--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that when you're depressed, you…" description: "\"I think that when you're depressed, you can't concentrate long enough and well enough to read for the most part; some people can, but by and large peop..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb2/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_amenable_i-think-that-when-you-re-depressed-you-c_2363219.jpg" --- # I think that when you're depressed, you can't concentrate… ![“I think that when you're depressed, you can't concentrate long enough and well enough to read for the most part; some people can, but by and large people - that's one of the first things that goes, is the capacity to read meaningful literature. With grief, that's not true. For a while you can't…” quote by Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb2/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_amenable_i-think-that-when-you-re-depressed-you-c_2363219.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb2/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_amenable_i-think-that-when-you-re-depressed-you-c_2363219.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb2/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_amenable_i-think-that-when-you-re-depressed-you-c_2363219.jpg) > “I think that when you're depressed, you can't concentrate long enough and well enough to read for the most part; some people can, but by and large people - that's one of the first things that goes, is the capacity to read meaningful literature. With grief, that's not true. For a while you can't read, but then you really are amenable to solace.” [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Depression impairs deep reading; grief may later allow reading for comfort. **In simple terms:** Depression blocks reading; grief can restore it. Key Takeaway Recognize mood impacts on reading and seek solace. Themes mental health grief literature Mood empathetic thoughtful Type psychological therapeutic When to use this quote - therapy sessions - support groups - journaling Key Concepts Cognitive focus emotional processing healing Questions to Reflect On - How does mood affect your reading? - What literature comforts you in grief? A Different Perspective Reading may not be effective during severe depression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amenable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amenable/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Depressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depressed/) [First things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-things/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Solace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solace/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think I suffered with depression, I don't think I'm a depressed type of person - I just think I suffered a depression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-o-sullivan/i-don-t-think-i-suffered-with-depression-i-don-t-think-i-m-a/) [Ronnie O'Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-o-sullivan/) > [I think you can be depressed and flourish, I think you can have cancer and flourish, I think you can be divorced and flourish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/i-think-you-can-be-depressed-and-flourish-i-think-you-can-have-cancer/) [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) > [I think I'd be depressed if everything were nearly all known, but I don't feel any danger of that happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-peebles/i-think-i-d-be-depressed-if-everything-were-nearly-all-known-but-i/) [Jim Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-peebles/) > [They think I'm depressed because I look serious in photos. 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People seem to think that not only are you depressed, you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-manning/when-you-re-depressed-everyone-has-an-opinion-about-what-you-should/) [Martha Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-manning/) ## More by Kay Redfield Jamison > [ “...even though \[my psychiatrist\] understood mor than anyone how much I felt I was losing--in energy, vivacity, and originality--by taking medication, he never was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/even-though-my-psychiatrist-understood-mor-than-anyone-how-much-i/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [When people are suicidal, their thinking is paralyzed, their options appear spare or nonexistent, their mood is despairing, and hopelessness permeates their entire mental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/when-people-are-suicidal-their-thinking-is-paralyzed-their-options/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. 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