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RE: What Is A Bad Mood Actually?
It is true, but it is also important to remember that mood disorders exist and are real. Some people are stuck in "the bad mood" more than others and they require significantly more effort to make progress in what you describe.
Often trying distanced thinking won't be enough. This is a good "apple a day to keep the doctor away", but it does not make you immune, especially if you are already suffering from a mood disorder (or a related personality disorder, or a lot of other mental problems actually).
I'm not saying, however, that this isn't a good, often necessary, foundation for many (if not all) treatments.
Hello, I agree that some people have significantly worse moods which are also more frequent than compared to other people. I have noticed that when I’m in a really bad mood the tendency is to dwell on it, which makes it stronger, feeds it actually. It is not always possible to distance yourself in this situation because it is all consuming. At this point it may have to play out until perspective is regained. So what I am describing is better practiced before emotions become intense, nip it in the bud as it were. Bring the focus internally every so often and scan for painful or negative emotion and watch it or them without falling into them and they will dissolve.
This process will start to empty out negative emotion and moody episodes. I do agree that trying to do it whilst in an intense emotional state has a low chance, if any of success. Practicing regularly builds up the ability to do it more effectively when the emotions do reach an intensity, or at least to know that it's a mood rather than being totally reactive. Knowing that its a mood when your'er in it gives a little perspective. Really though the best is just to be aware of any negativity or pain as it is noticed. Start dissolving everything as it appears rather than entertain it and literally feeding it, then deciding to dissolve it.
Exactly. And I feel this is a pretty "vulnerable" topic (I'm not a mental health professional, but I do know a lot of people with mental health problems), so it is important to always mention that more "radical" ways of dealing with depression, dysthymia and similar are possible. My guess is that easily at least 1 in 10 people stumbling upon this post will have something more serious going on while possibly being ashamed of it, disoriented, misinformed and with judgement clouded by their condition.
Or to put it in different words, telling someone with depression to deal with it by introspection/meditation while not giving at least a hint about other options is not exactly doing them a favour.
Thanks for sharing your opinion!