Mobilize Your Energy

A lot of the information in this post comes directly out of Margaret Wehrenberg's book "The 10 Best-Ever Depression Management Techniques." I'll be including a lot of word for word information from her Chapter Six, Technique # 4, which is titled "Mobilize Your Energy."  I'll begin here with the second paragraph on pg 116.

In most types of depression, the lack of physical energy and not feeling excited about anything can make you feel immobile.  Your response can range from dragging yourself through your day to actually not doing anything you know you ought to do.  This problem is typical for people with endogenous depression or who are in the exhausted phase of situational depression.  When immobilized, you probably think or even say out loud, "What's the use?" regarding any suggestion to try something.  The feeling of hopelessness can ooze out of you.  Even things that used to be interesting or fun or rewarding just do not seem worth the effort.  You may stop doing the very things you know would make you feel better.  What you lack is the energy to get started. 

The neurobiology of depression - particularly the low levels of serotonin and dopamine in the basal ganglia and the prefontal cortex causes low energy, the feeling of being physically "sick" and not getting a kick out of life.  The interplay between low energy and not taking action results in a downward spiral in which emotional lows are made worse by physical lows.  The less you do when you are depressed, the less you will do.  Reversing that spiral is one of the first things to do in depression.  Changing your thoughts and changing your behavior will have an immediate effect because both thought and movement stimulate the brain.  If you can start thinking there might be hope, it moves you mentally, and if you can get your body moving, you will see surprising gains in improving depression.

When you feel immobilized it is a good time to enlist the help of others in reversing the downward spiral.  Although you can turn to family, sometimes partners or parents don't react well to their depressed family member, especially if the depression has lasted a while.  Family members react to your hopelessness.  They might turn it against themselves or you, thinking you don't believe they are worth living for, or they might turn against you, angry at your helplessness when they know you are a competent person.  They may throw their hands up in frustration (literally or metaphorically) when you don't get moving.  You may work better with a therapist or counselor who will not take your depression personally.  Besides, those of us in clinical practice are taught early in training not to throw our hands up in frustration!  A therapist can see your immobilization and listen to your feeling helplessness while helping you ease into changes that will raise your physical and emotional energy.  The point is that you may well need a jump start from someone else's energy, from their insight or encouragement.  If you do not work with a therapist, by all means ask a friend or family member who is able to encourage you so you can use that person's external energy to help you overcome your lethargy.  It is wise to mobilize.  

I really like this idea of just getting moving.  It doesn't matter really what it is, but even getting out of bed or making coffee or getting started at some sort of daily activity can put a stop to the debilitating stagnation and downward spiral depression causes.  Just keeping all this in mind lately has given me that little extra push to get out of bed each morning, knowing that the more I try, the more I'm going to see results gives me hope. And adding gratitude to that, is a very powerful combination.  When I get out of bed on-time several days in a row, and actually shower and do a few things that are productive, and stop and reflect and give thanks for those things and focus on the few positive things rather then all that is bad, I tap into something very powerful.  Hope and gratitude are a very powerful combination! 

For those of you who have never experienced long term depression, all of this stuff I'm talking about will sound like common sense to you, and you won't understand why I am finding it to be so profound.  But, if you do suffer from long term depression, then you do understand that feeling of "what's the use." Engaging in "active mindfulness" and consciously talking yourself through these mobilizing steps, is a big deal that the non-depressed person easily does naturally, but for the depressed, it is a big deal.  Remember, "thought and movement stimulates the brain."  If something you consciously & mindfully talk yourself through in combating depression propels you to some sort of action, then REJOICE and SAVOR that.  That movement, that energy, that accomplishment, that small victory, really isn't small at all!  It is You grabbing hold of your power and reversing the downward spiral.

Some of this advice and techniques I've actually heard and tried before, but was never able to "mindfully" act on it.  For some reason, some element was missing from the equation for me.  I'm starting to believe it was "gratitude."  Gratitude is underestimated in my opinion.  Mindfully "Savoring the positive" and "being grateful" for it is the new part of the equation for me.

Take a moment and be grateful for these small victories because "this time", that crucial ounce of motivation and will, didn't just slip through your fingers and render you out for the count.  If you manage to get yourself moving, out of bed, off the couch, into the shower, out to get the mail, out of the house all together....then REJOICE and say to yourself "congratulations, I did it, that's one more minute of my life not stolen by the foul beast!"  This is empowering and you can do it again.  You are not the hopeless victim depression has convinced you of.  You have un-realized storehouses of energy, skills and motivation just waiting to get out and have a party! ;-)  I bet you didn't know that.

