Existential Depression

Existential depression is a form of the many types of depression that exists in our world today. When a person ends up questioning life and death or when gets tangled in thoughts about the meaning of life, then that person gradually gets into existential depression. The philosophy of existentialism says that the humans are absolutely free and hence are themselves responsible for their own happiness or misery. Each and every man is responsible to create their own meaning of life, and there can be several ways for the same, be it through work, hobbies, charity, religion, relationships, offspring, family, or through someone or something else.

Thus when a person comes in direct contact with these questions of life, one is likely to fall prey to existential depression. A person with existential depression is more likely to ask themselves, “Does anyone really have any feelings for me?” “Is life just got to do with work, family, death and nothing more?” All these questions reeling in the mind would eventually lead to existential depression.  There are even chances that patients undergoing psychotherapy treatment might also feel existential depression. This may related to the existential issues related to the meaning of their life. The clinicians can help the patients deal with existential depression and enable them to explore the meaning of their life. To some people, finding the meaning of one’s life is very important, however an episode of existential depression can help the person to focus on this question of finding the meaning of life and thus arrive at an answer to the question.

Existential depression gives the patients a feeling of hopelessness. They feel that their life has become meaningless and that leads to existential depression. This feeling of hopelessness is unique in existential depression patients. A person with existential depression starts questioning his or her life and then this thought lapses into existential depression.  Sometimes a particular incident that has happened in the person’s life may also be responsible for this existential depression like the loss of a loved job or the loss of a dear and near one and sometimes there might be no reason at all.