Dr. Ronsisvalle: Having a 'growth mindset' helps you age with purpose, without depression

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The first day of my graduate studies in clinical psychology at Wheaton College in Illinois was filled with anticipation and excitement.

I sat in a classroom filled with other newly-admitted doctoral students and listened to professors from across the department speak with eloquence about their passion to see us grow into professionals who would contribute to the field.

Toward the end of our orientation day, the faculty introduced a special guest. His name was Gary Collins and he was a prolific writer and researcher who had been leading the field for decades. Needless to say, I was impressed.

After the presentation, I struck up a conversation with him and we immediately hit it off. He asked my opinion about several of the topics we had covered in the orientation and even suggested we get together for lunch to discuss my ideas. What followed was a friendship that lasted for many years.

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Despite being around 45 years older than me, Gary still had incredible energy and invested a great deal of that energy in me as a person.

He would often tell me he purposely spent time around younger people so he could stay engaged with new ideas and continue to grow both professionally and personally.

Even well into his 80s, Gary was innovative, open to new ideas, and always looking for new ways to learn. He continued to write, teach and mentor until the day he passed away at 87 years old.

I consider Gary one of the most powerful mentors I’ve ever had. To this day, I still try to emulate his passion for life and his determination to stay open to change, growth and new experiences.

I know my experience with Gary is unusual. In fact, it’s fair to say some people believe we become less and less open to growth and change as we age.

There’s also an entrenched belief in our culture that it’s normal for us to disengage and become depressed as we get older.

So, how do we reconcile the experience of a Gary Collins, who stayed engaged, open and energized well into older adulthood, with the experience of someone who gets more and more anxious, lonely and depressed as they age?

How do we stay full of vigor and open to new experiences and avoid getting caught in the stereotypical experience of depression and anxiety?

1. Develop a growth mindset

Gary was a dedicated learner who actively sought out opportunities to grow and develop himself, no matter what obstacles he faced. He firmly believed he was capable of overcoming any challenge with hard work, dedication and perseverance. Psychologists call this perspective the “growth mindset.”

Individuals who have a growth mindset are more likely to embrace new experiences and challenges, which helps to maintain a deep sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.

This is in contrast to those who have what psychologists call a “fixed mindset.”

People with a fixed mindset are more likely to avoid new experiences and challenges, which often leads to feelings of stagnation, boredom and eventually depression.

As we grow into adulthood, many of us adopt a fixed mindset almost unconsciously. After spending our formative years learning and developing our professional and personal identities, we may feel a natural inclination toward stability and a desire to simply relax.

However, this mindset limits and hinders our potential for growth and development.

Unfortunately, this fixed mindset is facilitated by our neurological makeup.

As we age, our brains become less malleable than they were in our younger years and we may find ourselves naturally seeking consistency and predictability.

It almost seems as though our brains are programmed to default to this fixed mindset as we get older with a tendency to crush our willingness to embrace new learning, or to adapt to changing conditions in our environment and our relationships.

Unfortunately, while the fixed mindset might feel easier and more natural, it can quickly drive significant symptoms of depression, intense boredom and lack of fulfillment.

The growth mindset is absolutely necessary for us to maintain our mental health and well-being. Embracing challenges and opportunities for growth develops greater resilience and adaptability for a more positive outlook on life.

The research is clear: the growth mindset leads to greater satisfaction and fulfillment as we age and it’s the only way we can avoid the stereotypical decline into depression.

2. Identify depression early

Regression into the fixed mindset is an organic process that we should guard against at all costs. The key here is recognizing when we’re starting to fall into this fixed mindset, especially if that regression includes some of the characteristic symptoms of depression.

It’s important to know that lack of engagement and depression can sometimes be very difficult to recognize as we age because it can look very different than it does in earlier seasons of life.

In our teens and 20s, it’s not uncommon for people to feel overwhelming sadness, despair and anxiety.

For some adults with depression, however, sadness is not their main symptom. Some people who are regressing to the fixed mindset find pleasurable activities less enjoyable and are less willing to talk about our emotions.

Other clues you might be sinking into a depressive and stagnate state include:

• Persistent sadness, anxious, or "empty" mood.

