a certain way is okay because you and your situations matter. Just know you are not alone and things will get better even though it may seem impossible now!
Anonymous
August 25th, 2018 7:21pm
From my experience, the same routine that you are following everyday is making you depressed. In life, there should be a change to feel alive, there should be hurdles and challenges that makes you more strong and thus you feel more alive. If there is nothing in your life for you to do, by following the same working routine you will feel more like a robot so what you actually need (in my humble opinion) is something new. That could be a hobby, a part time activity or maybe just go start talking with stranger while jogging in early morning or be a listener here.
wickedDahlia33
August 25th, 2018 3:54am
It could be a chemical imbalance in the brain manifesting as depression. When I had postpartum depression after I had my baby I was so confused. Life was great yet I felt miserable. I got onto an antidepressant and that has helped immensely. Therapy is a great option too to work through whatever latent issues you may have. Sometimes these spells last for a couple weeks. Other times months. Some people clinically have depression and it's something they face their whole lives. But there are so many different avenues to help you cope with it no matter which it is.
mxjessievee
April 20th, 2022 8:05pm
Depression is a mood disorder, meaning that like many other illnesses, it can affect you even if you feel as if you have nothing to be depressed about. Depression is caused by many different things. From faulty mood regulation in the brain, to genetics and environmental factors - even adverse reactions to certain medications, drugs and alcohol can all be causes of depression. Even if you feel like your life is going great, try not to fall into frustration over thoughts that revolve around not having anything to "be depressed about" or having people tell you that your experience isn't valid because your environment is positive. The World Health Organisation estimates that 3.8% of the world population has depression, which is over 300 Million people per year! Thankfully, depression is a well researched condition, and there is great help out there. Support services and therapies are a great option to get you working through any depressive thoughts you're having, whilst medications are available that can help you regulate the chemical side of things in your brain. I wish you all the best!
Anonymous
June 29th, 2018 11:12pm
A lot of the time people cannot help but compare themselves to others; the other has a better career than me, they are more popular than I am.. and so on. It is only natural as we are humans after all. Try to list your blessings and work on what you wish to improve.