Support circle for depression
Hi, My name is Julie. I want to join the support circle for depression. I've had it since childhood. I'm 54 now. I've been on meds for the past 16 years with some relief. For the past few months though the meds haven't really been working. I've changed meds slightly and hope it will help. A big problem to me is lonliness . . . and negative thinking.New
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calmseeker
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 10:18 am
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K.Denise C
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:21 am
jamieleeg: sorry I can't answer your question about the blackberry but I can certainly relate to lack of time. I listen to the cd mostly while I'm driving. The relaxation I hit and miss. I'm not suggesting that is the right thing to do, but I am not going to stress myself and beat myself up if I don't get everything done that is suggested by the program.
Welcome, jbasch: I think you will find relief sooner than you think. You've got yourself in the right place. Hang in there
Welcome, jbasch: I think you will find relief sooner than you think. You've got yourself in the right place. Hang in there
Greetings to all. Depression is simply a fast track to a ruined life. Those who are here working through this program are on a new track. I’ve been down this new track and if you stay with it, you will overcome your depression. The journey is not easy. It is not quick. To tell you the truth, sticking with it was the only option I gave myself because I was at the bottom, my life was meaningless and miserable.
I’d like to encourage you to all keep coming back here and talking with each other. I called this community my talk therapy part of the program. Positive interaction is healing.
When I was depressed I walked around in a fog. My interactions with others must’ve been so draining. I know some of my friends began to avoid me. I no longer have any interactions with those friends. A small core of long term friends did hang in there with me, and our friendships are now stronger than ever. There is no map through depression’s pit, but getting an intimate understanding of how negative filters were overriding everything else in my life, that’s how I grabbed the rope and started climbing out. Session Three and Four were the keys. I graduated from the program months ago, but I still go back to these two sessions. It will take more than a year or two for me to overcome the easy regressions to old ways of thinking. I cannot encourage you enough to stay with this program, and when you finish, use the skills. Life is not going to turn into easy stuff. It did not for me. But I have new habits, and when the old ones try to return, I refresh Session Three and Four.
If you have true depression, you have trouble in your brain’s deep limbic system. You might talk with your doctor about SAMe. I did, and I do use it everyday now, as well as follow a healthy Session Five diet.
What happens in the deep limbic system of our brain when we are depressed? In simple terms, our brain wears negative glasses. Everything in our history looks like we failed, everything in our future looks like it will never work out. Our present moment is full of uncomfortable emotions. All this just keeps our brain pumping out more chemicals which actually make our bodies feel bad, too. With depression, our brain looks backward, present, and forward with dark gray lenses. Nothing looks right. Nothing feels good.
Research has tested this out over, and over, and over, and it is true. The way to reverse this deep limbic system problem, and turn the gray lens into a multi colored happy filter, is to begin changing the negative thinking.
You have a thought and it impacts your brain, your body, your life!
Change your thoughts. This program shows you how.
I hope to hear from all of you as you experience this working in a positive way.
By the way, last week was a struggle against wearing those old gray lenses. But I did not put them back on. I worked out the stuff I kept saying to myself. It’s wonderful when we realize all those old bad feelings only return when we talk ourselves into letting them. I did not talk myself into bad feelings. I talked myself into good ones.
Life is good. Do your session work, do your homework.
I’d like to encourage you to all keep coming back here and talking with each other. I called this community my talk therapy part of the program. Positive interaction is healing.
When I was depressed I walked around in a fog. My interactions with others must’ve been so draining. I know some of my friends began to avoid me. I no longer have any interactions with those friends. A small core of long term friends did hang in there with me, and our friendships are now stronger than ever. There is no map through depression’s pit, but getting an intimate understanding of how negative filters were overriding everything else in my life, that’s how I grabbed the rope and started climbing out. Session Three and Four were the keys. I graduated from the program months ago, but I still go back to these two sessions. It will take more than a year or two for me to overcome the easy regressions to old ways of thinking. I cannot encourage you enough to stay with this program, and when you finish, use the skills. Life is not going to turn into easy stuff. It did not for me. But I have new habits, and when the old ones try to return, I refresh Session Three and Four.
If you have true depression, you have trouble in your brain’s deep limbic system. You might talk with your doctor about SAMe. I did, and I do use it everyday now, as well as follow a healthy Session Five diet.
What happens in the deep limbic system of our brain when we are depressed? In simple terms, our brain wears negative glasses. Everything in our history looks like we failed, everything in our future looks like it will never work out. Our present moment is full of uncomfortable emotions. All this just keeps our brain pumping out more chemicals which actually make our bodies feel bad, too. With depression, our brain looks backward, present, and forward with dark gray lenses. Nothing looks right. Nothing feels good.
Research has tested this out over, and over, and over, and it is true. The way to reverse this deep limbic system problem, and turn the gray lens into a multi colored happy filter, is to begin changing the negative thinking.
You have a thought and it impacts your brain, your body, your life!
Change your thoughts. This program shows you how.
I hope to hear from all of you as you experience this working in a positive way.
By the way, last week was a struggle against wearing those old gray lenses. But I did not put them back on. I worked out the stuff I kept saying to myself. It’s wonderful when we realize all those old bad feelings only return when we talk ourselves into letting them. I did not talk myself into bad feelings. I talked myself into good ones.
Life is good. Do your session work, do your homework.
Thanks for sharing, Pecos. I'm becoming more and more aware of myself. I am allowing myself to have feelings instead of stuffing them. If I am sad or down about something, I allow the feelings to be there and not try and fight them. I remind myself when the suggestive thoughts come in, like if I'm having anxiety about other off the wall things that it's because I'm trying to avoid what's really bothering me. I bring myself back to the root and feel, deal and heal. I am starting to see that once I feel it down deep and at my core, that's all there is. It's the end of it. I can feel myself moving away from it after I have fully felt it. Avoiding is what I've always done. I think I'm on to something, pinkee
Hello to all. I understand the loneliness part of our problem all too well. Newly divorced, I miss my children and there are only a few people left that still keep in contact with me. I am still on week 3. It said this is the cornerstone of the entire program and it is alot to digest and implement. I am 55, was with the same man for 25 years and have been depressed for over half my life and don't want to try any more new medications because none of them are working for me. There is no joy and nothing gets me excited. I am trying to eat right and I started working out this week. Let's stick together and force ourselves to keep moving forward. My gut says "This is a waste of time", but it is not. It is going to be challenging, but it will be worth it. I have learned things already and it's helpful to know we are not alone in this.
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Bobby Leigh
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:38 am
Hi Pecos and everyone - Today is my first day using peer support. I saw this site and appreciate your suggesting it. I have anxiety and depression which I'm taking meds for. I don't like the meds so I hope as I progressin this program, eventually I can stop taking them. How long did it take for you to begin feeling like you were getting something back/feeling better when you got started on the program?
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Bobby Leigh
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 9:38 am
Hi Tadpole - it's good you're doing something about this. I'm trying everyday too. I wonder if anybody else does this. At work (I am 46 and have 2 kids (1 married, 1 in college in FL) I am like a different person, I guess I force myself to be sociable, but in truth, I'm quiet and so when I get home I am exhausted from pushing to be something Im not all day. I guess that's been my way of hiding my problem from my peers. Right now my depression is manageable, but I hope to learn what triggers those times when I'm staring out the window crying for no reason. I have no reason to be unhappy. Do you confuse depression w/happiness?