How To Deal With Depression

By Michael Russell

Depression is a vicious cycle. Those who are trapped in it may not realize themselves that they are depressed. Often times, it slips underneath the person's emotional radar, rendering the person unaware of its causes and presence.

It takes a conscious effort for a person to keep a consistent state of happiness. Accepting reality as it is, in both hard times and soft, is one way to deal with depression. The person must directly embrace the faults of reality, its potentially harsh circumstances - by doing so, the person has re-paved the path of happiness.

Depression in its bare form is simply a lack of direction. The elements of hope and trust are missing, thus causing the person to feel down and dimmed. The person has to first realize that depression, like all other things, is preventable. It is a choice to feel a certain emotion; essentially the person who is experiencing depression is choosing to experience it.

"The flowers are bright, but the person's mind is dark". Reality is purely subjective. One can choose a pessimistic viewpoint on an absolutely bright and sunny day, while another person can see beauty in spite of the darkest clouds. This applies in every aspect. The first thing the person must do is embrace the experience of depression. Depression does not occur because of some outside circumstance. It occurs internally, when the body and mind have developed a negative disposition.

Depression is closely linked to the conditions of anguish and anxiety. The person is not consciously aware of anguish. Often times, the condition of anguish was caused by the repression of a past event - perhaps a lost loved one, an emotional breakdown, etc. In regard to anxiety, the cause is usually discovered within conscious levels of thought. It takes a little self-questioning on the person's part in order to locate anxiety's root cause.

What lifts depression is the capability to understand it. By understanding the nature of it, the person will be able to identify what it is that's hiding beneath. Like happiness, depression is influenced by the person's habits and activities. The things that surround the person strongly influence that person. If the person is surrounded by negativity and fear, then it is likely that they will experience the same. On the opposite end, if the person essentially chooses to be around positive events, then depression would be less of a problem or no problem at all.

The mind works in the way that it looks for proof of its beliefs. If the mind is experiencing depression, then it will seek depressing events. The person will likely listen to saddening music, watch saddening shows, etc. However, this circumstance can be easily altered - by listening to uplifting songs, perhaps ceasing to watch a depressing news story, etc. It's all choice at the bottom of it. Regardless of the "circumstances", emotions are a choice. Just like life, it's entirely subjective. People create their own realities. Everything that has occurred internally was earned to an extent. It takes courage and hope to realize that something like depression isn't going to last forever. That is, unless it is chosen.


Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Depression
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