The meaning of depression: a call for change

Although the experience of depression may seem, at first glance, like an enemy that paralyzes, darkens, and weakens, more and more professionals and people who have gone through it agree on something profound: depression can also be a way for life to stop us in our tracks to make us listen to something important.

Far from being just a chemical imbalance or a mental error, it can be seen as a sign, a kind of “internal alarm” that screams that there are aspects of life that are no longer working, that have strayed from our true essence.

Sometimes depression appears not to punish us, but to invite us to look inward, to question a way of living that is disconnected from our purpose, our authenticity, or our values. This perspective does not deny suffering or romanticize it, but rather reframes it: it is not just pain, it is also a message.

A deep review of life: relationships, work, values

From this perspective, pain becomes a gateway to introspection. Depression forces us to stop when we are stuck in routines that do not nourish us or in environments that drain us emotionally.

Are we in a job that does not inspire us? Are we staying in a relationship out of fear of loneliness? Are we living according to external expectations, forgetting what we really value?

Many patients, when working on their depressive thoughts from a cognitive defusion approach (as explained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), discover that they are repeating a mental story that does not belong to them, such as “the tragic story of myself.”

From there, they can begin to ask themselves honestly, “What parts of my life are holding me back?” This life review is painful, but also liberating. It is an opportunity to let go of what no longer fits and redesign what does.

Building a life more consistent with one's essence

Getting out of depression involves more than eliminating symptoms: it involves building a different life. Sometimes it is not enough to feel better; you have to live better.

When you begin to distance yourself from automatic thoughts that say “I'm not good enough” or “I'm worthless,” you open up space to ask yourself: Who am I without that narrative? That is the foundation of transformation.

Through small actions—such as waking up early, eating more mindfully, exercising even when you don't feel like it—we begin to regain a sense of control and dignity.

This reconstruction doesn't happen overnight, but every conscious decision to act differently, even when we're afraid or sad, brings us closer to an authentic life. The key isn't to “cure” depression and go back to the way things were, but to build something new: a life that's more consistent with who we are and who we want to be.

Reconnect with creativity, purpose, and meaning

When people begin to emerge from depression, they often rediscover forgotten aspects of themselves: their ability to create, to feel enthusiasm, to connect with what gives them meaning. As several therapists explain, recovery is not only about reducing suffering, but also about igniting new sources of meaning.

Returning to writing, painting, teaching, caring, exploring—not as an obligation, but as an expression of being—can make all the difference. Even humor, play, music, and small passions are forms of emotional reconnection that weaken the depressive narrative.