Quoting Mahabharata, the great Indian epic,
Duryodhana, a character from the epic,
is the epitome of depression: both internal and external.
By Anupama Bhattacharya for
Lifepositive magazine
Understanding depression, which in the age of anxiety is threatening
to become as prevalent as the common cold, and exploring avenues to
fight this dehumanizing infection
Like a dark cloud hovering over the sky, the feeling creeps into
your being: drowning, devouring all sense of reality. "What am I
living for, who cares for me?"—you wonder. In a torrent of lashing
memories, everything comes back with a renewed vengeance. All the
hurt, the pain, the inexpressible emotions, overwhelming in their
intensity, pull you deeper and deeper into the fathomless chasms of
misery until you lose all desire to live.
Only a numbness remains—leaving you empty, devoid of all feeling.
Somewhere deep within, we all identify with this state, even if for
a split second. What differentiates most of us from those who are
clinically categorized as depressed is that at such moments, we
strive to gain our equilibrium instead of giving in. But not
everyone is so lucky.
To what extent the reasons for feeling down are justified is always
debatable. What is significant here is that at such moments some
people let go of their will to fight back, and if the feeling is
allowed to grow, it might lead to nervous breakdown or even suicide.
Why do we feel depressed?
Why is it that at certain moments we feel ready to face any calamity
while at some other time even an apparently insignificant word hurts
us so much that it takes us to the brink of despair?
FEELING BLUE
It is normal to feel depressed at times of adversity and
such feelings are as much a part of everyday life as joy and
contentment. It is only when the symptoms persist or become acute
and self-destructive that professional help is required.
Unless triggered by a specific incident or event, depression usually
has its root in the deep-seated psychological factors such as
upbringing, relationship with parents and siblings and childhood
traumas and fantasies. Clinical depression, in particular, for which
sometimes the patient himself fails to find a concrete reason, is
often a result of years of neglect, repression and feelings of
uselessness and incapability, nurtured by uncaring parents and
relatives. Depression can be set off by a number of factors; family
history of depression, loss of somebody or something, weather,
family atmosphere, failing to achieve something,
childbirth, marital problems, hormonal changes, prolonged
illness, thyroid problems or even diseases like the glandular fever.
When the cause of depression is purely biological, appropriate
medication and counseling can cure it within a few weeks' time. The
problem arises when it is caused by deep-seated traumas and current
setbacks. "On the face of it, a person might feel depressed due to
something as simple as failing to get a promotion or missing a
coveted job," says Arpita Anand, counseling psychologist with
Saarthak, an Indian voluntary organization. "But go deeper and you
realize that this person's sense of worthlessness is actually caused
by his assumption that unless he goes on achieving, he is not
worthwhile."
Such assumptions, says Arpita, are nurtured by parents who express
love or give rewards only when their child achieves something.
Considering the increasingly competitive
education system and society, it is hardly a wonder that the
number of people suffering from depression is increasing at an
alarming rate.
SAD PROGNOSIS
According to studies conducted by the National Institute of Mental
Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India, one in every
15 adult Indians suffers from depressive illness. At least 10 per
cent of the population suffers from depression that needs
professional and medical help, and as much as 40 per cent of the
population is demoralized and likely to cross the line to clinical
depression sometime.
SYMPTOMS OF
DEPRESSION AND
SUICIDAL
TENDENCIES
Feeling sad or
irritable most of the time
• Losing interest in things that you enjoyed earlier
• Feeling fatigued and exhausted without any exertion
• Feeling hopeless about the future
• Disturbed sleeping patterns
• Becoming sentimental about minor things
• Feeling alienated from the world
•
Losing appetite or a sudden tendency to eat more
•
Frequent tearfulness
• Signs of physical self-harm such as scratch marks, cuts
•
Asking or looking for possible tools for committing suicide
•
Communicating thoughts of suicide
•
Giving away precious belongings
A report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) states that
depression threatens to be the world's most common illness by the
end of the century. The increasing stress levels, demands of
workplace and nuclear families, peer pressure, mechanization of
life, along with disillusionment with the old-world values and
systems, make a person a soft target for depression.
To add fuel to fire, it is considered uncouth to express sentiments
that are not strictly in tune with the dictates of society Creating,
in effect, human beings who are expected to behave like
assembly-line products.
"I don't understand this obsession with trying to sound casual,"
says Seeman Narang, first-year student at Delhi University, India,
who recently had a nervous breakdown since she could not adjust to
her college atmosphere.
"My classmates call me melodramatic when I get emotional. I stay in
a hostel and miss my parents. But if I express my feelings I'm
branded a crybaby. Why should I be expected to behave as though I
don't care when I actually care so much?"
It doesn't take long to see the truth in Seema's words. Being unable
to express emotions, putting on a façade of sociability and living a
life that is more pretension than reality, the modern man seems to
have created a cocoon around himself where he is alienated from the
world around him and becomes a prisoner of his own dreams. And in a
society where everyone is racing to outdo the other, expectations of
sympathy and solace are fast turning into a receding mirage.
