Depressed, Or Just Fed Up?

An Existential sadness is a manifestation of negative life circumstances. We might find ourselves in a job we dislike, or missing a family member we no longer see. There may be an extended period of unemployment, or a relationship that has broken down.

We express our sadness in different ways. Telling others that we are 'fed up' is one of those ways of articulating our sense of weariness. Often it manifests as an unspecific malaise, but it can also be a result of an unresolved life circumstance that has dragged on for a significant period of time.

There are a myriad of scenarios that can precipitate such a seemingly unmovable sadness. It is worth remembering however, that sadness, or being 'fed up' is different to Clinical Depression (which requires a medical assessment and medication/therapy).

Where there is a deep sense of sadness, when we are inconsolable, and often not able to articulate this we might withdraw from friends and family, and work might be more difficult.

Then there is often a feeling of emotional inertia. No matter what we do to lift our spirits, it does not work. We cannot shake it off. It is overwhelming.

We may even sacrifice our own well-being, even momentarily, to help another person do well and flourish. Whether or not they are aware of it does not matter; the sadness is ours to carry alone, and that is a critical component of how we find meaning in our journey.

Meaning is at the core of who we are. Therefore sadness can only persist if our suffering has no meaning. Transformation occurs by devoting ourselves to another/others, fulfilling a meaningful task/creative endeavour, or by bearing our unavoidable suffering in a transcendent way.

Sadness is an ineluctable part of life: It will find us, sometimes unexpectedly, but it will always attempt to settle in our hearts. At that point we should not be afraid. Nor whould we attempt to 'short circuit' it in an endevour to heal before we are ready. Feeling 'stuck' is an understandable response to disappointment and failure, but to remain 'fed up' is to do ourselves an injustice.

Yes, it can take time to work things through. However, although the answers are partly within us, our insight reaches its zenith when our inner and outer worlds unify.

This may sound vaguely esoteric, but it is not. It is practical and experiential. Positive change occurs when our values are engaged to answer the specific questions before us.

We might think that the way forward is too difficult to contemplate. But it is at our lowest points that we are closest to a copernican shift in thinking: there is deep meaning in those moments.

We must always remember that our sadness and weariness is not a sign that life has forgotten us. Rather, it is a reminder that we are alive and responsive to the viscitudes of existence. Life is posing the questions, and we are being challenged to answer them in our own unique way.

Sadness and feeling 'fed up' are not destinations, they are part of our journey; with intention and compassion they can be transformed, but if that is not possible, then they are to be endured.

There is much dignity in both outcomes. They are an expression of our freedom to respond, in our own way and in our own time.