![]() The meaning of life is also a very common theme in their thoughts, especially in regards to the way that it ends. Some common symptoms of existential depression are a fixation on these concepts of life and death, as well as anxiety and sorrow about the way the world is as opposed to the way that gifted individuals idealize that it could be.ĭeath is an incredibly difficult thing to think about for anyone, despite its inevitability, and those with existential depression often find themselves unable to take their mind off of it and other such concepts. ![]() These are all things that are an inevitable part of human existence, but the traits that gifted individuals exhibit mean that they’re more likely to contemplate these issues in more depth than the average person, and in doing so cause themself distress. The types of thoughts that adults dealing with existential depression will struggle with can vary, though typically they fall into several broad categories political, ethical, spiritual, and philosophical- among other things. Thinking about any of these topics for too long and in too much detail can lead to spiraling and a lot of negative thoughts and emotions such as meaninglessness, which is often the case for “gifted” individuals with an analytical nature. What is Existential Depression?Įxistential depression revolves specifically around concepts of existence such as the meaning of life, death, and one’s place in the universe overall. They can persist well into adulthood if the gifted child doesn’t get the professional help that they need to overcome these negative thoughts and feelings. However, these feelings typically go away and only lead to more of the same hopeless feelings associated with existential depression. They won’t understand why other people aren’t as concerned with these big issues of the universe, preferring to instead focus on short term problems, and this can cause anger and hostility in gifted adolescents. However, if adolescents struggling with these negative thoughts believe they are alone in the experience, it’s very likely that they will avoid their peers if they’re not already excluded. The isolation that is caused by depression can be incredibly harmful, because a good support system is an important way of countering depression. They think about things in more detail than other kids their age and tend to overanalyze, so when they see injustice in the world they may experience a sense of hopelessness from it. Gifted children also may feel isolated from their peers as a result of this label, and they have many traits that can serve as a double-edged sword and make them more likely to struggle with depression.įor example, gifted children are typically more sensitive, empathetic, and in tune with their emotions overall. The “gifted” system can encourage harmful, perfectionist beliefs among adolescents. From that point on not only are the expectations of their teachers increased as a result, but so do their expectations for themselves, which can lead to issues with self-esteem if they’re not meeting those expectations. Simply put, gifted adults are more likely to struggle with depression at some point in their life because they were once gifted adolescents.Ĭhildren are labeled as “gifted” when they’re still very young by the administrators of their school. Why is this the case, though? And what actions can be taken by gifted adults to help with this problem? Why are gifted adults more susceptible to depression? Those who are considered “gifted” are especially likely to experience depression, particularly existential depression, a type of depression that centers around thoughts about life, death, and meaninglessness as the name might suggest. And, for people who were already feeling that way, COVID-19 has only succeeded in making it worse. Many people are feeling isolated, anxious, and depressed as a result of the pandemic and all the changes it’s brought about. You will find further information in The Beginner’s Guide to Life on the Bright Side and also in Gifted Children: Resources for Parents and Teachers in WA.With everyone stuck at home, mental health has been at an all time low this past year. Here are a selection you may like to start with. Gifted children most often have gifted parents, many of whom only recognise their own giftedness when they start investigating the possibility in their child. ![]() Gifted children don’t stop being gifted when they grow up, they become gifted adults.
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