• Feelings of hopelessness about the future.

• Excessive guilt.

• Feeling that you are worthless or don’t have much to offer.

• Irritability, restlessness or having trouble sitting still.

• Loss of interest in once pleasurable activities, including sex.

• Decreased energy or fatigue.

• Moving or talking more slowly.

• Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions.

• Problems sleeping, including waking up too early in the morning or oversleeping.

• Eating more or less than usual, often with unplanned weight gain or loss.

If you have any of these symptoms, don’t ignore the warning signs. Early intervention is imperative.

These symptoms are not only signs that you’re depressed, they are also a clear indication that you’ve left the growth mindset and entered the fixed mindset.

3. Find treatments that work

If you or someone you love are living with the symptoms of a fixed mindset, it’s important to recognize you don’t have to be content with this kind of depression and stagnation.

Psychologists have developed specific treatments that are incredibly effective to help people address the symptoms that flow naturally out of the fixed mindset. Help and hope is real.

The first step is to connect with a mental health professional to develop a plan for treatment. Based on your specific symptoms, the clinician will work with you to develop a treatment plan that might include some combination of the following strategies.

Lifestyle changes. Research shows this to be particularly effective in reducing symptoms of depression and prompt engagement in the growth mindset.

Activities like regular exercise and healthy eating are an important first step. Other strategies like ensuring you get a good night’s sleep and connecting with others in relationships will likely have a profound effect in the long run.

Psychotherapy. Finding a good therapist can be one of the most important steps to take in response to a regression of the fixed mindset.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one type of psychotherapy that is found to be particularly effective in treating depression. CBT focuses on changing negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to depression.

During CBT, individuals work with a therapist to identify and challenge negative thoughts and beliefs that are consistent with a fixed mindset, and develop new positive behaviors that are consistent with the growth mindset.

Medication. Antidepressant medications work by altering the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain that regulate mood.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are a type of antidepressant commonly prescribed to treat the symptoms of the fixed mindset.

Research shows most individuals who take antidepressants (while simultaneously completing other treatments like psychotherapy and TMS) maintain their gains if they titrate off the medication after six to nine months.

TMS. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a particularly exciting treatment for the depression and stagnation inherent to the fixed mindset.

TMS uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. It has been found to be incredibly effective in treating depression and has several benefits over traditional treatment options.

One of the main benefits, when compared to medication, is it has minimal side effects, as opposed to antidepressant medications, which typically have systemic side effects like weight gain and sexual dysfunction.

This makes TMS a particularly attractive option for individuals who are unable to tolerate or have not responded well to antidepressant medications.

TMS also has the ability to target specific areas of the brain that are involved in regulating mood. This targeted approach allows for more precise and effective treatment, as the magnetic forces can be delivered to specific regions of the brain that are associated with depression.

The goal here is to pursue any and all of these activities in order to crush the re-emergence of the fixed mindset and re-engage the growth mindset.

LiveWell clinics offer all of these treatments, so if you, or someone you love, are struggling we are happy to help you find the right treatment.

4. Recognize the stakes are high

I’m sure it’s obvious how much of an impact Gary’s relentless pursuit of the growth mindset had on my life. His investment in me as a young psychologist continues to shape who I am as a professional and as a man.

We can all learn a massive lesson from Gary about how high the stakes are as we avoid regressing into the fixed mindset.

The pursuit of the growth mindset has a profound impact, not only on our own quality of life but on the quality of life for future generations.

Let’s look to Gary’s life as an example and commit to guarding against the stereotypical regression into stagnation, depression, and the pursuit of comfort.

As we age, let us actively seek out new experiences and challenges, invest in the next generation and embrace opportunities for learning and growth.

By doing so, we not only ensure our own engagement and excitement in life, but we also have the potential to positively shape the lives of those who come after us.

Dr. Mike Ronsisvalle is a Licensed Psychologist and the President of LiveWell Behavioral Health, a psychological services agency that provides counseling to clients of all ages and addictions treatment to adolescents and adults. You can find him at www.LiveWellbehavioralhealth.com or call 321-259-1662.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Why a 'growth mindset' helps you much more than a 'fixed mindset'