Words of Hope for People Who Get Depressed: Things CAN Get Better

Depression brings you down. It weakens both the mind and body. It steals your life away by preventing you from enjoying what life has to offer.

Depression feels like being trapped under water. You cannot feel, or breath, or even see outside of that mental prison. Depression is a suffocation of both the mind and senses that leaves you numb and senseless. You cannot think. You’re not sure how to function properly. You question your abilities as a human being. You are lost.

There were so many times in the past when I wondered how my life would be different, how much I could have accomplished in life, if depression and anxiety had not held me back. I was always smart. But smart doesn’t do you any good when you feel half-dead from depression and unable to write that college term paper. I was always attractive and a good person. But that doesn’t do you any good if you’ve got low self-esteem regarding relationships and men. I think you get the point.

I used to get severely depressed. A lot. But the thing is, I NEVER gave up hope that things could get better, that I would eventually find a way to feel better and be happy. There were so many times when people suggested that I take anti-depressant medication. That, to me, felt like a cop-out. Deep down inside I KNEW there was a way to change how I felt and that it was up to me to change it. I didn’t know exactly how to do it, but I knew there had to be a way. And I knew that taking medication would only treat the symptoms and would not solve the problem at its core.

Let me tell you about antidepressants. I will not argue against the fact that some people need medication. However, I sincerely believe that most people are depressed because of what they think and believe about themselves and the world. Most people are depressed because they have a perspective about life (or aspect of life) that is gloomy, rigid, fear-based, disempowering, closed-minded, too serious, judgmental and/or [you fill in the blank]. Antidepressants will speed up your brain and help put some pep into your step. Antidepressants are GREAT and even necessary if you’re so depressed that you can’t get out of bed and function. Please, if you are ever at this point, go to a doctor and get some antidepressants. However, don’t believe that medication will be a cure-all and make you live happily ever after. Because medication can not change how you think!

It is possible to improve depression without medication, but it takes work. The key is to keep a close watch on your thinking and beliefs. Do you have low self-esteem or lack of confidence? You might not even realize it! I didn’t. Do you base your self-worth on your career or relationship success? If so, you need to change you perspective about what’s important in life. You might have layer after layer of negative thinking to get through. I’m not saying the process is quick, but the more you work through it the more you’ll feel better.

Today, I am solving the problem at it’s core. I do it every day. Sometimes all day long. What exactly am I doing? I’m observing and challenging my beliefs. I’m reminding myself that I need to focus on feeling good. I’m remembering how to feel good and then putting that into practice. It is not easy because it does not feel natural. It feels more natural for me to slide back down into a lower level of feeling, but I refuse to feel that way and choose to raise my vibration level instead. I know that over time it will feel more natural, so it’s worth it.

Depressed people, remember that how you feel is YOUR responsibility. It is up to YOU to do the work. This can be really difficult because when you are depressed you feel incapable of doing anything. But start small. Start by doing anything you can to make yourself feel better. Then handle the bigger stuff. Complaining will make you feel worse. You might think you are just getting things off your chest, which is OK once in a while, but complaining usually just makes you focus on the negative. Complaining also makes you into a victim, because only people who feel powerless complain.

Be responsible for handling your own feelings. There are lots of books on depression out there. Just go to amazon.com and look at the bestsellers. If you’re broke, go to the library. No matter what you do you’re going to be stuck with how you feel, so you might as well deal with it! Even if you decide to end your life, how do you know you still won’t be stuck with how you feel in the afterlife? Maybe the best circumstances to alleviate your depression were set up here on Earth. Or, maybe having a mood disorder was the most effective way to facilitate growth and transformation for you in this lifetime. I know I would not be who or where I am today without the work my depression and anxiety has required.

Dealing with depression or any other mood disorder is a constant work in progress. You might never completely get it done. That’s OK. I’ve come to the conclusion that I will always struggle with depression. I will occasionally get depressed. But I will also improve, just like I’ve always done.