I'm happy today because every time I succeed in writing another post on this blog, and most times I have hardly any motivation to do so at all, it is a small, yet BIG victory for me that leads to smiles, satisfaction and positive energy that oozes out rather then hopelessness, lethargy and defeat.  God Bless & report in anonymously if you want to share your victories on this blog.  Positive energy and success are contagious.  In sharing, you may just help mobilize somebody else today.  That's worth living for, is it not?  :-)

Happy New Year!

Each year in January, everyone wishes each other a happy new year. I want to expand on that and pray now more then ever that we all will grow to experience the fullness of joy, the soothing & clarity of peace, the excitement of hope, the healing, motivation and contagion of love, the light of wisdom, the warmth of friendship, the freedom of laughter, the transcendence of music & the arts, the relief of forgiveness, and the fulfillment of dreams come true. May this year be for all of us meaningful, purposeful, healing and empowering in all good things. God Bless!

What makes me really excited?

For so many years I've been studying and applying various treatment methods for my depression. Some things provide some relief. I've listed a few of those things in "My favorites" box to the right of this blog. But, nothing has caused the depression to completely subside. That is starting to change though. 

In addition to the items in the favorites box, I believe antidepressants can be beneficial to some. They are to me and to many people for whom they improve their quality of life. But the main thing I'm excited about which has brought me new hope comes from a wonderful book called "The 10 Best-Ever Depression Management Techniques," by Margaret Wehrenberg. Until I read this book, I had concluded that I had already tried everything possible to combat depression and there's not a lot more I could do.  As it turns out, there is plenty I can do.  For one thing, I can take fish oil with a 2:1 EPA/DHA ratio daily.  A 2.5:1 ratio is also beneficial.  The fish oil seems to make a big difference in reducing depression for myself and many others.

Now, back to the book I'm excited about... Wehrenberg's book takes a few chapters in the beginning to describe the biological chemistry of what happens in the depressed brain (its a little boring & technical, but just get through it to the good stuff.)  There are several forms and causes of depression. My focus in this blog is helping those with the recurring, hard to treat type that I have. It is the endogenous form, not caused by external situations.  Although, I'm sure the techniques in the book are useful for short or temporary bouts with depression as well.

There are brain changing exercises in the book that I am finding to be extremely helpful and I'm going to talk a lot about them. For a change I'm now very excited about a better future and being able to reverse or at least counter-balance the negative destructive brain wiring I've had to live with for many years. This healing will be a process, but to me it is my joyous gift of hope and I pray it will be for others as well!

Gratitude in the morning

Gratitude helps us connect with the power of the divine, the transcendent, all that is good. I think a great way to begin each morning is by focusing in on the positive aspects of life.  If we are going to attempt to establish new positive brain connections to replace and/or counter-balance the negative ones in the depressed brain, we have to deliberately tune in and focus on the positive as much as possible.  Some people call this being "mindful."

I use a gratitude journal, and as much as I am able to, I try to start each day writing down what I'm grateful for.  I do this while sitting in front of my  Light therapy lamp, while sipping a nice hot beverage.  I find that the light therapy for at least an hour a day in the morning helps to elevate my mood and wake up my brain a bit, especially from Autumn time until Spring.  If I miss the light therapy for a few days in a row I really notice it and find myself struggling, very sluggish, in a more negative state, and less "mindful."

Mornings are the most challenging part of the day for me.  It can take a few hours to actually feel awake and get my brain and mood into a good place. I usually wake up feeling like I'm in a fog, in slow motion and in a bad mood, with a feeling of dread. It would be so nice to wake up in a good mood & with energy. 

When I manage to motivate myself to start the day writing in my gratitude journal, it makes a difference.  It helps me to engage my brain, my thoughts and be mindful and positive earlier in the day.  Each time we can practice "positivity" we are helping to re-wire our brains and grow new positive connections enabling us to feel more and more joy over time.  Additionally, here's a prayer I made to help me each day:

"Today I'm grateful to the divine source of all that is good, (to God), for any and every ounce of motivation I've managed to catch hold of today, and be propelled out of bed by.  Help me to hold on to this motivation and gain inner strength for the tasks of this day.  Help me to savor all the small victories I achieve and may the weight of my burdens be lifted and the power of love propel me to purpose and victory." ~Amen

Very first blog post! Where to start? What's all this "to do" about depression?

