Understanding Existential Depression

A Quick Guide

Existential depression is characterized by a deep self-reflection on the purpose of life, leading to feelings of dread and a sense of meaninglessness. It is often caused by contemplating existential questions and can be experienced by individuals at any stage of life. Coping strategies include mindfulness, creating personal meaning, and seeking professional treatment such as existential therapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

What is Existential Depression?

Humans by nature have this instinctive need to look for answers. So it is only natural that we try to answer life’s greatest questions. We have this urge to search for the true meaning behind our existence. Everyone at some point in their lives has felt this need to dig deeper. And yet, at times trying to seek these answers come at the cost of one’s peace of mind. When that happens, your thoughts become intrusive and you start to have feelings of dread, then it’s called existential depression.

Causes of Existential Depression

Even though existential depression is not a common diagnosis. Usually, it’s those people who deeply self-reflect on the purpose of their lives and are unable to make sense of it. Four main elements can cause existential dread or anxiety. They are as follows:

• Free will: As in the number of choices you have in your life and their respective consequences.
• Meaninglessness: Whether your life has a purpose or not.
• Isolation: Gradually losing your important relationships.
• Death: Inevitability of death and its aftermath.

Other than that, if a person has gone through a great change or a trauma, it can lead to existential depression. Some of these causes may be:

• Loss of a loved one
• A natural disaster
• An accident
• Identity crisis
• Spiritual crisis

Symptoms

Oftentimes it involves the following:

• Fixating on the purpose of life.
• Helplessness when it comes to changing your life.
• Realizing the unfairness of the world.
• Hopelessness about the fate of the world.
• Disconnection in personal relationships.
• Loss of interest in activities that previously interested you.
• Lack of motivation.
• Frequent thoughts of death.
• Fear of death.
• Hopelessness due to being unable to answer all their questions.

Who can get affected more?

It can be experienced by a person at any stage of their life. Though, there are some types of people who are more prone to it. They include:

• Gifted people
• Deep thinkers
• Scientists
• Sensitive people

At times, existential depression can also overlap with several mental health issues such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

How to cope?

You can use some strategies to cope better with existential depression:

1. Mindfulness: It can help you in becoming more aware of yourself and all that is around you by staying in the present. It can help in reducing your troublesome thoughts.
2. Create your own meaning: When you don’t have a sense of meaning, you are more likely to be depressed. So you can try to create your own meaning, so you don’t feel out of control.
3. Transform uncertainty to growth: There is research that states that asking these questions can result in personal growth and reaching one’s authentic self.

Professional Treatment

If you feel as though things are getting out of control. It is negatively affecting your life and you are unsure of what you should be doing. And these feelings have been persistent for a few weeks. You should consult a mental health professional. There are a couple of therapies you can take to manage your existential depression.

1. Existential Therapy: It focuses on you as a whole person. It helps you strike a balance so you would not completely be in denial about these questions and that you wouldn’t obsess over them. You will be able to live your life to the fullest.
2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)‘: It can help you in changing your thought patterns. This is how you can break out of that cycle of depression.  CBT had proven to be quite effective with people who had existential depression. 

We hope you found this article useful in understanding what existential depression is, and how you can cope with it.