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Rewriting Depression's Script
The battle for your story begins in your mind. Depression doesn't just change how you feel—it rewrites your entire narrative, convincing you that you're not enough, that nothing will improve, that trying is pointless. With each repetition, these thoughts solidify until they feel like absolute truth.
We explore how depression literally hijacks your brain's information filtering system, training you to notice failure instead of success, rejection instead of belonging, and weakness instead of strength. But what makes this mental health challenge even more complex is how the voices around us can either amplify depression's lies or help us challenge them. The right support can illuminate hope in the darkest moments, while criticism from those we trust can deepen our shadows.
Drawing from both personal and professional experience, we share three powerful strategies to reclaim authorship of your life: separating the storyteller from yourself, collecting counter-evidence to depression's claims, and documenting even the smallest victories. Each approach helps you recognize depression's voice for what it is—an illness speaking, not your authentic self. We also examine how to carefully choose whose voices you allow to influence your mental state, surrounding yourself with people who reflect your true worth back to you rather than reinforcing negative narratives. Whether you're personally struggling with depression or supporting someone who is, these practical tools will help you take back the pen and write a story of resilience, growth, and genuine connection. Remember, depression doesn't get to be the author of your life—you do.
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Welcome to another edition of GW Unspoken, where we discuss stuff we don't typically talk about but probably should. And today we're going through our series of mental health and emotional resilience, and today's episode title is how depression rewrites your story and how to take back the pen. You know what? Depression has a way of changing the story. We tell ourselves that whispers, things like you're not good enough, nothing will ever change and why bother trying? And the more those thoughts repeat, the more they start to feel like the truth. It's as if depression steals a pen from your hand and starts writing your story for you. But here's something we don't talk about enough. It's not just about your own thoughts and how they shape your story. The voices around you your family, your friends, your colleagues can also influence your state of mind, and the encouragement of someone who sees the best in you can light up that hope, and the criticism of someone close can deepen the shadows. So yes, depression rewrites your story, but sometimes people around us have to start picking up the pen too.
Speaker 1:I've looked along people who felt trapped in narratives where depression handed them a bad hand, and I know this firsthand. I know both personally and professionally how convincing those dark scripts can actually be, but here's the truth. Depression changes the way your brain filters information. It primes you to notice failure instead of success and rejection instead of belonging. It actually makes you feel weakness instead of strength. And then layering the voices of others if the people around you are critical, dismissive or negative, your brain absorbs that too. It becomes another chapter of depression, used to back itself up with all those lies of who you actually aren't, but it makes you feel like who you are. But when the people around you are encouraging, patient and compassionate, they can help you challenge that depression's voice of yours. Like. We are social beings and our nervous systems are wired for connection, which means the company we keep can either amplify a depression story or help us rewrite it. So how do we take back the pen when depression and sometimes the voice around us try to write our story for us?
Speaker 1:Well, here's three ideas. Number one separate the storyteller from the self. Number two collect counter evidence. And number three separate the storyteller from the self. Number two collect counter evidence. And number three write the small wins into your narrative. Along the way, we'll also talk about how to choose the voices you let influence your state of mind.
Speaker 1:So let's go through number one, and I want you to really share this with somebody who's going through a bad time at the moment and has some really negative self-talk. Let's separate the storyteller from the self, because when depression talks, it feels like your voice, but it's not. It's depression's voice speaking through you. So now here's the shift Instead of saying I'm worthless, try saying depression is telling me I'm worthless. This creates distance. It's not you, it's the illness, it's the mental health aspect talking. And when someone else adds to that voice, when they say something critical or dismissive, you can learn to pause and ask is this depression being reinforced or is this the truth? Because not every voice around you deserves authority in your story. Be really careful with that. Number two collect counter evidence.
Speaker 1:Depression edits your memories. It highlights failures and raises wins, and negative people in your life can reinforce their edit. See, even they think you're not enough. But here's the tool Start collecting counter evidence. Write down your achievements, the people who do value you, small acts of kindness you've given or evidence. Write down your achievements, the people who do value you, small acts of kindness you've given or received. Write them down. This isn't ignoring the pain, it's balancing the narrative. It matters. Who helps you gather that evidence? So surround yourself with people who point you back to your strengths, not just your flaws, and that influence can literally rewire your brain towards resilience. And that influence can literally rewire your brain towards resilience.
Speaker 1:And here's number three Write down small wins into your narrative. So when you're depressed, brushing your teeth or replying to one message can feel monumental, and it is Depression, tells you. It's nothing. But writing down those small wins will remind you oh, I'm still moving, I'm still writing. And here's where others come in again. Share those wins with safe people. A friend who celebrates your small steps will keep you going. A critic who dismisses them will shrink them. So choose carefully who you let edit your story. The right voices will encourage you to keep writing the wrong ones or to try to cross out your progress. So imagine looking back and realizing depression no longer held the pen. The story of your life isn't reduced to pain, it's expanded with resilience, growth and connection. And even more, imagine staring at yourself with people who remind you of your worth when you forget it, people who reflect back the parts of your story that depression tries to raise. Because, yes, depression may still whisper, but with the right tools and the right community, you can talk back, edit the script and take back the pen, and it's not easy. You won't want to do this. You want to keep telling yourself that this is who you are when depression talks to you.
Speaker 1:They say that in our minds that we're always attracted to the negative. If you ever watched a movie or a series show, it always starts with some kind of drama. That's typically negative because it gets us in. You've seen the people talking about Facebook scrolls or reels where it starts with negative and it gains our attention. What's the news? 90% of news is probably negative. It gets us in. It rewires our brain to look for negative because it's drama, and then it becomes exciting for us. So how can you change your thoughts patterns, the patterns that are actually saying to you this is who you are, but deep down, you know it's not, and you need to resolve that conflict for yourself to rewrite your story.
Speaker 1:Look, this week I want you to reflect not just on your inner story, but also on the influence of the people around you, and here are three prompts to guide you. So number one please write these down, because if nothing changes, nothing changes. What is one line depression has been writing into your story lately. You know, write it, label it and then say this is depression talking. Don't say I think just you'll. This is depression talking. Don't say I think you'll know this is depression talking.
Speaker 1:Number two whose voices influence your state of mind? Look really strongly right now. Who are the ones who have the most influence? Do they amplify a depression story or do they help you challenge it? If they help you challenge it, keep them in your circle. And number three what small win did you achieve today that deserves to be written into your story and who can you share it with? That you know will celebrate with you. That will reinforce those neural pathways to become the person you know, who you are, without depression trying to balk you or sidetrack you and say no, you're not.
Speaker 1:These reflections help you see not only your own narrative but also the support cast around you. So remember depression doesn't get to be the author of your life. You do, and while others can influence your state of mind, you choose who gets to hold the pen beside you. Separate the storyteller from yourself. Collect the evidence depression tries to raise. Write your small wins into the script and surround yourself with people who lift your story, not those who want to try and tear it down. Thanks for joining me today on GW Unspoken. If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who might need to hear it and stay tuned for the next part of our mental health and emotional series. Until then, hold the pen, choose your co-authors wisely and remember the story isn't finished yet.