Depressed people can turn their resigned state to their advantage. They have a 'stuff it' mentality that would probably prevent them from having long term goals. In that way, it will be easier for them to live each day as though it were their last (as we have been commanded).
They have little yearning for dunya related stuff and thus are less likely to become jealous of people, less likely to have exagerated sense of lust, less likely to be greedy or money hungry, less likely to be prideful, less likely to be arrogant, less likely to be vain, less likely to be immature, less likely to dwell on the petty and trivial.
Depressed people are more likely to be reserved, they'd usually only speak when spoken to. No useless convo. Just like we have been told to do by the Prophet SAW.
Whenever the Prophet SAW ever had something to laugh about, it was only a smile that he produced. It was never full on laughter. This is the same behaviour I'd expect to see from depressed people. They are in such a constant state of despair that their hearts wouldn't let them enjoy a unrestricted laughter of joy or otherwise. Only a half hearted smile at best is likely to be seen. Why was the Prophet Muhammad SAW like that? Cos he himself was in a constant state of agitation due to the gravity of the deen. The Prophet SAW knew the reality of this world and said 'If you knew what I know, you would laugh less and cry more'.
Depressed people are ten times more likely to engage in contemplation. They just need that push and when the yearning grows inside of them, they are far more likely to have a greater consciousness and realisation of Allah. Whereas with heedless people who go about their daily lives just praying the five salah, yet being so enganged in the dunya, they can't spend time to contemplate on Allah. They get bored. Depressed people are contemplative
by nature.
They can't flip a switch and stop being 'deep' people. This is behaviour that has been moulded into their very beings, by the hardships that they've experienced.
On the flip side, their depression can be harmful in that they are more likely to be lazy, unenthusiastic, uncaring about situations. This
can be dangerous to themselves and their iman, I don't deny that. But to lump people who have depression like symptoms as a mental disorder altogether to be treatd as being a bad state in and of itself is wrong in my opinion. There is good in it.
I mean, when people seek to 'cure' depression, what do they really seek to do? Make depressed people
like enjoyment in this world? Laugh and play wholeheartedly without a care in the world? Is that meant to be a cure, really?
I'd say the best cure would be to give these people the correct understanding and guide them to turn their depression into contentment and submission. This does not mean we teach them not to tie their camels or not to complete their responsibilities. Everything has to be done by sharia. But to relegate depression as a disease to be cured is laughable. Psychologists, certainly non-muslim ones, would consider the praiseworthy traits I mentioned above about depressed people to be
bad. They will want to 'treat' it. I say no to that.
Imagine a
perfectly sane and joyful person is locked up for life. Prior to entry, while acknowledging that Allah exists and Islam being real, he drinks, fornicates, gambles, doesn't pray, commits sin after sin without a care in the world and enjoys life to the maximum.
The first few years he'd try to fight out of the locked room. He'd do it with passion and vigour. He'd feel as though the world was passing him by. He's not having fun anymore. It's so unfair etc etc. However, soon the realisation will dawn upon him that he cannot do anything about his situation. The only thing left is to accept and submit to it. He'll withdraw. He'll become reserved. He'll yearn for nothing. All the stuff that used to make him happy before will become meaningless to him. The state this man would eventually get into as a result would probably be termed as depression by most people/psychologists.
Now, look at the facts. This guy has become completely changed such that he doesn't even have the desire to indulge in
major sins:
1. No desire to drink.
2. No desire to fornicate.
3. No desire to gamble.
This world is meaningless to him. 'Live as though you are a traveller'.. how is that possible if you love this world too much?
Health problem my a$$. This is a GOOD state to be in. Now all that needs to be done is to CHANNEL this condition into being motivated toward deen. A good pschyo would try and convince this guy to chase after the world again just so that he can feel alive and happy again.
The locked room above can be seen as an
analogy of the different ways in which people can become depressed. They face something so dreadful in life that they feel trapped, with no hope and no idea on where to go, what to do. The effects of being trapped is that it will keep you in a permanent state of despair and that despair will KILL your desires.
