Is Depression Self Inflicted?

Depression is defined as so many things however, I will define it as I know it from a self-inflicted perspective.

Self-depression is where one inflicts or offsets the depression mode due to self-talk. Our mind is a powerful tool that can either destroy us or build us.

In my high school, I hit a number of ditches but all in my mind. I was constantly depressed due to the comparison effect, negative self-talk, company you keep.

I constantly compared myself to the girls I termed as 'beautiful'. I hated myself and everything about me that I ended up depressed. This depression left me frustrated, angry at life and myself not forgetting asking why God didn't make me as beautiful as the rest.

But all this was product of my MIND. No one could tell what was going on in my mind however I knew and I wished I could run away from it.

Negative self-talk also emerges through failure to hit targets at work, not achieving certain goals by a certain age and life seems to be dealing with you wrongly. For ladies, the failure to get married by 20something and your classmates seem to be married and happy. This will breed frustration, anger and an overwhelming feeling of worthlessness. This is just one of the pathways to depression.

However, I learned that as humans we are all on a journey and some will arrive earlier than me but what matters is that we have all arrived. I constantly watch what I say to myself because it affects me greatly. I have cultivated the discipline of being nice to myself by complimenting myself, celebrating me and not being hard on myself when I don`t achieve my set goals.

Kizza Racheal, Uganda

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