# Depression = boredom?



## trey (Nov 26, 2007)

Back during high school I was given medications for depression, but I didn't stay with them very long.

One type made me as sick as having the flu. 
Another turned me completely psychotic, so much so that I had to lock myself in my room with instructions to the family that if they heard my door open they were to call 911.

During the past few years I've experienced depression off and on (more often on than off). However, lately I've noticed something:

The only times that I seem to become depressed is when I'm bored.

I don't know if it's a matter of becoming aware of the depression, or truly not experiencing it at other times.

This got me to thinking. Is depression just a form of extreme boredom? Is that all it really is?

Here's an example... 
I'm watching TV, it's keeping my attention and time flies by. Once I realize what time it is I go to make some breakfast. Entering the kitchen, suddenly I start feeling depressed and none of the food looks good to me. I feel trapped in the house, I want to do something but can't think of what. I start thinking about how I wish I could write or illustrate well enough to make a living at it, but then I realize for what purpose? What would I do with the money? Buy a house and food... well both are available to me right now and I'm not happy, so why should I expect it would be any different if it was my own food/house?

The thoughts keep spiraling downwards until they become completely nihilistic.

Yet the cause of all those thoughts is the fact that the quality of my life and my prospects are limited by the exclusion of everything outside of the house. I'm bored, and I'm stuck. I want to be living a life but I'm not, just existing. It's a boring frustrating existence, but I'm never feel down about the _situation_. What I feel down about is the _lack_ of what I don't have, the things I can't or that I'm not doing.

To me that seems like the depression is synonymous with extreme boredom. I'm depressed because I'm not doing what I want to do in life, and instead I'm doing something I don't want to. It's not fun, it's not entertaining.

That is the very definition of boredom: tedium, dull, lack of interest.

I'd actually go a bit further and say depression is synonymous with extreme boredom, plus the inability to locate a means to overcome that boredom.

Is finding a way to stay entertained all we need to do to kick depression?


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## Refreshing (Jun 16, 2008)

does anxiety not make you depressed? i'd say that's my main trigger


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## kikachuck (Nov 10, 2003)

I wouldn't say it's as easy as that, but I've actually discovered that boredom was a big part of my problem. On the days that I don't work and don't have anything to do I tend to be a little more down, especially if I don't take the effort to keep my mind occupied. 

For me, I think it really was that simple, but it's probably not the case for everybody.


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## trey (Nov 26, 2007)

Refreshing said:


> does anxiety not make you depressed?


Nah, not really. When I get anxiety I get a lot of physical symptoms with it, but it doesn't depress me. Although, I have no desire to be around people in the first place, so I don't feel as though I'm missing out on anything in that regard.

I mainly get depressed over what I want to do but can't. It's not feeling anxious that does it, it's from missing out on something I want to do.

Like being unable to complete an online art course. 
The first time I tried I became so nervous that I didn't even get the first assignment in and had to drop out.
Months later I tried again and only got in the first two assignments before having to drop out.

That's around $2000 now wasted, and I'm no further along with my artwork. I would say anxiety is the catalyst to my depression, but it's not the anxiety itself that bothers me, it's the consequences/limitations that come about due to it being present.


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## Refreshing (Jun 16, 2008)

for me, depression is linked with pain, and since anxiety = pain, anxiety = depression


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

I think despair and boredom are different but can either way result in depression. I think personally boredom has me depressed and other negative feelings. I got to always be doing something


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