I remember an acquaintance who would turn up with a scarf around his
forehead every other day. And each time, he would complain of
headache and seek attention. It took me a long time to figure out
that he was actually expressing his feelings of depression and
dejection through symptoms of physical pain.
Depression takes many forms. Starting from lethargy, somatic
complaints such as body aches and pain to irritation and anger,
depression can encompass the entire gamut of negative emotions. A
proud individual who abhors attracting sympathy might express his
feelings of dejection through sulking or aggressive behavior. An
extrovert, on the other hand, is most likely to express his feelings
openly. In children, depression takes the form of increased
irritability and social withdrawal, and has to be distinguished from
'spoilt' behavior.
The communication of depression can also vary from culture to
culture. According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders published by American Psychiatric Association, complaints
of nerves and headaches are more common in Latino and Mediterranean
cultures, weakness, tiredness or imbalance in Asian cultures, and
problems of the heart in the Middle Eastern cultures.
In depression, appetite is usually reduced though some may have
increased appetite and crave for specific foods like carbohydrates.
The most common sleep disorder associated with depression is
insomnia. Most people have middle insomnia (waking up during the
night and having difficulty going back to sleep) or terminal
insomnia (waking up too early and being unable to go back to sleep).
Initial insomnia (difficulty in falling asleep) may also occur as
well as over-sleeping.
The psychomotor changes during depression include agitation,
inability to sit still, hand wringing or lethargy and slowed speech,
along with increased pauses before answering. A morbid
self-involvement without consideration for others is another
characteristic trait of depression.
FORMS OF DEPRESSION
Some women suffer from depression a week before menstruation. It is
accompanied by marked fluctuation in mood, anxiety and decreased
interest in activity. But this complaint disappears with the onset
of menstruation.
In middle-aged women, menopause also brings in its wake depression
as well as
phobias and hysterical tempers caused by shifting levels of
estrogen and progesterone—hormones that affect the mood. Studies
indicate that women in urban areas and western countries are more
prone to depression during menopause since the modern obsession with
youth and beauty makes women judge their worth by similar standards.
"It (menopause) is the time to re-look at your life," says Felicity
Green, a Seattle-based
yoga teacher. According to her, if menopause is welcomed as the
phase of liberation, the hormonal changes don't result in
depression.
The postpartum blues, or depression after childbirth, generally
occurs four weeks after delivery. Along with other symptoms of
depression, the mother often suffers from delusions such as the
child is possessed, has special powers or is destined for a terrible
fate. She might also feel suicidal, be repelled by the prospect of
breast-feeding, use violence against the child, lack concentration
and suffer from phychomotor agitation, severe anxiety, panic attacks
and spontaneous crying. Mothers who have had a family history of
depression or have stopped taking anti-depressants because of
pregnancy are most vulnerable to such feelings, especially if the
child is unwanted. The shift of attention from mother to child
immediately after delivery also contributes to post-partum blues.
Such cases are rarely severe. However, understanding and patience on
the part of family members, especially the husband, is essential to
help a new mother through this phase.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression that affects
women and younger people, can be recognized by major depressive
episodes at certain times of the year. They begin around autumn and
disappear by spring. However, they may also occur in summer. SAD is
characterized by hypersomnia, prominent energy, overeating, weight
gain, and craving for carbohydrates. It is caused by changes in
diurnal cycles as well as patterns of sunlight and can easily be
treated with light therapy.
Depression can also be bipolar in nature where severe depressive
states are alternated with extreme euphoria known as the manic
state. It is marked by heightened self-confidence, restlessness,
ecstasy and delusions of being a messiah, and can often be mistaken
for a spiritual experience, especially by the patient. Since such
patients rarely accept their condition as a disease, it is necessary
to humor them without encouraging them, and consult a counselor
without delay.
ADOLESCENT BLUES
According to Dr Sharad Chandra, a practicing psychiatrist,
depression is an abstract feeling and cannot be recognized as such
by children below the age of eight. "A child begins to get an
awareness of abstract feelings not until he is eight and it takes
him another 10 years for the full growth of his personality," he
elaborates. However, that does not seem toward off the menace of
depression in children.
New Delhi in India, alone had 15 cases of exam-related suicides in
three months in 1997. Saarthak, which set up a 24 hour hotline
called Operation Hope for students to cope with exam results in June
1997, received almost 2,000 calls from all over India. Five hundred
of these came from teenagers with suicidal tendencies. The youngest
child to have called Saarthak was Pooja, a six-year-old girl, who
did not even understand what she was going through. She was just
howling over the phone, saying that she felt neglected ever since
she joined her new school since all her classmates seemed to look
down on her inability to converse in English," recalls Arpita. "What
made her situation worse was that her parents apparently did not
consider the situation worth bothering about, leading to further
frustration in the child."
