Depression can cause people
Depression can cause people

to engage in negative self-talk
to engage in negative self-talk

and believe harmful lies about themselves.
and believe harmful lies about themselves.

These false beliefs can keep you stuck in negative thinking
These false beliefs can keep you stuck in negative thinking

and keep you depressed.
and keep you depressed.

I'm Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist
I'm Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist

and I make mental health education videos.
and I make mental health education videos.

Here are eight common lies
Here are eight common lies

that your depressed mind can tell you
that your depressed mind can tell you

and these are in no particular order.
and these are in no particular order.

Number one.
Number one.

"I don't measure up."
"I don't measure up."

Depression gives you a negative view of yourself.
Depression gives you a negative view of yourself.

It can make you feel like you're not good enough
It can make you feel like you're not good enough

or you don't deserve good things,
or you don't deserve good things,

and these thoughts can come from previous critical messages
and these thoughts can come from previous critical messages

that you've received from others
that you've received from others

or it can come from present failures that become magnified
or it can come from present failures that become magnified

and that's all you see.
and that's all you see.

In the cognitive therapy world,
In the cognitive therapy world,

this kind of thinking is called mental filtering.
this kind of thinking is called mental filtering.

For any given situation,
For any given situation,

you only notice the negative detail.
you only notice the negative detail.

Another cognitive distortion
Another cognitive distortion

commonly seen in depressed people
commonly seen in depressed people

that generates this kind of negative self-appraisal
that generates this kind of negative self-appraisal

is called discounting the positive.
is called discounting the positive.

You may get positive feedback about something,
You may get positive feedback about something,

but you downplay the significance by saying something like,
but you downplay the significance by saying something like,

"It's only because of this that it turned out that way."
"It's only because of this that it turned out that way."

In other words,
In other words,

you don't give much value to your contribution.
you don't give much value to your contribution.

Why?
Why?

Because you don't feel worthy of praise
Because you don't feel worthy of praise

because you don't measure up.
because you don't measure up.

Lie number two.
Lie number two.

"No one cares about me."
"No one cares about me."

When you don't feel good about your own self-worth,
When you don't feel good about your own self-worth,

how can you expect others to think any better of you?
how can you expect others to think any better of you?

At least, that's how you see it.
At least, that's how you see it.

Unfortunately, this kind of thinking
Unfortunately, this kind of thinking

can lead to another lie,
can lead to another lie,

which is number three, "I'm better off alone."
which is number three, "I'm better off alone."

Depression can make you isolate for a lot of reasons.
Depression can make you isolate for a lot of reasons.

You may have no energy or drive to do anything.
You may have no energy or drive to do anything.

You may be sleeping all day
You may be sleeping all day

or just have no interest in having conversation.
or just have no interest in having conversation.

Some people experience depression physically
Some people experience depression physically

with a lot of aches and pains and malaise we call it,
with a lot of aches and pains and malaise we call it,

which is this horrible feeling
which is this horrible feeling

of having your energy sucked away,
of having your energy sucked away,

almost like you would feel if you were physically ill.
almost like you would feel if you were physically ill.

We call these physical manifestations somatic symptoms.
We call these physical manifestations somatic symptoms.

Soma means body.
Soma means body.

Some people are more somatic than others.
Some people are more somatic than others.

If you feel this way,
If you feel this way,

you certainly don't want to be around people.
you certainly don't want to be around people.

You're not up for company,
You're not up for company,

but in your mind, you also may feel like
but in your mind, you also may feel like

people don't want to be around you anyway.
people don't want to be around you anyway.

Number four.
Number four.

"No one understands what I'm going through
"No one understands what I'm going through

"and therefore, I'm out here completely alone with this."
"and therefore, I'm out here completely alone with this."

Now, it's true that no one can put themselves in your shoes,
Now, it's true that no one can put themselves in your shoes,

especially if it's someone who hasn't been depressed before.
especially if it's someone who hasn't been depressed before.

So that part is true,
So that part is true,

but where this thinking goes too far
but where this thinking goes too far

is how it makes you distance yourself
is how it makes you distance yourself

from people who care about you.
from people who care about you.

It's like other people
It's like other people

are so out of touch with your experience
are so out of touch with your experience

that you reject their efforts to connect with you
that you reject their efforts to connect with you

because you struggle to feel connected to them
because you struggle to feel connected to them

and this leads to more isolation
and this leads to more isolation

and can make you feel like it's futile
and can make you feel like it's futile

to seek help from others, even professionals
to seek help from others, even professionals

because no one will get it enough to be able to help you.
because no one will get it enough to be able to help you.

Number five.
Number five.

"It's all my fault."
"It's all my fault."

Feeling guilty or blaming yourself
Feeling guilty or blaming yourself

is almost the standard response for a depressed person.
is almost the standard response for a depressed person.

