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A More Comprehensive Guide To Overcoming Depression -- Be A Free Thinker!

November 4, 2013

Dealing With Major Depression - A More Comprehensive Guide For Overcoming Depression


Don't you just hate when someone tells you: "Why're you feeling depressed? Just go for a walk. Do something. Anything. It will make you feel better. Don't just lie around all day doing nothing"? 

As if it wasn't bad enough that you have very little energy, just enough so you can stay alive to witness your own misery of having to live with major depression, you also have to deal with the lack of sensitivity coming from others. You already feel bad as it is for affecting people around you, especially the ones you love the most, in a negative way. You already blame yourself for being the way you are.You don't need anyone else to remind you how little, if anything, you are able to accomplish in a single day, or in your entire life, for that matter. You feel like the biggest loser ever. You hope though that others won't see you that way. Perhaps that's why you've learned to hide your feelings so well. You put a mask on your face every day to protect yourself from harsh judgment and criticism coming from others. You've got so good at it, and you've done it for so long that even you, yourself, can no longer recognize your own emotions or desires. You've lost your true-self in a futile attempt of trying to be accepted by others. 

It seems like people around you take for granted how easy it is for them to brush their teeth in the morning, to take a shower, or to brush their hair. You don't even have enough energy to get up, let alone to stand in front of the sink long enough to groom yourself. What for, anyway? You're not going anywhere. You don't want the world to see you. You don't want to take that chance of being out there just to experience rejection and disapproval over and over again. You've been there too many times already. You've had it. You're done with it. Either the bed in your bedroom, or the couch in the living room becomes your favorite spot. You 're aware that the price you pay for this isolation is having to endure the sharp pain of feeling lonely. Yet you don't care. Well, you do, but really, what can you do about it? You feel lonely even when people are around you. The lack of understanding from others makes you feel not only disconnected with everyone, but it might also cause you to arrive to a conclusion that you are better off without anyone. 

You might wonder; how come I seem to know you so well? I was diagnosed with major depression and I've struggled with it for over 30 years before I was finally able to overcome it. I will be the last person to tell you: "Get up and gets some exercise." You will not hear that from me. Although I don't dispute the fact that movement and fresh air are helpful when it comes to treating depression, I do not wish to ignore the fact that the term major depression has a word major in it for a reason. 

Based on my personal experience with overcoming major depression, I believe that approaching this condition with a "one step at a time," "little by little" attitude can be more encouraging and therefore more beneficial in a long run. Imagine if you were in a car accident and you had broken bones as a result of it. Would you expect of yourself, or would anyone else expect of you to start jumping around? I don't think so. It would have to be someone totally wacko to make such a crazy suggestion. And yet, this is exactly what we tend to do when it comes to our common view of how major depression should be treated. Just because we can't see quite well what might be broken in our mind, doesn't mean it isn't. And if it is broken, it will require some time and plenty of rest in order to heal.

The mind can bruise just as much, if not more, than any other part of a human body. It might also take much longer for a mind to heal, probably because it usually takes more time to recognize and to acknowledge the mental/emotional wounds.

In the process of healing my emotional wounds through the practice of forgiveness, (I outline the importance of it in my previous post,) I learned that  making even the little changes in my lifestyle was very helpful. I had very little money, so I couldn't go extravagant with this new life style, even if I would had prefer to. I had to make it work on a very limited budget and I had to avoid getting discouraged. What helped me to persevere was my own reasoning. I asked myself questions like:

"What is it that I can do that will help me to get better in a more permanent way? What could speed up my recovery? What could I do that's either completely for free, or if I have to pay for it, I'm paying for it already in order to survive?" The answers were clear; I could change my thinking, which wouldn't cost anything other than the effort, and I could change my eating habits. I could start healing my mind by changing my perspective on things. And since mind and body are connected, I could start healing both; my mind and my body simultaneously, by consciously feeding myself with the right kind of food.   

To read the entire guide, click on this link: 10 Natural Ways To Fight Depression



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