Depression Quest Interactive Fiction Game Released On Steam For Free

I was going to mention the timing of the release myself, but looks like I'm not the only one who noticed. Rest in peace, Mr. Williams :(

I've kinda played this one already....
I take depression very seriously, so, I like the idea of a game that takes it too.... just wish the game was more like a Visual Novel, through.

Fighting depression although difficult is very very straightforward and simple. All you need to do is to deny yourself the right to be a pessimist and reject any and all thoughts that could be considered negative, they can be rejected by simply deciding to disagree with these thoughts and then conjuring positive thoughts on subject instead (ideally there should be 10 positives for every 1 negative, and the reason it took me so long was that I always only used 1 positive thought for every negative) ... Depression is normally a direct result of negative thoughts, they are our minds worst enemy and should not be allowed to exist. ^_^

Okay, I know I am wading into heavy waters here, so I apologize in advance if I seem insensitive, but this to me raises a question.

For me at least a lot of "negative" thoughts are deeply linked to my humour and personality - you mention pessimism for instance, something which for me at least is deeply in-grained as part of my personality and is a large part of my sense of humour. Being able to rely on that has gotten me through many a bad situation. You mention denying yourself the right to such things, but for me these apparently "negative" thoughts are something which I have managed to hold in great stead in my own way.

Granted, I do not think I have ever really suffered hugely from depression - I have had more than my fair share of stress-induced nervous anxieties, especially over the past few years, but that is different than clinical chronic depression which really does not even need to have a cause to inflict its damage onto people.

It could just be the case that I am privileged enough to have a healthy relationship with such things while you due to your situation can not - people have different tolerances, making it so no one reaction can really be expected from everyone.

http://www.depressioncomix.com/

On any discussion about depression, I like to point people to a web comic series. I will probably point to this "game" in the future as well. Clinical depression is not simply a mindset that can be changed, unfortunately.
A little education on what (clinical) depression is, and how we can help those who suffer from it, is something we should all have.

Thank you very much for the link; as someone who has struggled with depression and its ugly symptoms my whole life, these cartoons hit home.

The game is very good, even if you don't see a direct connection to your own life. For those who don't suffer from this disease, it may help to awaken compassion.

In your case, maybe you're just more positive than you think, maybe you just didn't get that small push required to throttle you from negative to sad and from sad to depressed, in either case you are privileged indeed. It's a good thing not all human brains are the same so yours might be naturally resistant to the state of depression.

The fact that I am not all that depressive is something which I do hold myself really lucky for, no question. It is a privilege which far too many people sadly do not have.

But ask yourself how much good negativity is really doing for you? Is it worth it? Does it assist you in any way to achieve happiness? Because positive thinking most certainly would.

In terms of informing my existence, not always looking on the bright side and going through bad things in my life has made me a better person in many ways - it makes me more aware, it broadens my experience, and as I say, a lot of my sense of humour comes from laughing at dark things. Humour comes from observing things that are out of proportion, even when that thing is pain.

Just think real hard, what good negativity is doing for you; chances are it's probably not doing you any good... Lower expectations so that you will enjoy movies more? Isn't that just a way to avoid negative thinking while you go to see movies to begin with? (for one example) ^_^

Your example is rather glib, but apt in someways as not placing positive blinders on myself (for lack of a better, more diplomatic term; I do not wish to seem standoffish) has allowed me to go through certain unpleasant events in my life with my eyes open. As long as that was the case, that I understood what was happening and why, I could get through them without shutting down, or being consumed by them. I am an intellectual being, and I demand understanding more than I demand comfort, as only through understanding can I overcome unpleasantness and conquer it, and without that there is no comfort.

Do not get me wrong here though; I am very glad you found something that works for you, and if such a thing really does help people alleviate their depression, then I am glad you are sharing it. There is a certain absoluteness about your worldview that unsettles me though, but I am speaking from a privileged position, and hopefully will remain so.

Still, to couch my understanding on the subject in terms I am more familiar with, not due to myself thankfully but due to others in my family, I suppose depression can be classed like addiction in that the depressive loses the control to regulate their negative thoughts to the point where their only option is to excise them, just like how an alcoholic needs to excise drinking while others can still partake in and find value in it. As I say, people have different tolerances, and what works for some does not seem to work for all.