Have You Ever Experienced Existential Angst or Depression?

[vtoodler]

<p>

Existential depression is a depression that arises when an individual confronts certain basic issues of existence. Yalom (1980) describes four such issues (or “ultimate concerns”)–death, freedom, isolation and meaninglessness. Death is an inevitable occurrence. Freedom, in an existential sense, refers to the absence of external structure. That is, humans do not enter a world which is inherently structured. We must give the world a structure which we ourselves create. Isolation recognizes that no matter how close we become to another person, a gap always remains, and we are nonetheless alone. Meaninglessness stems from the first three. If we must die, if we construct our own world, and if each of us is ultimately alone, then what meaning does life have?

</p>

<p>Have you or someone you know struggled with this? If so, how did they overcome it?</p>

<p>Read rest of the article here: <a href=“https://www.sengifted.org/archives/articles/existential-depression-in-gifted-individual”>https://www.sengifted.org/archives/articles/existential-depression-in-gifted-individual&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[VeryHappy]

<p>Very uplifting. </p>

<p>Not.</p>

[bookworm]

<p>OP,
I doubt you will get much response on this Board. I read Yalom years ago, used his ideas in a paper or 2. I’m glad you are interested. Most people here respond to real life issues, not an abstract question.</p>

[lookingforward]

<p>There’s a short thread now that asks about a fear of asteroids.</p>

[vtoodler]

<p>I suspect that many people have experienced this at one point in their lives. </p>

[mstee]

<p>This type of worry hit me in college. I think it is a time when a lot of people ask a lot of questions about the meaning of life. The cure, I think, is getting older and accepting the mystery of it.</p>

[HImom]

<p>My D would have these concerns when she was a teen, often late at night and in wee hours of the morning. It would really bother her but seemed to be much better in the light of day and when she was more rested. Now that she’s in her mid 20s, she seems better about accepting that thee are still a lot of mysteries in life. </p>

[vtoodler]

<p>mstee,</p>

<p>I think that reading some religious and philosophical texts might help those struggling with existential angst/depression</p>

[jym626]

<p>I have often pondered why the buttons/numbers on phones and calculators are reversed…</p>

[EPTR]

<p>I used to perseverate on some of these issues when I was much younger. I remember having a dream one night that I was on a toboggan sliding down a hill that went on and on. I was with other people who were laughing and enjoying the ride. I was, instead, worrying about how the toboggan ride would end. Would we crash? Would it hurt? And in the dream I realized that I wasn’t able to enjoy the ride because of my worry about the end result. </p>

<p>That dream really affected the way that I deal with some of these worries and questions. I think about it a lot and try really hard to just enjoy the ride. And, yes, accept and even celebrate the mystery in it all.</p>

[alh]

<p>Yes…
ever since I was three and an adult explained the concepts of birth, life, death. It just didn’t make sense to me on the most basic level. Still doesn’t.</p>

<p>I imagine I overcome it as many do. I try not to think very deeply, very often. Although, as I age the meaninglessness of life seems a lot more fascinating and potentially entertaining than it did in my youth when it was just downright horrifying.</p>

<p>I am not “gifted” or more intelligent than average. Hoping for average. Might be a stretch.</p>

[justforthis]

<p>Yes, I feel very much like alh^ however I was not three but around fourteen. My eldest D has been questioning the “ultimate” concerns recently (early 20’s). I always thought it was a normal part of growing up, maturing and thinking.
She is reading a lot about different religions and leaning towards Buddism as her way of overcoming the angst it has engendered. Growing older and filling your life with people and things that make you happy has a way of putting the concerns in an unreachable place.</p>

[emeraldkity4]

<p>I have to admit that I used to have alot of angst along the same lines.
But as I get older and have fewer brain cells, I have found that I may not have the ability to analyze philosophical arguments as in my younger days, but I also do not brood as much & am much happier as a result!
:)</p>