Of all the emotions encompassing the human existence, I’d be willing to bet depression would be voted as the worst. However, my view on depression is similar to that of anxiety (and all seemingly negative emotions)-it’s an emotion that is there for a reason…not because we are broken or bad or helpless and need fixing. Depression, like any other hard to deal with feeling, is our nervous systems way of communicating with us that something is off. If we don’t listen, there will be hell to pay. However, on the flip side, if we can learn to recognize the subtle cues before it gets out of control, we can use depression to guide us towards health.
Gloomy hole
I kind of remember life before knowing what depressed felt like, but barely. It’s still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that some people truly don’t know what it feels like. I’m pretty certain every human knows, to an extent, the feelings of hopelessness or having the blues. But some peoples brains take it further. If you’re one of those people, you’re not alone.
Air planes
I was once told by one of my previous therapists, when I asked the question “why do some people feel all these emotions and others just, simply, don’t?” He answered with this: “Some people’s brains are like a Cessna air plane. There are the small, 4 passenger planes that anyone can learn how to fly after taking a few lessons. They have a few switches and controls that one can master after a short amount of time. However, for whatever reason, some people’s brains are like a commercial jet. Lots of switches, lights, controls and thingamabobbers and it takes a way longer time to master that plane than it does a Cessna.”
I understand where my therapist was going, but I have come to think that really everyone is flying a commercial jet-you, me, your mom, dad, grandma, best friend, worst enemy. It’s just to what extent are we aware of all our switches, lights, controls and thingamabobbers? At least that’s my understanding of it, right now. Maybe I’ll change my mind next year?
What is depression?
So, what is depression? If I had to explain it to someone who’s never felt it…man…Dark. Probably the first word I would use. It’s dark there. It’s also hopeless. It’s a lingering, heavy, wet cloud hanging over you that doesn’t budge. It’s confusion, loss of joy, void of happy, a sense of sinking, relentless crying or not able to cry at all, a fear of never feeling good again while the days just melt into one an other, with no distinction from one to the next. It can range from a bad day, to a bad week, to a bad month and heaven forbid, a bad year or years. And the longer it lasts, the worse it gets. It’s definitely the scariest place I’ve ever been and I never want to go back. Being that it’s so scary, it can also be really hard to talk about. But we’re going to do this together. This month we’ll dive into depression much like we did with anxiety. We start with simply naming it and what it feels like. Then we’ll talk about theories on why it happens, who can help and we’ll end with some simple tools you can start using now to help yourself.
Dive-in
If you want to start exploring this topic right now, I’ve included some links to help you do just that. When delving into these resources, I invite you to keep an open mind. No one person has all the answers. Use this information to spark an interest in yourself and entertain ideas that you might never have thought about. Stay curious.
Books:
Learning to walk in the dark
The Power of Now
Prozac Nation
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
Shoot the Damn Dog: A Memoir of Depression
Videos
Insight Into Depression – Sadhguru
I’m Fine: Learning to live with depression
Rethinking How We Understand and Treat Depression: Charles Raison at TEDxTuscanSalon
Tony Robins: How to deal with stress and depression
See you next week!
Rachel, Licensed Acupuncturist at VAMT
If you need immediate assistance, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline or Mental Health Hotline for free, confidential, 24 hr safe support. You can also
reach out to us, to a friend or family member, to a therapist (Wellspring Group in New Brighton, MN), or a support group (NAMI, Open Door).