Coping with the Blues by John Wade, M.A. Everyone suffers from depression from time to time. It's a natural defense mechanism that allows the mind to take a rest, causing us to withdraw from for a day or two. But for some, the withdrawal is deeper, lasts longer, and can interfere with our lives.
Symptoms of depression range from feeling down to feeling suicidal.
Beck theorizes that cognitive distortions are the primary cause of depression. This means that it is not merely events or circumstances that cause people to feel depressed, but the meanings they attach to them. Depressed individuals distort their perceptions and interpret events from a negative perspective. Instead of viewing the world through rose colored glasses, they tend to perceive it through lenses of negativity. Beck also believes that depressed people consider themselves lacking in some element or attribute that they consider essential for their happiness.