Etymologically, the term sadness originated from the Latin tristitia (state of despondency or unhappy aspect) and, as is known, feeling is part of the human. So, among the various feelings that man is capable of experiencing, there is this basic emotion which is sadness.
But, what is sadness? A simple change of “mood”? A more lasting state of feeling “down”? It can be said that sadness is a feeling that is part of the human condition, where the person identifies himself sad when he perceives himself with a lack of spirit, disposition and joy in the face of situations and life.
The individual may feel sad in several situations, such as: lack of employment , relationship difficulties, difficulties at work, family problems, among others. But, the fact is that sadness can appear in different intensities, and can last for a day, several days and even weeks or months.
It is as if the person no longer feels the same “taste” in the face of situations. Of course, the lack of willingness in activities also occurs when the individual feels sad. Thus, sadness alone is not considered a disease, but a feeling that can be present in people’s lives in different degrees of intensity and that will pass even over a period, such as a week for example.
How can I “get over” sadness?
First, it is necessary to make it very clear the uniqueness of each human being, that is, each person has their tastes, habits, emotional resources to live the experiences of everyday life. However, some alternatives can be used and adapted by each one when trying to deal with sadness. Among them we can mention:
- Search for activities that bring a sense of well-being and pleasure, such as: walks, conversations with friends, trips, visits to the beauty salon, among others.
- Meditation, yoga, relaxation massages.
- Doing activities that are everyone’s personal taste, such as reading a good book, gymnastics and cleaning at home to the sound of good music are some examples.
- Chat with friends, relatives, boyfriend.
And how to identify depression?
Often called “Ill of the Century”, depression can be characterized, according to the ICD 10 (International Classification of Diseases), as a change in the ability to experience pleasure, loss of interest, decreased associated ability to concentrate, in general, to major fatigue, even after minimal effort .
It may be accompanied by:
- Insomnia,
- Decreased appetite,
- Intense crying,
- Among other symptoms.
The individual may also feel low self-esteem and decrease confidence in himself. In order to identify and differentiate sadness from depression, what a person must realize is whether he can, by himself, with his internal emotional resources and with the support of others, no longer feel “that way”, that is, the person manages to go through sadness and return to his usual activities.
However, if anguish, crying, insomnia, loss of interest “persist”, even after attempts to overcome it, it is time to seek professional help.
When can the individual feel depressed?
Below are some situations in which the individual may feel depressed:
- Being a victim of bullying;
- Being despised for personal choices;
- Suffering domestic violence;
- Rejection by friends / family;
- End of relationships;
- Excessive attachment;
- Having a family history of depression;
- Financial difficulties;
- Other Mental Disorders (comorbidity);
- Loss of parents or other family member;
- Physical Diseases;
- Unemployment;
- Difficulties in relating to others.
Psychotherapy? How can she help me?
Psychology has several approaches to clinical care. Among them is Gestalt therapy , which is a psychotherapeutic client-centered approach where, through it, the person goes through an awareness of process ( awareness ), realizing in their situations and experiencing them in this one new way.
The approach also emphasizes responsibility, self-regulation (how the organism interacts with the world, updates itself) and creative adjustment (“the best way for the individual to be in contact with the world”). Gestalt therapy was developed by Fritz Perls , Laura Perls and Paul Goodman between the 1940s and 1950s.
Bringing to the theme presented above, in gestalt psychotherapy, the individual gets to know himself better, getting in touch with emotions and feelings, as well as with the meanings that are being given by him in his experiences. That is, he starts to perceive “how he feels”, “how he experiences his emotional issues”, “what emotional resources he has”, because many times the individual cannot see these resources to deal with the most diverse situations.
It is a process that requires a time that varies from person to person, where it is possible, through psychotherapy, for people to know themselves more, expand their emotional resources and acquire a new way of living their difficulties from the moment they enter into contact with your pains , emotions and impasses with depth.
To deal with depression, here are some tips, which have to do with the Gestalt-therapy approach:
- Manage thoughts that take us away from the present moment, from the here-now;
- Instead of being left with concerns, which will not “resolve”, we must allow ourselves to experience the moment, being open to each moment in a receptive way;
- Trying to remove from our speeches the “I should”, “I should have done it”, “it was not supposed to be like this”, which distance us from the experiences of the current moment.
As Fritz Perl himself stated, creative adjustmentis of paramount importance in dealing with depression , as the individual can flow in search of new skills, integrating them, also realizing new possibilities in their living. - For Gestalt therapy, depression has to do with blocking the contact cycle, where it appears as an experience for the individual, having a unique meaning for each being. Therefore, in psychotherapy the person can get in touch with his / her pains and emotions, realizing himself / herself, going through a process of deep self-knowledge that makes a new look unfold and even a new life from there.
