Overview
Depression is a mental health condition that causes you to feel sad, lose interest in activities that you used to enjoy, withdraw from others, and have little energy. It's different from normal feelings of sadness, grief, or low energy. It can also cause people to feel hopeless about the future and to even think about suicide. If you think you may be depressed, tell your doctor. Treatment can help you enjoy life.
Negative thoughts
When you have depression, negative thoughts can increase your feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Changing these negative thought patterns may not be easy. But our minds can be trained to be stronger and healthier—just like a muscle. A technique called thought reframing can help.
Thought reframing is the process of replacing negative thoughts with more helpful thoughts. It's a skill taught in a type of counseling called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). There are also books and apps that can help you learn thought reframing on your own.
With practice, you can get better at choosing healthier thoughts to replace negative thoughts.
