I Remember my Depression Treatment.

There have been several times in my life that I suffered from sadness and boredom of my life. I was not bored with my children and my marriage I more so bored with myself. I was not pleased with which the way my life was playing out. I did not realize it at the time but I was suffering from depression and anxiety. Today I struggled with the lies in my head.

And then I remembered at some point during that time I would put myself through exercises I had learned through helping people at a very young age. My personal depression treatment.I would challenge myself against negative thinking by following a certain process. It is a form of a depression test. A self-diagnosis if you will.

• I would ask myself, if I would be able to tell another person what I was thinking about myself and get away with it? Especially someone that I knew cared for me?
• I would allow myself to be less than perfect and or accept who I am as I am.
• I would make sure if I was to socialize with people I would make sure they were a positive influence full of love and happiness.
• I would make sure I would keep a journal of all the thoughts I was feeling as I felt them especially and specifically the negative ones.

This way of feeling is depression and anxiety and I need depression help. I was not aware that there was such a thing as depression treatment centers. Depression drains your energy, hope and drive making it difficult to do what you need to feel better. Overcoming and receiving depression treatment isn’t quick or easy. It is far from impossible. You cannot just tell yourself to snap out of it. You do have control, some… even if you have severe depression. They key is to start small and chip away at it. Feeling better takes time but you can achieve a better mindset if you make positive choice every day.

To recover from depression takes action. The action is to make a decision. Making a decision when you are depressed probably seems impossible and it is! The first thing you need to do is begin to think of any and all positive memories that put you in a positive state of mind. It is a catch .22…. Once we make a decision we feel so happy when we know that we finally made that choice…and then comes the work… which will be frustrating and might through you in a spiraling downward fall because the challenge is so great and failure is not an option…. Too hard and it is much easier to remain in a depressed state of mind rather than to work so hard to attain something that you do not even remember the emotion let alone feel it.

The best way to begin is to start small as I mentioned earlier. Chip away and have small goals. Feel happiness in small amounts gaining more traction and accepting who you are little by little. Smile more often and laugh. Little by little you will start to feel better and the clouds will subside. It is better to get depression help than be subjected to depression medication. This depression treatment is better than getting prescribed prescription medication.

There are a few steps that should be taken in order to start digging your way out of the emotional grave you’re in. In essence you feel dead to the world and or you are really technically dead to everyone in your mind… or at least wanting to be at the forefront of thought.

1 – Cultivate Supportive Relationships.

You might have burned a few bridges with your self-destructive behaviors. It is understandable. But reach out to your family and friends for support and be honest with them for what you are experiencing. Re-building some of these relationships will be healing. Choose one person first and have them be your advocate. Start small! Remember. Build yourself an accountable support network.

2 –   Get Moving!

• Talk to someone about your feelings
• Help someone else that feels the same and you can relate to. Volunteer!
• Have lunch or coffee with a friend.
• Ask a loved one to check in on you like I mentioned above.
• Accompany someone to the movies, concert and or a small get together.
• Get in contact with an old friend
• Go for a walk with a work out buddy.
• Schedule a weekly dinner or lunch date.
• Join a club or a class. Socialize! Visit Here
• Confide in a vocational contact…. Clergy, teacher or sports coach….
• Put on some music and dance around…. Be brave!
• Dog walk
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator
• Park your car far!

Exercise is an anti-depressant.

3 – Challenge Negative Thinking and Avoid the Following….(Depression Facts Link)

• All or Nothing thinking – the black or white theory, all or nothing…. If I Fall Short I am a total FAILURE!
• Over Generalization – Generalizing from a single negative experience, I can’t do anything right!
• The Mental Filter – Ignoring positive events and focusing on the negative.
• Diminishing the positive – Coming up with excuses that positive doesn’t apply to you.
• Jumping to Conclusions – “He must think I am Pathetic” I’ll be stuck in this Dead End Job forever.”
• Emotional Reasoning – Believing the way you FEEL reflects reality….
• “Should and “Should Nots” – Beating yourself up if you don’t live up to your expectations and rules.
• Labeling – Labeling yourself negatively. I’m a Loser” I am an Idiot”

4 – Do things that make you feel good.

