Depression

 

Depression is associated with a sense of powerlessness, of helplessness, of victimization, of feeling that things are out of one's control so that one cannot do or achieve what one wants, of feeling worthless.

Symptoms include fatigue; loss of interest; hopelessness; confusion; numbness; fogged thinking; feeling down on oneself and life; feeling that one's life is falling apart; irregular eating or sleeping; weight gain; self-destructive behavior.

 

Resolution of depression, its effects and cause requires you to:

Take responsibility: Your underlying assumptions about yourself helped create your situation and by changing them you can create a happier life.

Take your power back: Your happiness is not dependent on anyone but yourself. Don't choose to believe that you are helpless.

Trust yourself and your feelings: Quit invalidating and disempowering yourself. Trust your experience and your knowing.

Forget about who you "should" be: Quit trying or pretending to be other than you are. Be honest. Face the facts about yourself. Truth is an ally.

Don't feel guilty for being who you are: Be yourself and express who you are and don't feel guilty about it--you have a right to be yourself. And it's fun!

Express your feelings: Individuals who don't feel free to express their anger and emotions are more prone to depression. Learn to express anger constructively.

Act on what you need to do: Do what you are given to do and don't worry about it. We unavoidably learn by taking action, gain self-confidence and are carried further along regardless of how it turns out.

Get your life in balance: Eat better, exercise, get out and do the things you like and that make you feel better. And get out of self-pity and self-destruction.

Trust your inner wisdom: Listen within for what you really feel, what you are really interested in and want. Your intuition will tell you what's right for you.

 

Understanding some ideas helps us to change our unconscious assumptions:

Childhood conditioning creates the seeds of depression by establishing the dysfunctional emotional assumptions about ourselves and reality which underlie our thinking. The patterns that we established as children can be made conscious and changed.

Truth is an ally--there is nothing to fear. The sooner that we are honest about ourselves and our life, the sooner may we leave behind patterns of thinking and behavior which are depressing us.

No one is special. We all go through a similar learning process. There is no blame or guilt necessary. Forgiveness is important for yourself and others. Learn from the past but let it go.

Everyone is special. Our inner self has an unlimited wisdom, power, life and potential which we may come to open to, trust, act on and realize. We need not stay stuck in negativity, doubt and depression. We can be happy and fulfilled.

Love your self and your life. Every choice is one of love or fear. It's only when you really have claimed yourself that you have something to give to others.