In this post, you’ll learn about depression motivation. So if you’re really depressed…read on.
You’ve been hurting for so long. Maybe you just want the pain to stop. I know this has been so hard, and you haven’t found a way to escape the pain that follows you around, yet.
Maybe you’ve gone through some really difficult things, and if so that would make sense that you’re suffering.
You don’t have to pretend to be ok, but you also don’t have to stay in this place forever. Let me tell you about what might be keeping you stuck here:
Depression is a liar because it warps your perception of reality. It twists your thoughts, making you believe things that aren’t true, even though they feel real. Here are 5 of the biggest lies depression tells—and the truth behind them.
1. The first Lie: “You’re never going to be happy again.” “Nothing will ever get better.”
Depression makes it seem like the pain will last forever, like you’re stuck in a tunnel with no exit. And you start to believe that there’s no point in trying.
The Truth: Feelings change. Life shifts. Even if you’ve felt this way for a long time, it doesn’t mean you always will. The fact that you’re here means there’s a possibility for things to change. Research shows that when your brain is depressed, it has a very hard time imagining options and alternatives and positive outcomes, it’s like you get tunnel vision and can’t think your way out of it. Because your brain isn’t working properly right now depression is literally blinding you to some really good options you have.
Let’s take one tiny step.
There are probably a lot of treatment options you don’t even know about. But if you’re desperate, reach out to a hospital. Treatments like ECT, TMS and Ketamine can help rapidly improve depression within hours or weeks. They have a 40-70% remission rate. Light therapy is an inexpensive treatment that is effective for 60-70% of people and takes very little effort. And those can be the gateway to really good therapy and lasting positive changes.
You can learn tiny skills to process emotions and stop carrying around a trash can full of repressed memories that seems to be crawling with raccoons that pop out every time you try to rest.
You don’t have to believe that things will get better yet—I’ll hold onto that hope for you until you can see it for yourself. Just trust me, that it can get better. Take some action before you feel like it. Don’t wait to get motivated first.
I’ve seen people come back from this depth of pain, even when they were sure they never would. You are not alone in this.
There’s a part of you that brought you here today, even in your darkest moments. That part of you is worth listening to. Healing can take time, but you are capable of experiencing light again. It gets better.
#2 The Second Lie “You’re a burden.”
The Lie: Depression makes you feel like you’re too much for others to handle, that you’re exhausting or inconvenient.
The Truth: Your loved ones want you here. You matter to them, even if your mind tells you otherwise. People don’t love you for what you do—they love you for who you are.
You have no idea about the number of people who would be affected if you were to end your life. My daughter’s elementary school teacher’s son recently ended his own life, and I don’t know him – I barely know her, but it impacted her immensely, she is completely crushed and distraught, but it also impacted all the kids in the classroom, and me. The world would feel your loss. You do matter and you don’t have to keep suffering. I didn’t know him, and I miss him. I care about you too and think about my viewers every day.
Your brain is lying to you when it says you’re a burden. You are not a burden.
The world is better with you in it, even if your mind is telling you otherwise right now.
Lie # 3. “You don’t deserve help.”
Depression distorts reality when it tells you that your problems aren’t “bad enough” or that you should handle them alone. That you should be ashamed for having feelings and you have to hide them.
The Truth: You deserve support simply because you are human. You don’t have to wait until you hit rock bottom to ask for help. People want to support you.
A good therapis t can help you free yourself from shame. You’re not a bad person…you’re going through a hard time.
4. “You’re weak for feeling this way.”
The Lie: Depression makes you believe that if you’re struggling, it means you’re failing or that you should just “snap out of it.” It lies and tells you that you’re broken or defective.
The Truth: You’re not broken, you’re hurting. Let’s figure this out. Strength isn’t pretending you’re okay—it’s being honest about your struggles and choosing to keep going. Some of the strongest people in history have battled depression and still made a positive impact in the world.
You’re not weak, it’s just probably that no one taught you how to handle these feelings. True strength is taking something hard like this, and facing it honestly, trying to learn how to get better, instead of blaming yourself.
5. “No one cares about you.”
Depression convinces you that you are worthless, but depression is a liar. It whispers that no one loves you or wants you, or that people wouldn’t notice if you were gone.
The Truth: Depression blinds you to the love around you. The fact that you feel alone doesn’t mean you are alone. Sometimes, our pain makes it hard to see how much people care.
Depression lies. But you don’t have to believe it. Even when you feel lost in the dark, there is still a path forward. And you don’t have to walk it alone.
Would you please reach out to someone you trust? You don’t have to carry this all by yourself.
Talk with someone. Depression is a liar. Everything it says feels so real, it’s almost impossible to get yourself out of a deep dark hole on your own, allow someone to throw you a ladder or a rope, or at least a flashlight. Talk with someone, you could call or text the crisis hotline, or reach out to a therapist on BetterHelp or Psychology Today.
Caring people can help you see through Depression’s lies and you really can get feeling better.
What has helped even a little bit in the past? You also don’t have to do it all at once. Tiny steps are much better. Let’s find something small we can try.
Tiny things that might help:
- Reach out to an online support group.
- Take one of my free courses. Thousands of people have told me it helped them. Get the Change Your Brain course for free if you need, I teach ten tiny changes that can drastically improve depression. I’ll put a link in the description.
- Move your body in some way- dance or go for a short walk, or even just sit outside for a few minutes on your porch
- Take a shower, or wash your face
- Send a funny video to a friend
- Journal about your thoughts, or just write them all down without judgment
- Listen to some music. You can start with something lines up with how you’re feeling- sad or angry, but then listen to a song that helps your energy
- Get some sleep – without alcohol, alcohol is a depressant and interferes with healing sleep
- Hug someone or pet an animal
- Take calming gentle breaths
- Listen to a self-compassion meditation
- Clean or organize one small area
- Be creative in any way- expression is the opposite of depression. It doesn’t have to be good. Make some paint splatters, play the drums, sing some karaoke.
And just a reminder, a lot of people think they need to feel motivated first before they take an action, but that’s not how the brain works. After you take an action, the brain releases dopamine, the motivation chemical. I know you might not have much energy, but try to do one helpful thing.
I know that taking these tiny steps can help you get feeling better, I know there are dozens of people who want to help you. Depression is a liar, please don’t believe what it’s telling you. I’ve put links in the description to make it easy for you to start feeling better today. Thanks for watching and take care.
If you’d like to learn more mental health skills, you could check out my membership where I’ve got eight courses.
You can watch a 20-minute video every day, work on a little workbook, and you’ll gain a ton of mental health skills to improve your life in a month.
Click below to learn more about the membership subscriptions.
