Depression recovery and signs of progress. (“Light at the end of the tunnel” by Paul Brook.)

Oct 23 2012 Published by under Determination, Hope, Inspiration

So, you’ve opened this blog post and found a rather poor photograph and half a page of solid, black nothingness. There is a point to this, and it’s about finding the light at the end of a long, black tunnel. Allow me to explain.

I was in my home city of York, stuck in traffic and feeling sorry for myself. I’d just had the latest of three disappointments in as many weeks and was wondering if I could pick myself up enough to be a cheery presence at the leaving do I was on my way to.

Pondering these rather gloomy, negative thoughts and staring straight ahead at the back of a car I’d been looking at for nearly half an hour, I suddenly realised I was beneath an arch – Micklegate Bar – and there was literally light at the end of the tunnel. The unexciting image you can see above is that light.

I scrambled for my phone in an attempt to take a photo before the traffic began to move. I must have lurched as I took the photo, and found I’d taken a blurred, wonky photo of a ‘keep left’ sign. I tried again, and the traffic lights obligingly stayed red, as you can see from the resulting image.

The view you’ve just been looking at inspired me. I know it doesn’t look very inspiring, but to me it was a revelation and it changed my mood completely.  Continue Reading »

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Is it possible to get out of depression in 80 days or less?

Oct 02 2012 Published by under Action, Attitude, Inspiration

Before we get into ‘How to lift depression in 80 days of less’, I want to introduce you to my expert: Phileas Fogg*.

On October 2, 1872 (exactly 140 years ago), Phileas Fogg placed a wager:

“I will bet twenty thousand pounds against anyone who wishes, that I will make the tour of the world in eighty days or less… As today is Wednesday, the second of October, I shall be due in London, in this very room of the Reform Club, on Saturday, the twenty-first of December, at a quarter before nine PM; or else the twenty thousand pounds . . . will belong to you.”

Equipped with astonishing determination, commitment and a “no-matter-what” approach, he won that bet, despite all the challenges that stood in his way!

Are you looking for an answer to “How to lift your depression in 80 days or less”?  Continue Reading »

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Relationships: where to start?

Sep 27 2012 Published by under Attitude, Change, Inspiration

I don’t think anyone needs an explanation for why our relationships are so important. We need them, full stop.

There are also moments in almost every person’s life when, wallowing in self-pity and crying our eyes out, we might whisper to ourselves: “I don’t need anyone…”

But,

in that very moment,

does our intense emotional pain (which can also make us physically sick) indicate that we are lying to ourselves, hurting ourselves and moving away from our primary social needs: attention (giving and receiving), intimacy, friendship, belonging and so many more?  Continue Reading »

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No One Cares About Me…

Sep 25 2012 Published by under Change, Inspiration, Strategy

Depression is an interesting phenomenon. It can rot you from the inside out, while making you believe that it is the outside world that is making you sick.

Sometimes it contaminates your thoughts with a sad and extremely painful “discovery”: ‘Nobody cares about me…’

Then your brain reacts to this thought.

Imagine your confused brain trying to rapidly figure out what action to take after this ‘no one cares’ statement:

‘Should I get angry?’, ‘What can I do to make them care?’, ‘Am I worthless?’, etc. etc.

The possibilities of what can emerge out of this torturing thought activity are endless. Continue Reading »

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Happy birthday, Sylvester Stallone!

Jul 06 2012 Published by under Inspiration

Today is Sylvester Stallone’s birthday. Rocky’s star turns 66! On behalf of the Lift My Depression community, I would like to wish him many happy returns!

Now, why Stallone and depression you might wonder?

Well, here is what he said about depression in his CNN interview from May 14th, 2005:  Continue Reading »

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