How to Creatively Cope with Depression?

Answer 1

When you're depressed, life just doesn't seem worth it. You don't feel motivated to do anything. Regular tasks become chores. You may neglect to eat, drink, work, or even get out of bed because you just don't see the point anymore. People tend to say that you should just do something and be happy again, but anyone who's been depressed knows that it's just not as easy as that. Most people with depression don't want to be how they are forever. They want their lives back. But even with therapy and medication, the depression can still win, making getting out seem all the more hopeless.

Recently, many people have found relief from depression by using creative mechanisms. When told this, a lot of people have their doubts. "If I can't even function, how am I supposed to create things?" The truth is that activities like writing, drawing, painting, and playing music are great therapeutic tools, and many underestimate their importance in recovering from depression.

Writing in a journal is one of the most common tasks that therapists assign to people with depression. Writing down your feelings and thoughts is helpful, but many quit after a few days or weeks, either because they feel they have nothing to write about or because they forget. This can be worked around by viewing journaling as a creative task rather than a menial one. You don't have to journal exclusively about what happened each day. You can try doing a poetry journal instead, or a memoir journal where you recount interesting events from your past. And many of the world's greatest stories have been written while the author was depressed. Even though it seems like the opposite would be true, depression can be the start of masterpieces - and the process of writing those masterpieces can pull you out of the depression.

One of the first things you're told during treatment for depression is that you can't just lie in bed all day - you need to move around and do things, because staying in one place will make the depression worse. The visual arts are a great way to move around and make wonderful things. Paint on a large canvas or even a wall - the movement will release endorphins and make you feel better. And seeing that you've created something helps to reassure you that you're capable of doing and making great things. Treating depression doesn't have to mean sitting in a chair and talking. It can be bringing beauty into the world as well.