Originally written: December 12, 2010
Updated: April 2 2025
When I’m depressed I don’t remember what it’s like it’s not depressing.
Although I, logically, can say that I have been through massive pieces of my life from great depression, when I am depressed, I feel it is not true. I don’t remember having depressed emotions. I literally can’t remember what he feels not depressed. This is called a memory dependent by the state. Logic ceases to be convincing. I understand that there is a great statistical probability that depression will pass. But I just can’t believe it, I can’t remember it when depressing. I’m not alone. People with depression often suffer mood.
How depression affects emotional memory
I cannot remember that it is not depression because (for the sake of simplicity) there are two types of memory, physical and emotional. The physical memory is quite simple. You, or you don’t, remember an event? I remember my graduation in high school, for example. I remember the salad I ate. I remember the cause of the bruises on my thigh. I remember these things, but I have no real feeling that is associated with them.
This type of memory is simple. Quantitative.
What is emotional memory and how is it affected by depression?
Emotional memory is a little different. Not only do you remember the event, but you also remember what felt I want to live the event. Hopefully this is a collection of positive emotions. How did you feel when you held your child for the first time, what walking throughout the scene to get your degree was like or how your first skydive made you feel all examples of emotional memory. When you remember these things, you really touch The feelings of those moments.
Emotion, depression and memory
The thing about depression is that Depression destroys your emotional memory for everything In addition to depression. Depression plays tricks with your brain. The depressing feeling makes it so slope Remember that you feel that you are not feeling depressed. Depression is trying to make you believe it this sad, depression of emotional state is Your life, Ever been your life, and it will Always be your life. This is a lie. The more you believe this lie, the more it will come true.
Feeling and memory are complicated in terms of neurobiology, but it is enough to understand that when memories are written, emotions are closely tied to them. It’s like putting your umbrella from your waterproof. Someone always reminds you of the other. Just like when you are happy and see a party hat, you are likely to remember a time when you were happy.
And that works well. When you need your umbrella, you remind you to get the waterproof and vice versa. You are a very comfortable and dry person.
But one day, it is raining out and your umbrella is gone. You see a hood and no umbrella. And so you forget to wear your waterproof. In fact, you not only forget your waterproof, but you can’t remember where you put it. You may not even remember looking.
This is depression. Depression steals your umbrella and you end up wet wet all the time.
It is actually neurobiological. If you are really sad and depressed and see a party hat, you are more likely to remember the birthday when you couldn’t stop crying because the clown was afraid of you – a sad memory.
And because depression is a persistent state of sadness, the Memories written when you are depressed are linked to sadness. In addition, the memories you can recall during depression are much more likely to be sad.
Because some happy memories resist depression
I was Listening to ladies barenaked Since I was 12 years old. I had many nice moments to sing with them (yes, I’m that girl). They are chips and happy, and they brought me joy almost forever.
I saw the movie Break When I was about 14 years old, and if you happen to be in my age, you will know – it was clear the film. Keanu and Patrick were warm, the chick was warm and almost what they did was terribly naughty and sexy. In addition, I have something for bank robbers. And there is one parachute (as massively inaccurate). It was a common “cool thing” among my peers. I felt the enjoyment and happiness when I watched it, again and again.
Can positive stimuli break up depression?
It was really good memories that had not experienced mental health issues (unless you think you are obsessed with Keanu a signal of palpitated mental health problems that you can). These memories are before I become bipolar, depression, crazy and the like.
And the odd thing is, if I hear ladies barenaked or Break It’s on TV, I could really smile a little through my depression. In a way, their memories are so tied to the enjoyment that by seeing them, at times, they can break depression. Other stimuli are quite easily twisted in depressive memories and thoughts, but these young memories seem to be strong against such treatment.
I suspect that this is due to the fact that these memories were imprinted before bipolar, depression and crazy. It is much harder for me to come with purely happy, unspecified memories after crazy.
🧠tl; Dr – this experience is supported by science
These intuitive knowledge is particularly consistent with research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience:
- Depression affects the recall and coding of memory, especially favorating negative emotional material.
- People cannot easily have access to positive emotional memories when they are low due to the recall of mood.
- Powerful, positive emotional memories in advance of the disease can be more resistant to depressing interference.
Inquiry:
Why can’t I remember being happy when I’m depressed?
Answer:
Depression affects memory making it more difficult to recall positive feelings – a phenomenon known as State -dependent memory and discovering the mood. This means that when you are depressed, your brain mainly regains sad or negative memories.
A question for you
Does anyone else have separate stimuli that are not depressed despite the fact that everything else in the world seems to be? Is it related to experiences before pre-nickes? Are you being the victim of state dependent memory?