If we’ve been depressed for awhile we have tapes playing in our heads that whisper certain messages like "there is no hope for us", "no one is as bad as us", and "we don’t deserve any help". These tapes may have been playing all of our lives.
Depressed Anonymous means hope. We come together because we want to find hope and to change those tapes playing in our heads. If we listen, there is a little voice inside us that says "yes I am hopeful" and "I will feel better". Others have made it out of the pit of depression and so can I.
We may have come to blame our feelings of hopelessness on other people or things or circumstances. But we have to begin to get in touch with our feelings and realize they belong to us and we alone are responsible for them.
Some of the definitions of the word hope from dictionary.com are as follows:
"the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best"
"to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence."
"to feel that something desired may happen"
As depressed individuals, we may read these definitions and think they are just nice words. In Depressed Anonymous we can begin to make the definitions of hope come true and alive in our daily lives.
In the prison of depression there is no hope. It is safe to stay in this prison where there is a certain amount of comfort with continuing to live with the level of depression we have become accustomed to. But there may be a bit of discomfort to try this new feeling of hope. It is uncertain. It might let you down. But believe me, you need to grab hold of hope and it will be one of your life-lines as you pull yourself out of the pit of depression.
The following is a testimony from the book entitled Depressed Anonymous.
Today's Hope
1). Today I can experience hope. I will believe I can live this day with pleasant thoughts; I will do one activity that will give me hope and light for today.
2). Today I will "not" dwell on the past and the losses that have occurred up until those times and space.
3). Today I will "do" whatever I can to put movement into my life. Any small effort will help lessen the feelings of the stagnant sadness of depression.
4). Today I will look forward to seeing a rose, the sunshine, a precious person; be it a baby laughing, a child at play, an elderly person on a park bench, and let myself believe that we are "all" of infinite value and very loved.
5). Today I will embrace myself in some small way and this may be going to lunch with a friend, or for coffee, or ice cream or a good brisk walk to the park or around the mall, or just a smile into my mirror back at me. I will believe that I am worth while and worth the effort to recover today.
6). Today I will believe I can live this entire day "hopeful" and that I can return to the above activities anytime and as many times as I need to just for today.
Mary
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
One Person's Story
How it began. At the end of 2004, I lost my job of twenty-seven years. I had known it was coming for several months and I thought I would handle it without a problem, but I was wrong. I quickly began to feel fearful that I would not be able to support my family and my mood became one characterized by melancholy and a deep feeling of sadness and despair. I didn’t want to admit it but I was depressed.
It seems crazy to me now, but I felt like I would rather be dying of cancer than to be in the situation I now found myself in. Apparently, depression can have a negative effect on one’s reasoning powers. At least that’s how it affected me.
Since I wasn’t having any success finding a job, I decided to buy a franchise business opportunity. This franchise involved sales and I had to spend my days calling on businesses and retail stores. That was not a very logical career decision because it is very hard to make sales calls when you are feeling depressed. Needless to say, that business did not work out.
During that time I found myself getting into a habit of staying up very late at night. This, of course, does not lend itself to getting up and going at a reasonable time in the morning. My life began to become disorganized and a total disarray. My business taxes suffered and my office became a complete wreck.
How did I make it through those difficult times? I have to give my wife a lot of credit for supporting me and being non-judgmental during my entire period of depression. There was a small men’s church group that I met with twice a month that was a big help to me. Meeting with them, I was reminded to be thankful for the good thinks that God has given me and the small things that I so easily take for granted. There was another group of men that I met with every Saturday morning who were also supportive and would frequently pray for me. As I look back, I realize there were a lot of small things that helped me maintain a bit of sanity during those years of depression. Also, my brother helped me get a job, in the company in which he is employed, in May of 2005. He has shared a lot of business with me and been very supportive.
How did I escape my depression? Toward the end of 2005 I decided to take some positive steps to see if I could begin to pull myself out of my depression. I found a 12 step group that focused on depression and anxiety. I had participated in 12 step groups before and thought the twelve step program might be particularly helpful in my recovery process. At the same time I began an exercise program and I also began doing some volunteer work.
My mood immediately began to change. I started looking for little things that would help. Whenever I found something that would make me feel good about myself I would start incorporating that thought or action into my life more frequently. I also started have weekly meetings or phone calls with a man from my 12 step group. He filled the role of sponsor for me.
Now I was on my way to recovery and I felt like I wanted to give back if I could (Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others...). I started searching the Internet and found Depressed Anonymous, ordered the materials and read through them all.
Every Thursday evening we have a Depressed Anonymous meeting in Mundelein, Illinois. If you are dealing with depression, you are invited to visit our group meetings and consider making them a regular part of your schedule.
Further Revelations. This bout with depression has made me realize how depression prone I am and have always been. I must continually trust my Higher Power for healing and recovery.
Thanks for listening. - Neal
It seems crazy to me now, but I felt like I would rather be dying of cancer than to be in the situation I now found myself in. Apparently, depression can have a negative effect on one’s reasoning powers. At least that’s how it affected me.
Since I wasn’t having any success finding a job, I decided to buy a franchise business opportunity. This franchise involved sales and I had to spend my days calling on businesses and retail stores. That was not a very logical career decision because it is very hard to make sales calls when you are feeling depressed. Needless to say, that business did not work out.
During that time I found myself getting into a habit of staying up very late at night. This, of course, does not lend itself to getting up and going at a reasonable time in the morning. My life began to become disorganized and a total disarray. My business taxes suffered and my office became a complete wreck.
How did I make it through those difficult times? I have to give my wife a lot of credit for supporting me and being non-judgmental during my entire period of depression. There was a small men’s church group that I met with twice a month that was a big help to me. Meeting with them, I was reminded to be thankful for the good thinks that God has given me and the small things that I so easily take for granted. There was another group of men that I met with every Saturday morning who were also supportive and would frequently pray for me. As I look back, I realize there were a lot of small things that helped me maintain a bit of sanity during those years of depression. Also, my brother helped me get a job, in the company in which he is employed, in May of 2005. He has shared a lot of business with me and been very supportive.
How did I escape my depression? Toward the end of 2005 I decided to take some positive steps to see if I could begin to pull myself out of my depression. I found a 12 step group that focused on depression and anxiety. I had participated in 12 step groups before and thought the twelve step program might be particularly helpful in my recovery process. At the same time I began an exercise program and I also began doing some volunteer work.
My mood immediately began to change. I started looking for little things that would help. Whenever I found something that would make me feel good about myself I would start incorporating that thought or action into my life more frequently. I also started have weekly meetings or phone calls with a man from my 12 step group. He filled the role of sponsor for me.
Now I was on my way to recovery and I felt like I wanted to give back if I could (Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others...). I started searching the Internet and found Depressed Anonymous, ordered the materials and read through them all.
Every Thursday evening we have a Depressed Anonymous meeting in Mundelein, Illinois. If you are dealing with depression, you are invited to visit our group meetings and consider making them a regular part of your schedule.
Further Revelations. This bout with depression has made me realize how depression prone I am and have always been. I must continually trust my Higher Power for healing and recovery.
Thanks for listening. - Neal
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