What is depression: depression can be described as sadness, pessimism and bitterness. It can also delve into despair in which people don’t have the will to live.
What creates depression: usually it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long perpetual focus on the negative. Environments have an effect and so does bodily conditions. However, two can experience the same environments and conditions, yet one is happy and the other is miserable. So we can agree that reaction to environments and circumstances have a tremendous effect on your mood. It’s easier said than done for some people who experienced severe trauma or sickness. However, is offering support merely offering sympathy? Sometimes we relate sympathy with compassion, and at times it is compassion. But if the person always offers sympathy without focusing on the solution, is that really helping the situation? Do you want someone to tell you I feel for you, you have a condition or you had a rough life, and it must be so difficult? Or do you want someone to tell you yes you have a condition or yes you had a rough life, and I give you my support and advice? There’s nothing wrong with speaking your mind, however, you must focus on your desired outcome. If you focus on the solution and you continue to do so, you’re well on your way to recovery.
Here are my insights on healing from depression:
We can agree that depression is an inner dialogue that focuses on the negative. It can be pessimism, bitterness, grief, confusion, ongoing pain, ongoing symptoms and the list goes on. The more we focus on these negative emotions, the more sadness or depression we feel. Have one day when you feel these negative emotions, and you had one bad day. But have several months or years feeling these emotions consistently, and you have depression. It’s easier to deal with these emotions when you know what they are. Ask yourself, why am I depressed and unhappy? Perhaps over time you developed a negative view of life and the world. Perhaps over time you witnessed moments of inequality, judgment and unfairness. These thoughts consumed you and over time it spiraled into depression. You found more reasons to be depressed. Add another likeminded thought to the list over and over again and you become essentially what you think about, which is unhappy. You may say I’m just emotional. Perhaps someone hurt you and you didn’t let it go, or perhaps you find your challenges overwhelming. Or perhaps you haven’t let go of grief. You may say I’m just tired and I don’t have the will to do anything, or worse I don’t have the will to live. Ask yourself why you’re feeling this way. Maybe you lost your excitement, enthusiasm and zest for life a long time ago, because of trauma or because someone hurt you. Saying it’s your reality and not doing anything about it and not thinking differently will only keep you in this frame of mind. Saying I have a chemical imbalance and it’s incurable is feeding your mind with thoughts that will keep you in the same state of mind.
Another practice to consider: focus on gratitude and appreciation. We can agree that gratitude and appreciation are positive emotions. When you feel these emotions most of your day, depression cannot remain. The more you feel gratitude, the greater you feel, and the more you practice feeling this emotion, depression vanishes and cannot remain.
You must find a way to change your inner dialogue early before depression begins or alter the course if you’re already in this negative state of mind. Changing your inner dialogue means making peace with your thoughts and emotions. It means speaking affirmations that will bring relief and healing. It means focusing on your desired outcome. It means seeking support, speaking your mind while being open minded for advice, and listening to your thoughts to improve them. The key is to be mindful of your thoughts, and focus on quieting the mind. The more you apply mindfulness and these practices, the greater you’ll feel and the easier your recovery will be.