We 'depressives' are prone to taking what others say too seriously. And if taking what they say too seriously flips us into depression, then it's just not worth it.
Those who are prone to despair, for whatever reason, I give the short label 'depressives'; I am not an advocate of psychiatry. It is just a convenient label.
I could call us 'despairives' but it doesn't feel right, so I am stuck with the term depressive. By this term I mean all those who may be doctor-labelled depressives: acute, chronic, bipolar, those ''with some mood disorder'', as I have been labelled.
But back to the main point: it is simply not worth it to take what people say too seriously, whatever it is, if it triggers a period of gloom.
Why do I say this?
Well because most people who say whatever we don't like, or can't cope with or who say something hurtful actually mean the opposite. They want to help. The few that don't should be ignored, because if we take on board their unhelpful, even cruel intentions, then we are fools who suffer periods of doom and gloom. And how many times have we had those dark periods triggered? Is it really worth it. No!
Having said all that, I do know it is not easy to not take offence sometimes. I also know these things people say that trigger our periods of despair can be skilfully ignored more often in future. They can, in fact be totally ignored at some point, when we have enough of the right insights, for our own character. In other words we do not have to suffer so much, and we can never again, be driven by what others say. Our happiness cannot in the end depend on others.
A part of these two latter healthier responses, not reactions of despair, is to own our part in the matter. It takes two to tango, karmically, and we don't have to take the bait by swallowing whole, or in part, what others say. If we can own how we take offence, whether it is meant or not, we can do the opposite. We can respond in a way that is healthy, whether people mean offence or not, and most don't! For instance, doctors: GP or psychiatrists may not have the understandings or sayings that help me, but I take their good intentions, and skilfully sidestep the un-useful content.
I have sidestepped the boulder of such triggers more and more over the years, because otherwise I realise I would have wasted more time in despair-land.
In tandem with this I have focussed more on the friends who can and do help me more, and persisted more in communicating with them, however difficult that enterprise of deep communication may be. I hope you will do this and thus be kinder to yourselves, and have more well-being in your life.
(See also “For Better Mental Health, Cultivate Friendship'' on this blog)
Milan Buddha Ghosh