BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Depression What You Watch Affects Your Depression

Hi, Everyone!

I just added my new article entitled "What You Watch Affects Your Depression."

Click the link below to read the article.
What You Watch Affects Your Depression
If you think that the things you watch, read and listen to don't affect you, think again! Try avoiding negative images and messages...you'll see what I mean.

If you have any comments about the article or anything else you'd like to discuss, please feel free to post something!

Take care of you!
Kitten

Kitten I totally agree with you. Since I stopped watching TV and reading newspapers, and listening to gossip, and all that negative stuff I did when my kids were growing up, I don't have that miserable 'oh what a horrible world' attitude.

My world is great so long as I don't worry about the outside world and how sad and miserable it can be for some. I know it is I don't need it rammed in my face every time I watch a programme or read a newspaper.

I cannot really change the world but I can change my way of living.

I so agree with your article. I now chose what I want to watch, listen to or read rather than just doing so because everyone else is.

As always, thanks for your post, Linda!

I'm glad that you've already taken measures to make yourself feel better! I've done some...no soaps, no local news, never did read the paper, cut way back on world news... Now, I just have to learn to resist the crime shows and the disaster shows. They remind me of the 70s when all those disaster movies came out! I remember going to see "Earthquake," "Towering Inferno," "The Poseidon Adventure" and the "Airport" movies, etc. I was too young to see them, but I did, anyway.

I found "Towering Inferno" and "The Poseidon Adventure" on DVD, bought them, and watched them. Well...I ATTEMPTED to watch them. I took them both off because I was crying!! I said, "This is a good movie, but it's just not worth it for me anymore!"

The English soaps are always so depressing, we have Eastenders, Coronation Street, Emerdale Farm and Hollyoaks to name a few and all they ever show is women having abortions or their children dying, men and women cheating on their wives and husbands, men and women murdering other people, horrendous accidents that kill half the cast.

If one soap has a particular story line you can bet that the others will have a similar one. As much as they say they portray 'real life' never have I lived in a street where so many people die, commit crimes or cheat on each other so much in one year as they do in our soaps.

I still love a good horror film, I get Steve the Horror man here to give me tips on good ones, but anything that tells a 'true life story' I give a miss.

I have had my own 'true life story' to live and I hope I come out the other end with my head held high.

Peace and hugs

Yeah, Linda the soaps are ridiculous, but even so, I used to get sucked in! I wouldn't go to the beach when I lived in Pensacola because I might miss "All My Children" or "General Hospital"!! Crazy!

About the horror--sometimes I can handle that, and sometimes I can't. Around Halloween, I get sucked into the "Halloween" movies, and I love "Scream" because it has humor in it, too. The humor lightens it. But I totally agree with you on the true story movies. Those stay with me way too long. They make you get to know the people and care about them, and then they die. I can't handle that. With the crime shows, I guess I don't feel like I know the people, so it doesn't make me cry.

I can't watch sad movies. They stick with me forever. Can't watch anything sad in movies without crying.

I try to stay away from the news especially. I just don't want to know about horrible stuff! I want to read about or see happy endings. I love the Waltons. We have been watching that a lot lately and for the most part it always has a happy ending and makes me wish I grew up in a big family!

Hi, Connie! I've been wondering where you were!

Where in the world are you seeing "The Waltons"? I haven't seen that in 100 years...well, it SEEMS like 100 years! Ya know, it seems like I remember "The Waltons" being sad. And "Little House on the Prairie," too. That's why I didn't watch them when they used to come on in the afternoons. When I did, it seemed like I always ended up crying.

I find myself still watching "Friends" EVERY time I find it on. It still makes me laugh every time I see it. I've tried to figure out which character is the funniest, and I've never been able to decide!

I love "Sex and the City," too. I'm so Carrie--without the money and the cigarettes. LOL! (Not since I've been with Kelley--before.) That show can get a little heavy sometimes, and when it does, I turn it off. Most of the time, it makes me laugh.

