Joy and depression: Don’t you dare interrupting my depression with that nonsense!

Mar 05 2015 Published by under Action, Attitude, Change, Choice, Inspiration

joy-option       

 

           Joy and depression…

I don’t see it often mentioned in one sentence or even in one article, do you?

It’s seems to be a taboo in our modern society to speak of joy to a person suffering with depression.

Mention joy (or happiness, or positivity) as a way upwards and forwards, and you are doomed to be labelled rude, insensitive and “lucky” for not understanding depression even on a very basic level.

This “joy” idea may even cause some depressed people to explode with anger: “How dare you for interrupting my legitimate state of mind with this nonsense?! If I could experience joy, do you think I wouldn’t be doing it already?!”

We all get defensive over our beliefs. It’s totally human.

Being right seems to be more important than being happy, even in the situations where your life is at stake…

Very sad, but true…

It also seems that those who allow themselves to explore (rather than shut down) the possibility of a new way of thinking are the only people who can evolve and grow.

Those are the people who are prepared to do anything to overcome the debilitating grips of depression.

I sincerely hope you are one of them!

So, here I am, pushing you to explore the topic of “JOY”. And yes, I am fully aware how uncomfortable it might be for you…

Continue Reading »

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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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Depression 101: Depressed as hell. The end. Or is it?

Oct 09 2012 Published by under Change, Choice, Hope

Imagine yourself back at school. Today you are having your final exam in the subject ‘Depression 101’.

You studied depression very well throughout the academic year. You were literally living, sleeping, breathing it 24/7. You were an A* pupil, and your teacher, Mr. Pain, was always admiring and complimenting your homework.

Now, all that is left is for you to prove you were really doing all your practical assignments by yourself and that your deep knowledge of this subject is your real mastery.

You sit down behind a small desk. You feel comfortable and confident.

You fill in your name.

You are not worried. You know your subject. It will be over in 1 hour or as soon as you put down your 2000 words (whatever comes first).

The exam clock starts ticking. You compose yourself and turn the page over…

Your eyes scan the three possible choices:  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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