The Language of Sadness

Today I read this article, which talks about depression changing the language people use in speech and writing.

Some of the points it makes are (very) intuitive, such as that depressed people tend to use more negative words, or deal in absolutes. I thought it was super interesting that depressed people use first person singular pronouns more often than not depressed people, in part because it is less obvious, and also because it's something I know I do a tonne in my own writing.

The effect is supposedly linked to the social isolation experienced by people with depression. They rarely talk about 'they's, because they do not feel connected enough with people around them to relate to or talk about them. One of my biggest complaints about the way I write is that I start too many sentences with 'I feel', 'I think' etc, but I have allowed it, as the purpose of writing here is of course to express myself.

Maybe I will start writing about other people more, although I'm not sure that they'd appreciate it.