Tips for Stress free life  >  Expert Zone   > Depression

       Depression Tips by experts


Depression: Escape Your Mental Prison


There is an illness all around me in modern society that seems to be spreading like the Black Plague once did in Europe so long ago. It's called depression, have you heard of it? Has it affected you? The more I look, the more I see it in so many people in my life, including myself. Depression sucks. It's a real drag, and I mean real drag. It is different from the feelings of unhappiness that all humans have to deal with in their lives. It is being in a solitary prison where you are the only one who can see the walls; you are the jailor, the guard, and the prisoner all rolled into one. Sounds like fun huh? Well, we better become more aware of it because there are certain aspects of contemporary life that are causing more and more souls to lock themselves up, some believing that they have no hope of ever finding the key out.

If you look up depression on the Internet through a Google search query you will find a lot of different ways and means to manage or treat the problem. There are Eastern and Western approaches, psychological and spiritual; today there are 15,400,000 links about the subject. It seems to be on everybody's mind and yet we don't give it the general social awareness that we do for other illnesses. This is probably because there are so many stigmas around faults with the human mind. Broken bones and cancer we can understand or at least think we do; but we touch on a soft spot when we find a problem with that infinitely complex, helpful, magical device we call the brain.

Recently I went to a public talk by a world famous Psychologist named Dorothy Rowe who was selling her new book, 'Depression: The way out of your prison". I'm not going to tell you that she has all the answers, but I did like the different approach that she took to the illness. She's not against modern medication, but she feels that it can be only part of the solution. Of course there are types of intense clinical depression that need certain chemicals to rebalance the brain to a 'normal' working order, but for all depression she feels that the focus could be shifted from a management to a prevention paradigm.

Dr Rowe focuses on the assertion that depression comes when one's structure of interpreting the world around you has been affected by some deeply negative occurrences (usually in one's youth). Her theory suggests that if a certain event happens to one hundred people, they will all probably interpret the experience in an individual, different way; the perceived 'reality' having been a resulting construct from one's life experiences. For example: Let's say you get fired from your job. Just about everyone is going to feel a general unhappiness and grieve over the subsequent period. However, many people have built positive, optimistic ways of seeing life and will just go on and feel as though the layoff was another necessary step or a momentary setback on the way to their life's goals and dreams. "Whatever doesn't kill me, makes me stronger." is a common sentiment from this type of personality.

However, a person who is prone to perceiving the world around them as threatening and dangerous (maybe their parents never gave them positive affirmations as a child, or even put them down emotionally) may believe that the loss of this job is a relative 'destruction' of their world, their safety, their confidence. This is where the illness of depression can dig its sharp teeth in. This is a pretty mellow analogy; in reality some people have gone through hellish childhoods filled with abuse, neglect and addiction. When this type of person then has to deal with the loss of a loved one or relationship break-up, you can imagine that they would be much more prone to perceiving the experience as deeply negative. Dr. Rowe believes that these constructed structures of perceiving what happens to you can be altered, thus giving rise to a new way of seeing reality. The main idea is based around the idea that we must learn to change the ways in which we see ourselves.

If we can learn to accept ourselves with all our faults and imperfections, and realize that if we are doing our best to be a loving and giving person everyday, then we can see ourselves as being worthy, and that all is well. Then if someone else treats us badly, ignores us, or says we aren't good enough, we can know and acknowledge that they are the person with the problem and that we don't necessarily need their affirmation or acceptance. We can then wait for positive people to come into our lives, as like attracts like. Soon enough we will find that there is a group of people that will stand by our side and support us when things get bad because we do the same for ourselves and for them.

One of the most powerful insights I had from this experience was the sheer number of people in the room for Dr. Rowe's speech. Each and every one had been or known someone close who had been depressed at one time in their life, thinking that they were completely alone in the world. When you see a big group of people together whom have all felt alone, you might just see into the true paradox of reality? If everyone who got depressed realized that it is a common occurrence, and connected to others in similar cases, it definitely could be a step towards healing. Could the Internet take a leading role in this process?

