How to Make a Decision When You ’ re Depressed

Paper or plastic? For here or to go? Cash or credit? These are simple questions that most people don’t think twice about. But to a person in the midst of a depressive episode, answering any one of these queries can be utter torture. I’ve sat there looking at a grocery cashier like a deer in the headlights, tormented by the choice between a paper bag and a plastic bag — as though the rest of my life depended on the decision between which kind of material would transport my eggs and granola to my car. The inability to make a decision is one of the most infuriating symptoms of depression. According to a 2011 study, a few things factor into the difficulty a depressed person has in making decisions.1 For starters, good decisions happen when people have the ability to evaluate alternatives and make judgments that are free of bias. In a depressed state, strong emotions and incorrect predictions of the future negatively impact a decision; the pessimistic thinking and heightened sense of potential disappointment in the outcome cloud rational thinking. Listlessness and passivity affect decisions, as well as a lack of confidence, an inaccurate appraisal of personal resources (“I could never do that”), and a hopelessness about the future. Depression, Decisions, and Regrets Several studies have shown that depressed people are especially likely to regret their decisions, so the anticipatory regret handcuffs them and they can’t make future decisions.2 According to the...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Bipolar Depression Mental Health and Wellness Personal Self-Esteem Self-Help Depressive Episode goals Mood Disorder Sadness Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment Resistant Depression Source Type: blogs