This isn't a thread about "should I take advice from this shady guy". It's deeper than that... I was reading a thread about this guy who was just spilling his guts out. He had all these difficulties and problems in life, and I realized how my life was so similar to his. I was reading the advice people were telling him so I could help my problems as well. And I noticed how all of the advice was great, but I thought, if I was in the OP's shoes (which I basically was) and people gave me this advice, I would not take it. So my question is, should people take other people's advice about their problems, even if they don't think they should because their depression is clouding up what they would see as a non depressed person? It's really hard to put what I'm thinking into words. Basically, will depression (mostly low self esteem) influence a person's judgement of advice because of the mindfuck low self esteem puts you in?
Why not take their advice? Especially since that person had similar experiences. What I'm trying to say is, it wouldn't hurt to think about their advice.
Yes it most definately will. I've never been fully depressed, but I can totally see it restricting any positivity that may come from trying to make changes and trying new things.
taking advice from strangers is sometimes better than advice from loved ones. strangers don't know you and they could have the right thing you need to hear, randomly. loved ones know you so well so you can almost expect what to hear from them. for example, if you're depressed it would benefit you to take advice from someone who doesn't know you then you don't have to live with the fact that a friend or family member knows all this info about you. i'm not a depressed person, and i'm actually laughing while thinking this, buuuut i get way better advice on here about life than what i would with my stupid friends.
Advice is a personal decision. Everyone has an opinion, it's up to you whether you agree with it or not. I'd say depression tends to cause a pessimistic attitude that causes you to deny things that could actually help. I'm sure eventually someone would have advice you would accept. Having been through depression and anxiety myself, I'd say it's all about gaining mental stability and willpower. I found a hobby really helped, along with simple meditation.
Ab-so-fuckin-lute-ly, my friend. Speaking from personal experience, I wouldn't listen to anything anyone said because I didn't want to hear it or accept it for myself. I wanted to go on living thinking that no one understood me and they couldn't. What really creates a problem is the fact that a lot of that mind set is true. People are mostly wrong and mostly don't understand. I was lucky enough to have an Indian room mate one year and he completely changed my outlook on life. For months he did nothing but insist on me coming to hang out and do shit with him and his friends. It took me til several months after we moved out to realize the effect these actions had on me. Simply put, my outlook on life changed from negative to positive (and not over night, believe me). Even though I did have help that I cannot accredit enough, I was still the one to make the change, and this is what I prescribe to any depressed GC. You must help yourself. You are the one doing things wrong, you are the one looking at things the wrong way and it is you who has to own up and change these things for yourself. No one else can or will do it for you because they don't know how bad this depression stuff hurts, and even if they do, anything they say is suspect because they are not you. Life may be tough and unfair, but it doesn't matter; you change it. It's about changing patterns of the mind and to eventually have these changed patterns project themselves into your reality. "Once again, I recommend a healthy dose of psilocybin mushrooms." I forgot to mention that, by definition, this is a personal journey. You must make the path and you must make it find a solution. There's no other choice.