Depression I deal with constantly.

[Ontogenesis]

I guess there's a few points I'll add.

 

Firstly, although many films and TV programs tell us we have a secret talent or a natural talent and all we need to do is find it - this is total BS. The reality very few of us have a natural talent. We have to work at something if we want to be good at something. I bet many of the people who you think are naturally talented have in fact worked and practiced for many years. No master falls from the sky I would tell you if you were one of my patients - this is a good example of 'black and white thinking' - you're brilliant at something or useless, and if you're useless then it's not worth trying. If you want to do something, you're going to have to work at it, and accept you're likely to be not very good when you first start. Saying that you have no capacties is simply incorrect - this is your low self-esteem talking and preventing you from noticing them.

 

On a practical point of view - if you're unsure of a career direction, why don't you speak to a career counsellor/advisor? They might be able to give you a few ideas. Many 16 year olds have no idea, and ones that do have a set goal have either prescribed goals (set by their parents - which they usually come to resent) or simply just naive (none of the people who had firm goals from school have gone on to do them). Just remember it's ok to have no idea.

 

I'm also a firm believer in the here-and-now. A lot of people wait to be happy, saying 'I'll be happy when ___' (e.g. when I finish education, get a job, get a girlfriend, the weekend etc. etc.) and completely miss the present moment or entire patchs of their lives, and from my observation when they get these things it really doesn't make them happy. If you want to make improvements in certain areas of your life, or if there's anything you want to do - research, make plans, and do them. What you do and think have a strong influence on how you feel.

 

As for the biological 'chemical imbalance' explanation for depression... I won't go into it, but I'll say the evidence is weak and I simply don't adhere to the model, but perhaps my work has made me biased.

 

Also, probably don't want to hear this, but your girlfriend is too young - any sexual activity in the next three years is statutory rape.

[DrummerKidJack]

 

often depression partially results from chemical imbalances in the brain and thus cannot be easily fixed by cognitive processes. 

That's the neurobiological interpretation at least. I know I did the courses and have the degree. The truth of it is debatable as far as I am concerned. I think the chemical imbalances are as much caused by cognitive processes as they cause cognitive processes. It's not a one way street.

I'm in my fourth year of study psychology too! Yay! We can be psych friends! Yeah, there's debate on causation and correlation, and talking therapy has been shown to be pretty much as effective as medication. That particular argument I used is just one part of a whole heap of stuff, which of course you know so why am I explaining it derp derp derp. It's just a good counterexample to the "well it could be worse" argument.

[willow512]

I'm in my fourth year of study psychology too! Yay! We can be psych friends! Yeah, there's debate on causation and correlation, and talking therapy has been shown to be pretty much as effective as medication. That particular argument I used is just one part of a whole heap of stuff, which of course you know so why am I explaining it derp derp derp. It's just a good counterexample to the "well it could be worse" argument.

 

Good on you I hope you can find a job with it. That' ain't easy these days, but truly helping another person, making a true difference in their lives in my opinion must be the most rewarding thing a person could ever do.

 

I'm a pretty big fan of reframing. If you have a geometric form that makes no sense you turn it over and over untill you see it from an angle that does make sense. If someone has a serious psychic imbalance then you can't obviously fix it by looking at it from another angle. But you can often make the situation much more easy to cope with and break it up into it's subcomponents that may individually be fixable.

 

It's my belief however that most psychic issues that cause people distress can be fixed by reframing alone. Self image alone is a huge cause for anxieties depressions and social problems. Teach someone to change their self image and you teach them to change their world.

 

No matter what the situation there is a way of looking at it that does make sense. There is also a way of looking at it that allows you to act in ways that solves the issues.

 

When I was depressed at one point in my melancholy I asked myself the very obvious question "Why me?" and for some reason things clicked into place to such a degree that I could answer myself "You want it that way!" I saw what in me kept my depression going, I did those things, so at some level I must have wanted it. I also knew exactly how to fix it, do the opposite. My life has shot upwards from that day on. I've been "terminally happy" and these days I'm just a very steady happy. Sure shit happens, but my self image or belief in the good things in this world are no longer on the line.