Having the ego (nafs) destroyed is undoubtedly a GOOD thing. Nowadays we're far far too indulgent and slaves of our own desires. A little bit of having things being put into perspective is not all awry.
Allah has said if Allah wills good upon people, he gives them hardship. Now ask yourself, considering the example of the locked room, this guy has been knocked away from following a lifetime of petty indulgences and had his mind trained to not even desire for such things. Is this NOT Allah willing good upon him? Everything happens by the will of Allah and there is wisdom in everything. Like I said, this guy needs now to be pushed toward deen. Not be stuffed full of meds so that he can go back to feeling love for the petty stuff he did before.
All too often people are growing disillusioned with this world. It's all a fake. There's so much BS out there. Our souls grow tired of it. That's why depression is so widespread. People don't want the crap anymore but don't know how to cope.
Their lives feel meaningless to them. Non-muslims will seek psychological treatment for it. They'll classify themselves as depressed and resign themselves to a lifetime of addiction to tablets as an apparent cure. They'll look to humanity for help.
I don't blame them, but as muslims, we know that the cure is with Allah alone.
The way this modern world and society has been engineered is not conducive toward gaining a free and healthy state of mind in the first place. It indirectly promotes depression. The whole system is corrupt. We need to think outside of the confines of this plastic place. In that there is good.
Imagine living in a serene and calm place. You are in a pleasant mountain farming community. There are simple wooden huts where you live. There is water from a spring. You farm, forage, you hunt for food. You have a central mosque where you and all other members of the community go to pray every day and on time. You don't have the things that constrict people in modern society. No useless distractions. You're praying and keeping your duty to Allah, you're being physically active and providing for your family.
Would you feel depressed there? Others may differ on this, but I honestly don't think I would, come rain or shine. It's the entire atmosphere that's pure and serene. Compare that to what we get confronted by on a daily basis in our current environments. Chase chase chase the dunya. We're prisoners!
We're always being prepared for the 'next' stage of life. When we're very young, we're told to prepare for nursery. In nursery, we're being prepared for primary school. In primary, we're told to prepare for secondary. In secondary, it's all about preparing for college. While in college, we're prepared for Uni. While in Uni, we're prepared for 'work'. While at work, we're preparing and yearn for retirement!
It's always planning planning planning. No rest. No living the day as it comes. It is very hard to live each day as it was your last like the Prophet SAW told us, when we are conditioned into preparing and planning for the next stage of life all the time.
The problem arises when our plans go against us. When things don't go our way, uh oh, we're doomed. We don't know how to cope. We hit rock bottom and suddenly things don't matter anymore and we become lost, forlorn and depressed. After a few years without cure, this depression is lodged deep within our minds and left unchecked, it
becomes who we are.
We need to recognise that although we plan, Allah also plans and Allah is the best of planners. It will be that what Allah has planned for you is better for you than what you have planned. Thus, it is better to resign and submit to Allah's will. I'm not saying be absolutely fatalistic at all times, but those times when there is no other option, what else is there but to submit? What would you rather have depressed people do? Cry their whole lives?
From the get go, we're all conditioned into forming a life in this world as though it's permanent and the be all and end all. We're encouraged to chase success and happiness, whatever that means. We're not given the necessary coping mechanisms that allows us to come to terms with all sorts of loss or the patience we need to perservere in times of hardship.
The
first step to being content is to accept that this world is nothing. Only a test. We shouldn't feel too upset at things that don't go our way. Be it death of loved ones, loss of romantic interests, loss of money, whatever. Even if we're thrown on the street and made destitute. These things should not make us lose hope in Allah.
No amount of money in the world would make a depressed soul happy or feel 'alive'. No amount of food, no amount of women, no amount of anything. True contentment lies only in the worship and remembrance of Allah. Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.
Hasbunallahu wa nimal wakeel. People need to also have this understanding that they need
nothing and
nobody except Allah.
Having utmost faith and reliance on Allah WILL help depressed people.
I could be totally wrong 
