The silent cry of depression is wanting to escape yourself #DepressionEscape

Feeling trapped by depression often leads to seeking escapes through fantasy worlds, social media, or substances.

These habits can seem harmless but may create dangerous patterns. Be careful with these escapes and strive for balance to maintain a connection with your real life and self.

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Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a replacement for receiving treatment. It is purely educational in nature. My relationship with you is that of presenter and audience, not therapist and client.

But I do care.

[jimwilkey]

He’s 100% correct and he knows because he lived it himself. Thanks for your dedication to helping others 👍👍

[Catfluff]

No matter where you go, there you are.

[shirleyjackson]

You have helped me so much. I am so done with MH people telling me things that just don't help. Nothing useful. You speak things that I can understand and relate to.

[aml]

Dissociation was/is my escape providing a dopamine hit into fantasy so rich in everything wonderful and none of it was real. The coming back to reality is tremendously difficult.
One more comment my doctor would say “you don’t even know the prison door is open & walk thru”. That truly resonated.

[TheOriginalKilamanjaro]

True, I'm my worst enemy...& stuck with myself, like there's no end to the crap in my head or all around me. Depression is like drowning & yet not able to die.

[catzrule]

I read somewhere "Healing is ending the conflict with yourself". If I only could...

[susanmeadows]

Dr. Scott totally gets this depression 💩. I have his book but can't get out of my own way long enough to sit and read it. He's amazing.👍❤️

[sherileyva]

Hobbies... I wish I had the motivation to even TRY to find a hobby. I've never enjoyed anything in my whole life for more than 2 weeks. And even then I don't enjoy it cause it won't last.

[mordecaiissad]

I did this. I used use video games and streamers as a way to unwind. When a severe depressive episode hit, I started doing it all the time because it was a way not only to escape myself and my life but as sad as it sounds it was the only place that felt safe and where I felt competent in any way. I played mobas and shooters so having teammates recognise I'm competent and wanting to play with me pushed that even more.

It's incredibly hard to connect with myself and my life. I don't want to play games anymore but I don't really want to do anything else either and it's really hard to find something I want to do and enjoy even though I'm currently overall doing way better than I was before.

[GiftsAmimalsGiveUs]

My job until everything I was running from caught up with me and now I'm trying to recover. It feels like such a long and helpless road.

[mantraia]

I never thought of escapism this way until now, and I realize I do it all the time. I always thought that making up scenarios in my head was my only form of escape, but now I realize I do it with sports and arts, and it kind of ruins them a little bit because when I don't have access to them I get untethered.

[Crazy_Cat_Lady_]

I never feel able to escape - my almost constant plea is to have a break from my own head, to be able to just take it off for a while. Meditation & journaling help but my head is background relentless noise

[jahninapamintuan]

Hi Dr! Just wanted to thank you for creating content with the primary purpose of educating us on depression. We need more compassionate people who arent afraid to talk about this.

[Adventurerider]

I've been running from myself for 51 years.. I am just now trying to reconcile and finding the me I have been avoiding. Good points you make..

[skytten]

I drink..whéñ I feel that Everything is Done.. shower, cleaning, eating.. and then . Just sit there..That's my escape

[NikitaSharma-bsgg]

The day i realised that even in this well orchestrated setup within mind...i am wishing to go 10 years back.... i realised the reality is the real deal

[carolstasuik]

Thank you. Depression has been bad, I have long Covid and I get Covid headaches and Migraines. Migraines I have had since I was 12. Covid headaches are constant and hurt above my nose and inner eyes/eyebrows.

[observerone]

A couple of powerful realizations and final decisions that destroyed my depression traps were 1) I was excited as a kid to fully live a full life; what the hell random things did I consider significant enough to ruin that ?, and 2) I have only this one lucky miraculous life in all the eternity of the universe - do not squander any more of it.

[KimberlyLaFleur]

I'm already to the point where I want to reconnect to myself and reengage with my life, but I don't know how.

[danam]

Your book will be on my doorstep any minute now.... "10 stops away, love, amazon"