<p>Not always.</p>

<p>If depression sets in because of repeated failure at a task (i.e. exams) or a sudden life-changing incident, it is possible to perceive the past (before the dark times) as being a lot more flowery and beautiful than it may have been in reality. This has the effect of reinforcing the feeling of having 'fallen' from a happy place in life.</p>

<p>This also happens when someone tries to make their way out of depression and uses the 'happy past' as reference to recreate habits and thoughts as they remember, in a bid to feel better again. Whether or not it works is another story.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T15:31:30.113Z
Welcome to cogsci.SE! We encourage answers to cite rigorous research to support their claims and give readers a place to start to find more information.
Krysta
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T20:17:17.840Z
Intetesting answer, but I agree with @Krysta that a reference or two should be added.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-03T14:09:39.930Z
2015-02-03T14:09:39.930Z
pratik_m
<p>I feel like I may have read or heard a finding that depressed people may get the delusion that they always used to think in such a negative way as has begun since getting depression. Is it so?</p>

<cognitive-psychology><bias><depression>
Do depressed people think that they always thought in such a negative way?
NiteCyper
# Do depressed people think that they always thought in such a negative way?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-01)

I feel like I may have read or heard a finding that depressed people may get the delusion that they always used to think in such a negative way as has begun since getting depression. Is it so?

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, bias, depression


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-02-03. Score: -1

Not always.

If depression sets in because of repeated failure at a task (i.e. exams) or a sudden life-changing incident, it is possible to perceive the past (before the dark times) as being a lot more flowery and beautiful than it may have been in reality. This has the effect of reinforcing the feeling of having 'fallen' from a happy place in life.

This also happens when someone tries to make their way out of depression and uses the 'happy past' as reference to recreate habits and thoughts as they remember, in a bid to feel better again. Whether or not it works is another story.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Welcome to cogsci.SE! We encourage answers to cite rigorous research to support their claims and give readers a place to start to find more information.  
> **username_3**: Intetesting answer, but I agree with @username_2 that a reference or two should be added.  

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