Depression is a biochemical phenomenon. Yes- you can affect it by your thinking process, to some degree. It is well known that we can elicit hormonal changes just by thinking. But there is a limit. Deep depression is overwhelming for many.
I had a college classmate go into depression and ending up committing suicide by jumping to his death. We could see it coming but were limited in what we could do. We reported his condition to the college health services department but they did little. He died at 19 years old.
Many people do not understand what severe depression is- hence some of the responses in this thread.
Thank you for your thoughtful post.
I was referring to mild depression which is what most of us experience as a result of what is going on in our lives at any given time. Folks who a bi-polar do not have to ability for the most part to control their highs and lows which is why medication is so important.
I'm not a doctor nor a psychologist, but I am someone who is aware of the emotions of those around me. I have immediate family who are diagnosed bipolar. Fortunately, they are currently managing it with medications and therapy. Never the less it is a daily struggle for them.
I am sorry that you lost someone you personally knew to suicide. When someone successfully commits suicide it leaves us with thoughts of why we didn't see it coming or if we did, why we weren't able to do something for them.
I also personally know someone who committed suicide. What I don't know is why they did and of course I never will. Moreover, I have close family who seriously attempted suicide but were lucky enough to not have been successful. My mother being one of those people. She attempted it multiple times in dramatic ways, like stabbing herself in the chest, cutting her wrists and overdosing on meds and alcohol. She ended up dying from emphysema as a result of chain smoking her entire life...which some might view as a form of suicide. Particularly, when that person continues to smoke when they are so sick they can barely breathe.
When I was a teenager, I took entire bottle of my mom's sleeping pills with the intention of killing myself. I waited the entire night to fall asleep which never happened and I have no idea why but today, I am glad that it didn't work.
