This article will discuss in what ways depression can cause a person to feel like their life is pointless. For that, the article will explain what depression is, how it affects a person’s worldview and relationships. It will also indicate in what ways people can cope with this feeling, and how social support can have an impact on this.
Why does my life seem pointless?
When you feel like your life is pointless it might be that you lost the ability to find meaning in your life. In life, people establish very particular meanings to their lives. And it is not always that those meanings will be grand ones.
At one moment in your life, your main goal can be to pass a test, in others it can be to create a family, and for other people, it can just be having some sense of belonging in life. It is something that is in constant change in life.
But in moments, and for some people, it can feel like life lost its meaning and you don’t know exactly where you want to be, it can feel pointless.
This can make you feel empty and as if your life is worthless, all of this may make you unable to find joy in other experiences. What is important to know is that there is something to be taken from life being pointless. It can give a person the chance to find something else that excites them.
But for some people discovering new meanings to life is something hard to do, sometimes even impossible. When that is the case, it might be important to entertain the possibility that the person might be depressed. To understand a little more about this relation, let’s understand what depression is.
What is depression?
Depression is a mental health condition that changes how people see the world and themselves. It causes people to have a negative view of life, they also can show low self-esteem and decreased sense of self-worth.
People that are depressed experience intense sadness, along with feeling empty, and losing interest in things they once loved. A person with depression loses their ability to focus, and a lot of their energy.
A person is diagnosed with depression if they experience its symptoms intensely for a period longer than two weeks. Not everyone that is depressed presents the same symptom. But the most common symptoms of depression are:
- Change in eating pattern
- Change in sleeping pattern
- Isolation
- Irritability
- Guilt
- Excessive crying or inability to cry even if they feel like it
- Self-harm
- Thought of death and suicide thought
The intensity of the symptoms, and how long depression lasts, can vary depending on the type of depression. When a person is feeling like life is pointless it might be that they are dealing with major depression, or severe depression, a form of the condition that causes impairment to people’s lives.
How does depression cause my life to feel pointless?
When a person is depressed it is as if the world has lost color. Life loses all-purpose and interest, and finding the will to try seems impossible. You can feel as if the sadness is touching all the aspects of your life and you have no way of stopping it.
When this happens, you lose the ability to find new meanings to life and things. You can get a good grade on a test you were working hard for, but it won’t make a difference in how you feel. Or you can have that family you always dreamed of, but it won’t make you a tiny bit excited to do things with them.
With time depression takes out all the hope you have for your life and your future, and makes you feel as if this emptiness is all that is left. When this happens, doing small things like even getting out of bed can be a lot of work.
If you feel like your life has lost meaning because you are depressed it might be time to look for treatments and ways to cope with this. Let’s discuss how one can do that.
How can I feel better?
When you are depressed and life has lost its meaning, finding professional help might be the first step to take. Having the help of a therapist, and medication when needed, can help you put your feelings out and maybe create new meanings to your life.
If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.
Aside from that, putting yourself in new activities, it can be a new hobby, an exercise, or a volunteer can be a way to bring, at first even if just for a little while, a sense of joy and fulfillment. Setting some small goals for yourself can also make you feel a sense of accomplishment, and help you build your confidence again.
Try to keep your friends and loved ones close. Even though depression can make a person isolate themselves, having people that you can talk to can be a great help. It can make you feel more connected to the world and people and support. This will not improve your condition completely, but it can give a sense of well-being.
How can I help someone that feels like life is pointless?
If a friend or a loved one is saying life is pointless there are some things you can do to help them cope with this situation. The first thing is to validate how they feel.
You might want to tell them that their life has meaning, or that they should just get out and do something but remember that they are not like that by choice, and by doing that you will only distance yourself from them.
Offer your support, and in times that you feel it is possible, suggest activities, you can take part of it with them. Be the volunteer work, or choose a workout activity to do with them. This will show you are by their side, and can also help them commit to the activity.
Being present, be it physically or through digital means can help them feel connected, and give them a sense of belonging. And when all the rest seems meaningless, this can be what centers them and show there is still some meaning to life.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ): Why does depression make my life feel pointless?
How can I know my friend is thinking of ending their life?
When a person is considering ending their life, they can show some signs. They can start to demonstrate some curiosity around violent acts, including death, and suicide. Aside from that, their mood swings can get more intense, and this sleep pattern changes.
Not only that, they might start saying goodbye to their loved ones and give away their belongings. They can become more agitated, and even more irritable. If someone close to you starts to show those signs, it is important to talk to them and look for help.
If a person thinks their life has no meaning is it easier to commit suicide?
Yes, when a person loses the purpose of their life, it can become easier for them to commit suicide. That happens because having a purpose in life is what motivates people. Here is an example: if you had won the lottery, and didn’t need to work anymore, what would make you get out of bed in the morning?
If you don’t have something to look forward to, it can be work, a trip, or some fun with friends. But if you don’t have any of that, what will drive you to stay alive? The same can happen, in a more negative way to people who consider suicide.
They can start to feel as if there is nothing more to live for, and this can be overwhelming. That is why it is important to always look for ways to motivate yourself. Understand that life is constant learning, and there are always things you can discover about the world and yourself.
Can a relationship give meaning to someone’s life?
Yes, even though it might not be the healthiest thing, relationships can give meaning to people’s lives. It can be a reason for people to care for themselves, their emotional and physical health.
But you should keep in mind that the healthier meaning of your life speaks deeply to you. Relationships can end, but if you put all of your life’s meaning in it, what will be left of you if it ends? Try to look after yourself first, be your priority.
What causes depression?
Depression can be caused by some factors. A person can get depressed because they are experiencing a traumatic situation. That can be the loss of a loved one or the end of a relationship, it can also be going through a financial or legal problem.
A person can also get depressed if they have a family history of depression, or have gone through a previous depressive episode. Not only that, depression can be caused by an imbalance in the person’s brain chemistry.
With that said, it is hard to determine who and when will develop depression. That makes caring for your mental health extremely important. Most people will only do it once they think there is something wrong. But having a routine that makes you feel good can be a good way to prevent depression.
What are the types of depression?
Depression can happen in 4 forms. It can be mild, moderate, severe, or persistent. The mild form of depression does not last long, and its symptoms are not so intense. That can make it harder to diagnose. But this form of depression usually can be treated by making some lifestyle changes.
The moderate type of depression is one in which the symptoms are more intense. And it causes some impairment to the person’s life. It can last for a few weeks. To treat it, it can be needed therapy, and in some cases, even medication to help deal with the person’s symptoms.
The severe form of depression is also a longer one, and it causes a huge impact on the person’s ability to maintain their activities. Aside from the regular symptoms, severe depression can cause hallucinations, and for the person to become delusional. To treat it, medication is usually needed.
Persistent depression can go on for more than two years, and during this time, the person’s symptoms flow between the more severe kind, to the moderate and even mild form. To treat it, it is important medication and therapy.
Conclusion
The article showed how depression can make people feel like their life is pointless. Along with that, it explained what depression is and in what way a person can try to cope with this feeling. Not only that, the article indicates ways how social support can help people feel that life is pointless.
If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write it in the section below.