Negative Mood & Depression

The question of why we develop a negative mood is not really a hard question to answer. Mood is simply determined by our perception of the ratio or balance between positive experiences and negative ones. In other words, if we perceive more negatives in our life than positives, our scale will tip toward the negative side and we will tend to feel negative. 

If it is our perception that this situation is enduring, our negative feelings can turn into a chronic negative mood. If this negative balance starts to feel significant and unending, significant depression can develop. 

 Thus, the method for improving our mood is quite simple - decrease the negative experiences in our life and/or increase the positives. However, what is not as simple to understand is what actually constitutes a negative or positive experience. It's easy to say that physical pain and other tangible hardships (e.g., having to drive in heavy traffic) are things that load on the negative side. Likewise, physically pleasurable experiences are easy to identify as positives (ummm, yummy cake). Yet there are so many things we experience primarily in our thoughts and mental experiences that can also be either negative or positive. And for many of us, these types of experiences far outweigh the more physical, tangible experiences in life. If we can't get a handle on what goes on in our minds that greatly contributes to this positive/negative ratio, then it will be very difficult to understand your negative mood and what can make you feel happier. 

Thoughts and beliefs are the primary components of our mental experiences. And these mental experiences directly contribute to our emotional experiences. Here's how it works. 

 Major depression can really knock you down. However, negative mood is sometimes more subtle and can sneak up on you. I see many patients who present for problems with disrupted sleep patterns, low motivation, fatigue, inconsistent follow-through with responsibilities, substance abuse, and so on, and they want to know how to overcome these various problems. They may sometimes see a role for negative mood, but may often see negative mood as a consequence of their problem/s rather than an underlying cause.


Schedule Appointment

Start your new path in life and be the change today!

Click Here

Helpful Forms

Click here to view and print forms for your appointment.

Click Here

Family Therapy Clinic of Louisiana, LLC
225) 292-0155
(844) 715-7911 fax
[email protected]