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This one cure for depression sounds too simple for some, yet extremely difficult for others to understand and implement. At the start, the cure might see minimal results for those with more severe cases of this devastating and life-robbing illness. Regardless, all people suffering from depression can benefit.
We already know that depression is based on a chemical imbalance within the brain that affects how the depressed person thinks and can react to various stimuli. It involves the electrical impulses in the brain. In people with depression, some areas are less active while others are over active. Getting these to properly aligned often requires medications and for some sufferers, it’s for a lifetime.
For the rest of us who have suffered various degrees of depression, there is a simple solution. It can represent a lifetime cure or a temporary remedy that provides respite so the depression can be treated in other ways.
The cure that saved me was to change how I thought and felt about myself. While depressed, a condition that lasted about 20 years, I constantly felt ineffective and unworthy. The self-talk was powerfully destructive to my ego.
Thoughts revolved around a life filled with perceived failure, loneliness and self-dislike. I didn’t think much of myself and believed that, overall, I was not a very good person and I didn’t deserve anything better. Back then, my self-esteem was non-existent.
A change in focus and attitude quickly turned that around. I owe it to a great therapist who knew how to form rare powerful statements that sent the point home.
Like any good therapist, he made me do all the talking. He made me answer my own questions, too. And when I was struggling to find those answers, he would make one brief statement and everything would fall right into place.
That’s how it was the day I felt even more worthless than normal and believed I wasn’t good for much of anything, especially since I only had one good friend. I’ll remember forever the words that impacted the rest of my life.
After three years of treatment, he told me that I didn’t like myself much and that I relied far too heavily on others for my own happiness. Having never had many friends, I told him this was the problem, but he quickly assured me that having just one good friend is often more than many people enjoy. Suddenly, I felt fortunate rather than lacking. And over the next while, my life began to make a drastic about face.
As he suggested, I involved myself in a pastime that I had always enjoyed – writing. Since I also enjoyed archaeology and mythology, finding two night courses that united them with writing proved to be the starting point in my recovery.
The books I read in these two subjects were absorbing. Almost immediately I felt my depression lift a little. When my lessons were returned with high marks, it lifted even farther. Was it possible for such a simple solution to cure the lengthy depression that had hung over me since I was a teenager? It seemed so.
Those first two courses were just the beginning. I wanted to learn more. I wanted to exercise my innate writing skills. With every exercise, my self-esteem improved. Five years later, my depression had almost vanished. I felt proud of myself for my unexpected accomplishments. No longer was I worthless. Now I could use my abilities to teach others as well as for my own enjoyment.
If you hear those self-defeating comments coming from deep inside your brain, switch your thinking to what you know you can do well. Focus on those abilities and exercise them. For me, I was able to make incredible progress by taking night courses and eventually, a three year journalism program. For you, it might be to volunteer in an organization that interests you. This might be seniors issues, children’s programs, archaeology, local history or any number of subjects.
It might be difficult at first getting into a public setting, especially if you have become housebound because of your condition. I know what that's like. If this is the case, work from home. You can take correspondence courses in almost any subject these days. There are tasks you can do from home that benefit local organizations. I created an oil painting as my very first life-changing exercise.
Investigate what level you’re at and what you’ll feel comfortable with at the start, but with the intention to get out and get involved. The key is to do something you will truly enjoy and that uses your current abilities. Think back to your childhood, if necessary, and revisit the activities that you enjoyed. How can they be implemented today for your betterment?
As a child, I loved pretending to be a teacher. I now use my writing skills to teach others on a variety of subjects.
There’s a lot to be said for the old expression, “do what you do best". When you fill your thoughts with only the things you can do best, those negative ideas will soon dissipate and with continued effort your life will improve immensely. Your self-esteem will be replenished; your depression will be banished. A life filled with accomplishments and confidence leaves no room for depression.
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