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Why do we focus only on negative things in depression forgetting all the positive and strong things we have?

Profile: CherishedDreams
CherishedDreams on Nov 9, 2015
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Mostly because negative things usually are more powerful than the positive ones so our minds tend to have a hard time thinking more on the positive side
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Profile: AshlynDPowell
AshlynDPowell on Mar 3, 2015
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Because when we strive for perfection, we see the negative things as things that need to be fixed, but the positive things are pushed away because there's nothing that needs to be done there. But with depression, it is hard to control perfectionism, and it can lead to people becoming consumed in their faults and discouraged when they feel there is no way to fix them. However, we're here to remind them of those great and positive qualities that they have discarded, so they can feel renewed and distracted from their problems, if only temporarily.
Profile: BeastIsTheBeauty
BeastIsTheBeauty on Jan 5, 2016
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Sweety, it's called "Depression" for a reason, not "Neutrality". It's not something you can just be like "Oh, look, a rainbow! I feel so happy!" It's a mental issue and usually based on chemical imbalances. It's not so much a choice to think on the negative but a force making us think on it. It takes time and lots of patience and practice to overcome depression and even then it doesn't go away like a rain-cloud, it just becomes more manageable.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Nov 14, 2017
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Because you feel bad for one thing and after that everything is bad for you. You see negative in everything. You just need to start seeing good things in everything and stay positive
Profile: freshLove97
freshLove97 on Jun 13, 2016
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Because the chemicals in our brains, that usually make us happy, aren't released when we're depressed. Therefore we can't see the positives anymore.
Profile: AmethystUnicorn
AmethystUnicorn on Jul 2, 2018
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When you are feeling sad it is hard to focus on the positive. Your mind grabs onto the negative and holds it tight, which makes you more upset. Depression tried to get you into a cycle of sadness by not realizing the good.
Profile: Paraglyder1921
Paraglyder1921 on Aug 4, 2015
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Because when we have it, we tend to forget that depression isn't the only thing that makes us. Depression is like seeing through a pair of broken smudgy glasses. It's hard to see what's really going on.
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CBT, a form of psychotherapy, believes that the reverse is true. i.e. it is the focusing on negative thoughts and experiences (rumination) that causes depression. CBT also believes that we have a set of core beliefs that can cause depression or not. If we have unrealistic or unhelpful core beliefs it can cause suffering. One core belief might be 'People should be nice to me, if I'm nice to them'. The problem with such a core belief is that when it doesn't happen we feel upset.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Apr 9, 2015
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Maybe because that's how depression works. It wants you to focus on this negative side. I covers the every positive thoughts wherein all you could see is the darkness. It overpowers us that's why we forget every positive and strong things we have.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on May 12, 2015
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Depression can be very overwhelming and can be over come with the proper help from professionals so that you do not spend so much time on the negative things and can think more strongly on the things that are positive,
Profile: FreakenPuertoRican
FreakenPuertoRican on Jun 9, 2015
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We focus only on negative things in depression, forgetting all the positive and strong things we have, because it overwhelms our brain with constant "what if's", and when you're already struggling, the slightest thing that can go wrong ends up seeming like numerous multifarious events following the bad storm you're already going through. Depression is a fog that blocks you from clearly thinking and seeing all the good around you, and the even better things up ahead.
Profile: viralsmiles127
viralsmiles127 on Jun 17, 2015
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We look at something negatively because thats how others makes us feel , but if you have a strong faith in yourself the possibility of this is rare, we view things based on the environment we are in. I guess pressure could be included here.
Profile: frostyRose25
frostyRose25 on Jul 27, 2015
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Depression focuses on negative things because it is a mood disorder caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. However, negative thoughts can be combated by challenging them. In the depths of it, it is important to remember what William Shakespeare once said:"Nothing is good or bad, thinking makes it so."
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Aug 17, 2015
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we get stuck in all or nothing thinking and it often times requires an outside source to show us the positives that can actually be found...
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Feb 8, 2016
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Because we look for a reason or an excuse for being so sad. If you are depressed you just want to be able to explain why you are sad.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Feb 15, 2016
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It's easier to be sad than it is to be happy, especially when we're taught to be happy for a reason instead of just that its nice to try to make yourself happy without a big reason. To explain this better, you could look up this channel on YouTube called actualized and they explain this idea better there. Also, lots of ted talks on youtube help with happiness too.
Profile: cdname
cdname on Mar 7, 2016
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Partly because we are forced to grow up in an environment where people are competitive rather thatn supportive
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Aug 1, 2016
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When you are depressed, there is a void inside you, that brings you down whenever you'd like to rise above. It takes your memories first, then slowly replacing you with another being that can barely even live. That is why you can't see the forest for the trees. Depression is truly blind.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Aug 15, 2016
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If you have depression it is a chemical in your brain. Something that you simply cannot help but can try to think positive with the right people supporting you.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Aug 16, 2016
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Sometimes the psychological pain we endure can have tragically negative effects, which lead to depression. When you enter that state of mind, it's like there's nothing positive in life. It's a natural response to depression that a large amount of us suffer.
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