[DuB]

dont you think it makes you unique to think about such things? I do and I am, hopefully, become a therapist in a month so I know what I am talking about. You are about to find out who u are and aww man, you are 17, such a young boy, I found out about myself at the age 23 so dont worry:) and like I said, you are not dumb, it is very intelligent and mature to ask yourself such questions. I think you are just lazy like me in ur age, you'll find ur skills and then you'll realise you are good at something. But I have also a warning for u, dont talk about your inner feelings on anouminous forums, there r always trolls and you give them attacking possibilities,  it seems u were lucky but if you dont want to talk to friends, try special forums for that, there u are more protected than here, best solution is to find professional help if u become more depressed, there is no shame to get help:) 

[PK'EZ-54]

dont you think it makes you unique to think about such things? I do and I am, hopefully, become a therapist in a month so I know what I am talking about. You are about to find out who u are and aww man, you are 17, such a young boy, I found out about myself at the age 23 so dont worry:) and like I said, you are not dumb, it is very intelligent and mature to ask yourself such questions. I think you are just lazy like me in ur age, you'll find ur skills and then you'll realise you are good at something. But I have also a warning for u, dont talk about your inner feelings on anouminous forums, there r always trolls and you give them attacking possibilities,  it seems u were lucky but if you dont want to talk to friends, try special forums for that, there u are more protected than here, best solution is to find professional help if u become more depressed, there is no shame to get help:) 

Trolls? On TheIndieStone Forum? Hah! Good luck to them, they will have a harder time than DrummerKidJack does, trying to put on his socks in the morning.

[EnigmaGrey]

*Cracks whip* Back trolls, back! Ye-gads, I'll stripe your backs to the bone if you come another step forward! I'd love to see that.

*Cracks whip*

[k12314]

Thanks to all of you. I've got my shit sorted out, I just hit a really low point. I gave my plans some thought and talked to my parents, and they told me it's OK not to have every last thing planned out for my life. I just gotta keep on rolling with the punches and get shit rolling myself, I guess. Also:

 

 

Also, probably don't want to hear this, but your girlfriend is too young - any sexual activity in the next three years is statutory rape.

 

There is a reason I don't want to do anything like that until she is 18, and ready for anything like that. I never even bring up the subject, nor does she. Frankly, it's up to her once she's of legal age for that kind of thing. I'm thinking with the head on my shoulders, not the one on my dick. I'm smarter than that.

[EnigmaGrey]

Always better to be the roller of shit than be rolled over by it. *Nods approvingly*

[k12314]

Always better to be the roller of shit than be rolled over by it. *Nods approvingly*

 

Beautiful philosophical genius by our magnificent overlord EnigmaGrey.

[accurize]

 

But the vast majority of people who know how to do something really well have spent countless of hours practicing. I've heard it said that if you want to do one thing really well, you shoudl invest a thousand hours into that one thing, and maybe you can count yourself a master, or maybe you can't.

 

I've heard something similar to this also. However, I heard it was 10,000 hours. Which in a normal 40-hour work week job equates to 5 years. After being a new, wet behind the ears urban cop for 10 years, I think that is about right. It took about 10,000 hours (5 years) before I felt like I could control just about anything thrown at me.

My non-expert advise based on being on the Earth for 34 years is this. Find something that you enjoy. Even if your not good at it now. Do you like electronics? Do you like cars or airplanes? Do you like animals? Do you like the outdoors? Do you like helping people? Find something your passionate about and do some exploring in that area. Volunteer work is a good, cheap and motivational way to explore different areas. Then, once you find your "thing", stick with it. Soon people will come to you for advise.

 

For example, I knew I always wanted to be a cop. But I had no idea my "thing" was going to be crime scene work...never work have imagined it when I started. But, after being forced to do a few I had this feeling...it's hard to describe...maybe I felt like I was eager for the

next one. When you feel eager for the next (whatever job task), then focus on developing that area.

 

You're feelings, from all the people I've met, aren't uncommon at all. It's actually good that you're concerned because that shows you give a shit about your future. That is actually refreshing to hear for once.

Feel free to PM me if you want more amateur advise and good luck to you.

-James