And I ALWAYS watch "House" when it's on. It's a dramatic show, but his sarcastic humor cracks me up! I just can't get enough of "House." Today is marathon "House" day on USA. I hate not being able to sit there and watch it all day, but I have too much to do. (I'd be watching it if I had a laptop!! Desktop is in my bedroom.)

Better get back to my reports. Woohoo! Just love trying to understand medical terminology spoken with a strong foreign accent!!

I love House too. Hugh Laurie is outstanding.

I avoid things that make me scared or cry.

I agree, Jilly! Hugh Laurie is amazing! I couldn't believe it when I heard he was British! You never even pick up on a hint of a British accent! At least, I don't. That's a great actor.

Since I wrote the article, I've been paying especially close attention to what I watch. I've been avoiding all the crime shows and anything that might be sad or depressing. I'm feeling SOOO much better! Maybe it's coincidence, and maybe not, but I think not. I know I'm strongly affected by everything around me.

I've been off meds for the past few months. I called Monday to get an appointment, which will be on the 11th of February. I don't like taking meds, but I think I'm one of those people who actually needs them.

Well, better late than never! I don't know where I was before! I was gone from Thursday to Monday to a quilting retreat. I had a great time and sewed until I was sick of sewing and then I sewed more. Yesterday it was awful...snow (only a little) and bitter cold. It was 0 when I got up and 10 at lunchtime. Little Bill thinks it is so fun to run and play in the snow. I'm sure the neighbors are tired of hearing me say "LITTLE BILL GO POTTY!!!".

You'd probably think the Waltons were sad too if you thought Little House was sad. I think the Waltons are on the INSP the Inspriational Channel. I loved the first few years of Seinfeld.

LOL! Little Bill--that's cute!

I figured you were just busy with Mary Pain! LOL! I'm sure you have your hands full with MJ & LB!!

Yeah, it's been really cold here, too. Yesterday and today, highs in the mid thirties. We had a little sleet today, but it didn't last long. We have a chance of some sleet or snow tomorrow and tomorrow night, and Tuesday and Thursday!!

Do you watch "American Idol"? I didn't watch it one year specifically because I didn't want to be "married" to it. I have so much fun with it, and this year is so much better without Simon's hateful self on there! However, Randy seems to think it's now his job to be the mean one. I don't like that. He was nice for the first few shows, but then he started being mean...almost like someone told him to! I wonder...

Also what you read. I use LOL Cats and Learn From my Fail as both electronic antidepressants and health and safety lessons

What we watch, read & listen to...everything around us affects us. The more positive things we experience, the better we feel. The more negative things we experience, the more depressed we are.

I've been making a HUGE effort to change my TV habits, and it's paying off in a big way! The only exception is that I've been checking in on Fox News to see what's going on in Egypt. That's bothering me, but I think it's important to know what's going on--I think I'd worry more about it if I didn't know.

I tried American Idol when it first came out but didn't like Simon. I love the Worst Cook In America. We have been watching a lot of the food network lately. Just the thing to watch when you are on a weird diet!

Our snow is starting to melt off and they are predicting more snow/ice the first of next week. Guess this year we are getting a real winter!

We're supposed to get some more snow Wednesday, into Thursday, but they aren't giving amounts on local weather yet. I haven't heard what the Weather Channel says. They make me so mad--every time I go on to see what our weather is going to be like, I have to see "Cantore Stories" or "Storm Stories," or some such nonsense. It's just like MTV & VH1--they had a great thing going on with the music, but now most of what they show is not even related to music!! But they didn't ask me...

We got some real snow yesterday. No one is leaving here today! We're expecting more. I fell over the weekend and really bruised my good ankle so I haven't been doing much of anything at all! This morning it actually didn't hurt too much so that is a bonus.

Try not to constantly ask yourself whether you are happy or not at any given time. Just let it happen. By taking time to develop interests and keeping a positive attitude you will gradually see your state of mind improve. While there is no magic bullet when it comes to depression with a bit of time and work you can see yourself begin to take back control of your life.