5 – Eating Healthy and Drink Water

Time Management Skills, for the soul will be one of the most rewarding posts I will have written. I know I struggled with making excuses for many years after a long day at work and I wanted to come home and just rest…. I had no time management skills what so ever! I would play time management games in my head to see how I can find a justification for not painting and not feel guilty about it. I would say to myself that I only have a few hours left in my evening and it is time to go to bed. The truth is there was plenty of time to paint. I need time management training!!!

We have to develop our time management skills through experimentation. We have to chip away at using our resources in front of us to help us achieve everything we want. If we want to paint we could put the easel in front of the television…. Or put the television in front of the easel. I guess through doing this we could call it “time management training games” I know I am sounding a bit redundant! But there is purpose to my madness.

If we want something bad enough we have to be passionate about it. Using negative words like I can’t because….. Not today tomorrow or when I have time…. There is always tomorrow…. Well there is not always tomorrow. We have to live in the present. I use to make the same mistake making excuses to not paint for the sake of the time management of my family time or my rest. In reality if we are passionate enough about something we are willing to sacrifice sleep for what we love. If we are trying to get promoted at work or have deadlines to meet we stay up late and or work 16 hours a day. We know how to perform time management for work?! You might say that is different because we are getting paid? …. Well what is the price for our passion in life? What is the price on our health? If we are doing something we love then sleep is not going to matter. If we are working our asses off for work we are stressed out. We know how to have time management skills when we have an incentive. What is the incentive for our personal lives?

Surely you can spare an hour a day in front of the easels or sketch pad for creating and expressing your soul? Your soul is in prison when you do not let it express itself. I truly believe that our soul is our essence. We need to let our true selves speak. Most of us have created a self that is a product of our environment and necessity. I worked for many years in a very rewarding career that paid me well. I knew that this career I was in did not feed my needs internally. I knew that my soul was pissed off because I used it as an excuse to not create. My soul became jealous. I became ill with stress and addictions. I became angry and introverted. I was sad.

Eventually something has to give. Either your souls says fuck you I am going to kill this body so I can leave! Or it will figure out a way to persuade the physical conscious to make changes. Giving it a heart attack, obesity along with high blood pressure and everything it could create to awaken something inside to change!

We need to listen to that little voice we hear. Or that pain in the pit of the stomach to do what you love. What is your calling? What moves you? What makes you smile? Is there something that gives you a sense of relief> specifically I am addressing artists…. As an artist I paint. I create every chance I can get. I paint, I write, I read and do research. I help people figure out their happiness. I blog, Facebook, google plus, join forums, comment on different platforms (twitter, Instagram etc.) I want to give my soul a voice. I express myself so that other souls will wake up! I love you. I know who you are because we are connected. I feel your heart when I walk by you. I hear your screams. I love you. Wake the fuck up and let your soul express. Quit making excuses and create. Love Smile. Laugh. Love again.

So make sure that your time management skills are sharpened daily. Play time management games by experimenting. Paint or create 30 minutes a DAY. Try the morning. Wake up earlier. Try different combinations. Make it a family thing with your kids. Tell your family you have a new activity called time management games! Give it a try. Something is better than nothing. You never know…. You might have so much work you have created you will need to go to an art show and show the world. Can you imagine how happier your soul will be!

I Love You!

As if depression weren’t bad enough, statistics show that diagnoses are growing at an alarming rate. In addition, states with higher rates of depression also show high rates of other negative health outcomes, such as obesity, heart disease, and stroke. Individuals suffering from depression are more likely to be unemployed or recently divorced than their non-depressed counterparts, and women experience greater risk of depression than men. Despite all of these statistics on depression, this infographic shows that many people suffer symptoms of depression without seeking care, and that undiagnosed depression costs the U.S. millions of dollars each year. Now a global health issue, depression awareness, diagnosis, and treatment are matters of crucial significance in building a healthier, happier world.

This is alarming because these numbers are fro a 2012 Study. What are they now???

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