You can blame yourself for not getting better
You can blame yourself for not getting better

because you're not doing enough
because you're not doing enough

to pull yourself out of this.
to pull yourself out of this.

Unfortunately, people around you
Unfortunately, people around you

who don't believe depression is an illness
who don't believe depression is an illness

can perpetuate this thinking
can perpetuate this thinking

by suggesting that you'll get better
by suggesting that you'll get better

if you just do this or that.
if you just do this or that.

Or worse, they can't understand how you can be depressed
Or worse, they can't understand how you can be depressed

when you've got all these wonderful things going for you,
when you've got all these wonderful things going for you,

you don't have a reason to be depressed,
you don't have a reason to be depressed,

and if you buy into that,
and if you buy into that,

you'll blame yourself for not being properly happy
you'll blame yourself for not being properly happy

for all the good things you have.
for all the good things you have.

The truth is, yes, you can get sad or low
The truth is, yes, you can get sad or low

when you experience difficult circumstances,
when you experience difficult circumstances,

but the biological disorder of depression
but the biological disorder of depression

is much more than a reaction to something unpleasant.
is much more than a reaction to something unpleasant.

You could be at the prime of your life with no real problems
You could be at the prime of your life with no real problems

and be deeply depressed,
and be deeply depressed,

and it's not entirely within your control.
and it's not entirely within your control.

Number seven is "Nothing matters."
Number seven is "Nothing matters."

This thinking stems from the apathy symptom of depression.
This thinking stems from the apathy symptom of depression.

"What's the point, why bother?
"What's the point, why bother?

"It's not going to make a difference anyway."
"It's not going to make a difference anyway."

This thinking feeds in to the hopelessness of depression.
This thinking feeds in to the hopelessness of depression.

Since all efforts are futile, you can believe number eight,
Since all efforts are futile, you can believe number eight,

which is, "I'll never get better."
which is, "I'll never get better."

Even if you had repeat episodes of depression,
Even if you had repeat episodes of depression,

each one is like a new experience
each one is like a new experience

when it comes to your future outlook.
when it comes to your future outlook.

It can get so dark
It can get so dark

that you can't remember each time you got better,
that you can't remember each time you got better,

or even if you do remember, this time seems different
or even if you do remember, this time seems different

and you can't convince yourself
and you can't convince yourself

that you'll have another recovery.
that you'll have another recovery.

It's like your memory gets erased
It's like your memory gets erased

for how much better your life is when you recover
for how much better your life is when you recover

and you believe this is the final episode for you.
and you believe this is the final episode for you.

This sense of doom
This sense of doom

is what leads some people to want to end their lives
is what leads some people to want to end their lives

or at least end their suffering,
or at least end their suffering,

but fortunately, most people don't get to this point.
but fortunately, most people don't get to this point.

They may contemplate options
They may contemplate options

or fantasize about what life would be like without them,
or fantasize about what life would be like without them,

but they don't have the courage or the energy
but they don't have the courage or the energy

to do anything to get there.
to do anything to get there.

Do any of these thoughts sound familiar to you?
Do any of these thoughts sound familiar to you?

If you're having several of these thoughts,
If you're having several of these thoughts,

you should see a professional for help.
you should see a professional for help.

This could be a therapist to help you with your thinking
This could be a therapist to help you with your thinking

and if the therapist believes your depression
and if the therapist believes your depression

is severe enough to consider medication,
is severe enough to consider medication,

they could refer you to a doctor
they could refer you to a doctor

to be evaluated for medication,
to be evaluated for medication,

or you could seek help in the reverse order
or you could seek help in the reverse order

and see a doctor first and then maybe add on therapy.
and see a doctor first and then maybe add on therapy.

Many primary care doctors will treat depression
Many primary care doctors will treat depression

or you could go directly to a psychiatrist.
or you could go directly to a psychiatrist.

If you have a loved one who is depressed,
If you have a loved one who is depressed,

know that these could be some of the things
know that these could be some of the things

that they're thinking.
that they're thinking.

If they don't want to be around you,
If they don't want to be around you,

try not to take it personally
try not to take it personally

because their depressed state
because their depressed state

distorts how they see and react to the things around them.
distorts how they see and react to the things around them.

Here are some other videos that I have
Here are some other videos that I have

talking in more detail about depression.
talking in more detail about depression.

For more education and support
For more education and support

on mental wellness in general,
on mental wellness in general,

check out my mental wellness community
check out my mental wellness community

where we have twice monthly live streams,
where we have twice monthly live streams,

workshops on clinical topics,
workshops on clinical topics,

and weekly wellness-related challenges,
and weekly wellness-related challenges,

a lot of good stuff at the mentalwellnessspace.com.
a lot of good stuff at the mentalwellnessspace.com.

In the meantime, thanks for watching.
In the meantime, thanks for watching.

See you next time.
See you next time.