No hate please ! Why do depressed people not go outside ?

[ShareLove]

Sorry if it upsets anyone , I am just very curious as why depressed people don’t want to go outside ? I know someone who has depression and she doesn’t want to go outside at all no shopping (only online shopping )no hairdresser no nothing , can someone explain to me what’s stopping them ? It’s no hate question at all I’m just trying to understand better and educate my self better . Thank you millions xxx

@username12345678909 - I can have visitors, and enjoy it, but there comes a point where I need to be alone again. I use the spoons analogy - having guests takes up a lot of mental energy, so I can’t do it often or for too long. When you have depression, everything can take more energy and effort, and sometimes you just don’t have the energy to do more than the basics - and having visitors is not a basic.

I suspect that the people who are saying you should just get over it and have the visitors are people who have never experienced depression firsthand, hence their unsympathetic comments.

I don't like having visitors because my home is my "safe space" having people in changes it so it no longer feels as safe.
Plus part of my depression/anxiety means I struggle with house work and the house is a tip and I'm embarrassed. I've got about 3/4 people who are allowed in but that's all. And not for long!

@username12345678909 I can't cope with anyone other than my teens being in my home atm. My mum offered to come up but I can't bear the fussing, and talk of what to eat for tomorrow's dinner, and being expected to engage in small talk.

That's how bad it is right now!

Iv had depression for awhile but I am lucky to have two grown up daughters to motivate me

Because you view the world and the people in it as horrible so it’s safer not to leave your own home.
When your that depressed your bed is the only place you want to be as sleep is the only time you feel at peace.
Its like a hammer to your head 24/7

Zombie thread from 2022

I sometimes wonder the same thing. I’m highly functioning because I have a daughter and I have to get things done but I have depressive episodes and recently went through PND and I did t go out (except the school run) for months. I became so flaky when friends invited me out and cancelled last minute. I can only describe it as having zero interest in going out or being out. Also overthinking and assuming I’d be judged for whatever reason - later I realised it’s all an internal dialogue. I even have moments where I wished I was more social - but at the time it’s so debilitating.

Although the few mornings I would decide to pop into Asda or Tesco - I would feel so proud of myself.

I also found that having a close person for ing me to go on just a walk and building up from there useful. It was my partner who didn’t take no for an answer - whilst I didn’t just snap out of it - in the grand scheme of things I am grateful to those who don’t give up.

Terror

Thank you for this. Going through this now and feel like an alien. Was diagnosed with ADHD last year.

The world seems unfriendly and you feel obliged to perform basic courtesies which can feel impossible (if you're so depressed you're almost mute like me) and you don't want to add to the coldness of the world. Also possibly due to unavoidable doom scrolling the world now feels like one big human zoo. Whenever I go outside to shops etc and come back I feel like crying.
All this applies to daytime. I'm still able to go to gigs at night as people are much more relaxed at night and the vibe isn't as terrible.

for me, the mental stops the physical. The emotional pain is so great that it debilitates me. You can’t just ‘get up’ physically when you’ve mentally given up (or at least all but). I never understood it until life started hitting me harder. Now I empathise deeply with others.