Frequently Asked Questions (7 FAQs)

Extreme or Persistent Sadness is more than simply feeling sad because something went wrong.

It may involve a prolonged feeling of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness or loss of interest in things that normally give you pleasure.

Long-lasting stress and anxiety can also leave you mentally and emotionally exhausted, and may be accompanied by sadness, low motivation or feelings of hopelessness.

However, Stress, Anxiety and Extreme or Persistent Sadness are not necessarily the same thing.

They can overlap, influence one another, or occur separately.

If such feelings are intense, persistent or interfering with your daily life, it is important to seek an appropriate professional assessment rather than trying to label the problem yourself.

The purpose of this section is to provide educational guidance — not to diagnose or treat a medical condition.

There are two specific diseases – Schizophrenia and Bipolar depression – in which the patient is genetically pre-programmed to have chemical imbalance of neuro-transmitters in the nervous system.

He then develops clinical depression at some time in his life.

We will not discuss them here as they are medical diseases, need a regular life-long psychiatrist treatment and, thus, are beyond the scope of our website.

There is usually no single reason.

Persistent sadness can arise from many different factors — difficult life circumstances, prolonged stress, relationship or work-related problems, loss, loneliness, major life changes, physical health problems, sleep difficulties, or other psychological factors.

Sometimes, there may not be one obvious cause.

Different factors can build up over time and affect how you think, feel and function.

Stress and Anxiety can also contribute to emotional exhaustion and persistent low mood, while persistent sadness can, in turn, make stress and anxiety feel more difficult to manage.

So instead of asking only, “Why am I suffering from this?”, a more useful question may be: “What is happening in my life, my thinking and my circumstances that may be contributing to how I feel?”

Understanding the contributing factors is an important first step towards deciding what kind of help may be appropriate.

Ok. There are as many causes for depression as there are depressed people.

In fact, every depressed person has got his or her own unique circumstances which brought out this particular problem for him or her.

Nevertheless, fundamentally, there is only one – yes, only one – cause of extreme or persistent sadness.

That one basic, underlying cause is your inability to accept the reality of your own life’s present moment.

Yes, very much.

Some thing somewhere is happening right now in your life which you don’t want to happen. This is the reality.

Alternatively, something you want desperately to happen, but it’s not happening the way you want it to happen.

This again is the reality. Are we right?

You must have tried your best in the past to get what you want.

But somehow, because of some peculiar situations or people, your best is still not sufficient to change your reality.

On top of it you are not able to accept this reality easily.

As a result, you are losing 98% of your energy day in, day out.

This continuous energy loss is like a leaking bucket - which never gets filled up because of its leaking holes.

This is what is making you feel very frustrated and exhausted.

What do you feel?

First things first.

Start by accepting that some things in life are beyond your control.

Acceptance does not mean giving up.

It means stopping the exhausting struggle against a reality that you cannot immediately change.

Then deliberately shift your attention towards the things you can control — your thoughts, your responses, your choices and your actions.

This can help you conserve your emotional energy and use it more constructively.

Second things second.

Learn practical ways of dealing with the situations, thoughts and relationships that are contributing to your distress.

Practise these skills regularly and make appropriate changes wherever you can.

And if your sadness is intense, persistent or interfering with your daily life, seek appropriate professional help as well.

The goal is not to promise that every problem will disappear.

The goal is to help you gradually regain clarity, confidence and a greater sense of control over your life.

You are absolutely right.

Acceptance is not always easy — especially when the reality is painful or very different from what you wanted.

You do not necessarily have to work through it all by yourself.

With appropriate 1-to-1 personal guidance, you can learn practical ways to understand what is troubling you, separate what you can control from what you cannot, and gradually change the way you respond to difficult situations.

Dr. Arora’s Online 7 Mind Secrets Course provides educational guidance through practical techniques, videos, audios and online group sessions.

Personal guidance may also be available depending on your needs and the programme you choose.

The purpose is not to promise a quick or magical solution.

It is to help you develop better understanding, practical skills and greater control over how you respond to life’s challenges.

If you would like to understand how the programme works, you can contact Dr. Arora and discuss the details before deciding whether it is suitable for you.