Many times when somebody is experiencing depression, they're also experiencing all-or-nothing thoughts.
These sound like...
Like everyone's against me.
Nobody likes me.
Nothing is going right.
Everything is my fault.
I'm such a failure because I didn't do this perfectly.
It’s really important when we're experiencing depression to also recognize how these types of thoughts contribute to a depressed mood. It’s a vicious cycle of feeling down, engaging in negative self-talk and this contributing to feeling worse.
We teach teens to be mindful of self-critical and black-and-white thinking and remind them that thoughts are not facts.
Catching these thoughts as they arise can help teens to label them as just that: thoughts. We encourage our clients to say statements to themselves like:
There’s my negative thought cycle again or there’s the voice of my depression showing up.
Once you can recognize the pattern, you can catch it, acknowledge it and then refocus attention by taking a walk, moving your body, spending time with family, friends and pets.
The one constant we can always count on is that our feelings are always changing. By allowing time and engaging in alternative activities to shift focus, teens can learn to ride through waves of sadness, hopelessness and shame and feel better faster.
Thoughts aren’t facts and feelings are always changing. These reminders can offer hope and help teens move forward when they are feeling really down or in a dark mood.