To begin, I'm extremely grateful today that I'm not depressed (as some days I am) and today I'm able to start this blog project which has been developing in my mind for several years.  I've actually tried to avoid doing it because I don't want to make being a "depressed person" my whole identity, because its not! But depression is a part of my life like it or not.

My depression is invisible to many people in my life because I do not allow them to see the full extent of it.  Over time I have learned by trial and error that nobody wants to see it, nobody is comfortable with it, nobody knows how to handle it, or what to do, and quite frankly being "depressed" is simply not permitted in society! Doesn't that sound funny?  I believe these responses come from lack of understanding that depression is in some cases an actual medical condition, a brain disorder.  Imagine saying to the Alzheimer's sufferer or diabetic "just snap out of it!"  Ridiculous!  This is going to sound even funnier to non-depressed people but "depression gets no respect!" Its true, people don't believe its real and don't believe its a brain disorder.  

Many folks in society have made people with recurring depression feel ashamed of themselves because they can't manage to be cured. They are considered lazy, selfish, unreliable and moody by others.  They are treated as if depression is completely optional and that the depressed person should just "stop it!"

If you have suffered from chronic depression, tell me you haven't almost bought into those labels people try to put on you.  The other common one is that depressed people are mentally ill, crazy or psychotic.  Oh please, many many people fight depression who are otherwise intelligent, well rounded, interesting, creative and NON-psychotic!!!!  I don't even know why depression is called "mental illness."  Its such a damaging label that carries so much stigma that it prevents individuals from wanting to admit to themselves or others that they battle some form of depression.  Why are people so mean? 

With all that said, I believe there may possibly be a need for an active online community, a blog or forum of some sort for people who can learn from one another's successes in fighting against "recurring" depression.  Or, to create a supportive community of sympathetic individuals who care and want to encourage one another. So, if this blog can become a blessing to others, then I'll gladly continue it, and if not, then no worries, life goes on.  IT IS HOWEVER IN NO WAY MEANT TO REPLACE PROFESSIONAL DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT FOR ANY FORM OF DEPRESSION!  Do not skip professional treatment because you find this blog useful, it is simply a supplement to the existing acceptable practices, and there is no guarantee that ideas expressed here will help anyone.

As someone who's battled and been in treatment for "chronic" depression, meaning recurring, diagnosed "Major Depressive Disorder" for many many years, having had life interrupting bouts that have lasted from a few days to a few months, I've noticed there are many varied beliefs and attitudes in society today, at least here in the USA, about depression and about "depressed people."  There are sooooo many misconceptions! There is a lot of  "false" information and "one size fits all" solutions out there, and for lack of a more tactful word, a lot of ignorance.

I don't mean to offend anyone. I know people are all just doing the best they can in life, but unless they've walked in someone else's  shoes there is absolutely no possible way for a non-depressed person to comprehend the depth of REAL pain, the life-stealing immobility, and fear that depressed people may be living with. I actually feel bad for family members that have to live with a depressed person, many of them are very loving and well meaning and truly want to be a help, but they just don't know how and may even make matters worse.  Please be patient with your friends and family who really do want to help, but can't figure out how to do it. 

Even Professionals have a hard time finding the proper treatment for depression because there are sooooo many different forms of it and causes of it.  I always get so mad when I read things that say "depression is one of the easiest disorders to treat." And things like, just use proper nutrition, exercise, supplements, therapy and/or medication etc and you'll be fine. Or, here's a good one from religious folks "you need to pray more, or go to a healing, or get the sin out of your life or have more faith and you'll be healed." Oh Lord in heaven, help me not to reach out and smack those well meaning brothers and sisters!   Oh, and here's a good one "Just snap out of it, just shake it off, just get up and out of bed, stop doing this to yourself!"  Oh I love those comments! Don't get me started!  So, if you are a person struggling against some form of depression, I truly hope and pray that yours is only a temporary situational condition that can be remedied with ease, but for some, it may take a different approach to actually rewire the "set in its ways" depressed brain.

If you or someone you know has been fighting depression for years and years, tried many, many courses of treatment and still struggle with very low, very painful recurring bouts of depression and you feel basically hopeless.......let me tell you "You are not alone!" Until recently, I have felt the very same way.  I am not here to sell you a product, or solve all your problems, or get you to do anything except join me on this journey to rewire our depressed brains.

I've been reading very useful information on this lately and didn't even know how to do such a thing, or that it was even possible. So, if this intrigues you, then please stay tuned for more to come.  I have found a glimmer of hope, and I'm not letting it slip through my fingers!!!!  I'll be back shortly to talk about this some more. Love, peace, hope & joy to you!