Jesse S. Somer
http://www.m6.net
Jesse S. Somer has been locked in a prison of his own mind. The way out was within.


MORE RESOURCES:

See the complete list of Articles on Depression here

Have a look at Best Selling Books on Depression

 

Google

See also : Other articles on

Depression, Grief Loss, Happiness, Humor, Inspirational, Motivation,
Positive Attitude
,  Meditation, Spirituality

Latest info on : Depression

 


Vancouver Sun

Film shows how hard times can evoke happy memories
Schenectady Gazette, NY - 2 hours ago
In “Kit Kittredge,” Dad loses his job during the Great Depression, after which Kit and her mother (Julia Ormond) take in boarders. ...
Video: Will Smith's 'Super' Role CBS
'Kit': Doll With Moxie Puts a Happy Face on the Depression Washington Post
A girl for hard times The Gazette (Montreal)
Edmonton Sun - National Post
all 504 news articles


Boston Globe

How Prozac sent the science of depression in the wrong direction
Boston Globe, United States - 1 hour ago
But the success of Prozac hasn't simply transformed the treatment of depression: it has also transformed the science of depression. ...


Memories of war time, the Depression and pioneer churches
Abilene Reporter-News, TX - 4 hours ago
Depression era: Pierce Burns has written a memoir that focuses on the Great Depression and family life in and around Brownwood. ...


Tropical depression forms off Mexico; gov't issues tropical storm ...
The Canadian Press, MEXICO CITY - 42 minutes ago
MEXICO CITY — A tropical depression has formed off Mexico and the government has issued a tropical storm warning for the country's southwest coast from ...


Diabetes and depression track each other
The Punch, Nigeria - 7 hours ago
By Agency reporter Depressed people may have an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, and those with diabetes may be at increased risk for depression. ...


Untreated depression can kill
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - 10 hours ago
The increased suicide rate coincided with a 10% decrease in the rate of visits to doctors for the treatment of depression in children. ...


Stigma of depression lingers in workplace
Canada.com, Canada - 22 hours ago
She'd also suffered from gallbladder issues, too, and knew it didn't compare with the pain of depression, a life-threatening battle she suffered silently. ...
Stigma of depression lingers in workplace Canada.com
all 2 news articles


Tragic end to personal battle
Newsday, NY - 2 hours ago
She said her son began experiencing serious depression soon after his vehicle in Iraq was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in 2003. ...
Veterans in distress Indianapolis Star
Fireworks can upset veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress ... MLive.com
all 12 news articles


We can learn from those who survived the depression
Idaho Press-Tribune, ID - 32 minutes ago
Have you ever noticed that a lot of the people who survived the depression are financially well off? They believed in God and had a strength involving ...


Washington Post

Comparisons to Great Depression are 'hyperbole': Paulson
The Australian, Australia - Jul 3, 2008
US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has dismissed comparisons by market analysts of today's economic woes with the Great Depression as "hyperbole". ...
Inflation, not credit crunch, is top concern worldwide: Paulson AFP
US Tsy Paulson: Global Econ Troubles Have 'Further To Go' CattleNetwork.com
Analysis: Paulson and the end of optimism United Press International
Forbes
all 723 news articles

Depression - Google News

Why not be an expert yourself  ?

 If you can write on any of the above topic, you are welcome to submit your
 articles in our database :

 Submit your article here   Our Article Area

 

You are here Home > Tips for Stress free Life > Expert Zone > Depression


| Depression Home | Depression Tips - Complete list 

| Main Home | | Meditation Corner

                |Health Tips  | Workplace Tips  | Soul Tips  |Expert Zone  |

Recommend us  |

 Books, DVDs and accessories on meditation & yoga  |

[About us] [Contact] [Privacy Policy]

Copyright 2006, Meditation is Easy.com, All rights reserved