You want help. You want someone to flick that switch so you can see the world properly again. You are tired and you are exhausted from looking through a glass darkly. You are going to have to build your coping mechanisms.
Here are positive things to try. They do work. Sometimes one will work better than another.
The hard facts:
- There is no way out that you do not start yourself. There is no way out unless you move. Outsiders can talk to you, but the path is yours. You have to try something no matter how small.
- Remember the answer is never in the cellar. Sometimes it appears we are searching for the answer below ground in poor light. We can grub around for ever but the way out is never by going deeper.
- You are going to have to change something. I don't know what it is but you must try a few things.
- Try to remember what lifted you last time. Was it music? Was it a short break? What? It is well worth remembering that if you are working hard, by the time you are ready for a break you will be too tired to arrange it. Try to place some stepping stone through the year as something to look forward to.
Positive things to do:
- Some people say exercise helps combat depression. It's worth a try. It can cost nothing and it shouldn't do any harm.
- There have been some positive results from taking Omega 3 fish oil everyday. You will begin to notice the difference after a few weeks. It's good for the joints too.
- If you suffer from Seasonal Affected Disorder try a course of St John's Wart. It really works and it is not as disturbing to the system as prescribed medicines.
- Get yourself off prescribed medicines. Do it little by little and don't let them become a part of your life. They cloud your judgement and affect your perception of the world. Many GPs hand them out because they don't have time to sit and talk to patients. You may end up knowing more about the drug than they do.
- If your depression is cyclic, try mentally leaping the gap. You know you are going to feel down but you also know the bright side is coming around too. Leap for it. Jump across into the unknown. You may start to find that your "down times" get shorter and easier to manage.
- If you don't drink much - get "wasted" one night. Sometimes it helps to reset the system.
- If you are a drinker - try life off the bottle for a while. After the first three days it is surprisingly easy providing you are not alcoholic. If that is the case then you should be getting support for that from one of the many bodies available.
Things to remember:
- You can't shop your way out of depression
- You can't drink or smoke your way out
- If you are artistic then you have to accept that this is probably part of your gift. Accept it for what it brings you. Store your experiences and use them when you are creating again.
Sometimes you have to try and help the people around you. Those who aren't prone to depression will never understand how debilitating it can be. Just tell them that, "you realise you are not seeing things quite right at the moment. It"s no-one's fault. You just need a bit of Repair Time and you will be good as new'.
Some say you can programme this repair time to occur when it is convenient. You can block the darkness when you feel it coming on by repeating a mantra of your own choosing. Make up some nonsense words. They should have no connotations for you - complete gibberish. Repeat them over and over to the exclusion of all else. It will help you combat the empty feelings.
Surprisingly it is good to talk to other sufferers. It helps break the isolation. I know it is the last thing you may want to do but, as I said earlier - you are going to have to start doing some things you didn't do before, and stop doing some of the things you do now.
Talking to god works for some people. Talking to Teddy works for others. You are going to have to put together your own package for coping. You can win through. When you think you can't go on, something will happen, and you will be on your way back. You have to try a few new things. It helps break the log jam.
If you have a problem then staying depressed seems a way of making life so bad that you do something about it. The trouble is that doesn't work. Doing something works.