Depression in children is caused by many related factors such as
high expectations, increasing competitiveness, nuclear families
where working parents often have not time for their children as well
as loneliness in case of single children. The most critical period
is that of puberty where a child undergoes many hormonal changes and
is especially prone to mood fluctuations and social withdrawal.
According to Arpita, "in such situations, parents need to understand
their children instead of criticizing them for not being up to the
mark".
Arpita describes the case of Simmi, 17, who became suicidal after
being jilted by her boyfriend and not scoring well enough to match
her parents' expectations. "What is tragic about such cases is that
instead of giving support to their children when they need it the
most, parents tend to burden them with even more guilt and
loneliness," she continues.
It doesn't take long to understand the burden. You only have to look
at a bunch of students stooping with the weight of their schoolbags
to realize the situation. They have to excel in studies, games, art,
music, dance et al—who cares if somewhere along the way they lose
their joy of living!
THE INDIAN PERSPECTIVE
In traditional Indian beliefs, a man is determined not so much
by his actions as by his birth, his stars and his gunas or
qualities. This attitude, on one hand makes him less subjective
about his personality and allows for detached observation, while on
the other hand inculcates fatalism, a fertile ground for breeding
depression.
"The doctrine of karma, especially the psychological notions
associated with it, exercise a considerable influence on
Hindu mental life," writes Dr Sudhir Kakar in his book The
Inner World, because of which a person refuses to take
responsibility for his actions and reactions to work out the
conflicts and psychological problems. Instead, he takes refuge in
citing past samskaras or traditions and creates a resistance
to
psychotherapy.
HOW YOU CAN HELP A DEPRESSED PERSON
-
Acknowledge his feelings without trivializing them
-
Don't blame him for his morbidity and inability to do normal chores
-
Give him support and unconditional love and care
-
Encourage him to indulge in activities he enjoys
-
Appreciate whatever efforts he makes to fight his depression
-
Highlight his achievements and efforts
-
Make him talk and learn to listen to him
-
If his depression has an immediate cause, help him find ways out of it
-
Without forcing any expectations, try to create a daily routine for
him
-
Defend him before strangers even if you know he is wrong and gently
explain the facts later when you are alone with him
-
If he talks of suicide, take him seriously and try to talk him If he
talks of suicide, take him seriously and try to talk him out of it.
"According to ancient Indian texts, depression can be of two types:
inner and outer," says K. Santhanam, an electrical engineer and an
exponent of the Vedas. "The inner depression is caused by a conflict
between the chitta (conscience) and the brain. When a person
does something wrong, he might not accept it consciously but his
conscience would always be guilt-ridden. This, ultimately, would
result in depression and frustration."
Quoting Mahabharata, the great Indian epic, Santhanam says that
Duryodhana, a character from the epic, is the epitome of depression:
both internal and external.
"His external depression manifested in his ego and his impulsive
desire to grab the kingdom, whereas his internal conflict manifested
in his aggression, meanness and confused conduct," he explains.
Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers, also falls into this trap
before the epic war. "In Gita, Lord Krishna asks Arjuna how he, a
noble warrior, contracted this disease of depression," says
Santhanam. "Indeed, in ancient Indian doctrines, depression is
considered a disease, a weakness (much as melancholia in western
thought). Lord Krishna does not offer Arjuna sympathy or a shoulder
to cry on.
Instead, he encourages Arjuna to come out of his unmanly state of
mind and fulfill his role as a warrior." Quite a contrast when seen
through the eyes of modern psychotherapy which prescribes sympathy
and understanding as the primary means of helping a depressed
individual.
Santhanam also believes that much of the depression in modern
society is because women have forgotten their role as motivators and
are trying to be implementers instead, a role traditionally meant
for men. "The word ma means the all-encompassing giver who
gives without any expectations or demands. But modern women are not
willing to give any more." A slightly lopsided concept with a
male-centric world-view? I wonder. More so when depression in most
Indian women seems to be a result of their inability to cope with
the unreasonable expectations of their family and society.
THE FEMININE ANGLE
Though Hinduism reveres the mother image, it also believes that a
woman's life is fulfilled only through motherhood, more so if she
can bear a male child. The Manu Samhita, an ancient Indian
text, proclaims that a woman is first a daughter, then a wife and
later a mother. In other words, her existence is recognized only in
terms of her relation to men. In The Inner World, Dr Kakar
writes that this gender bias results in depressive moodiness,
extreme touchiness and morbid sensitivity in urban Indian women. In
rural India, this takes the form of extreme fatalism where a woman
herself looks down upon female existence and accepts male dominance
without a murmur of protest.
For an urban working woman, balancing the job as well as the
household may also result in depression. "A working woman has to do
better than men to be noticed and appreciated. And if that wasn't
tiring enough, a woman is still expected to look after the household
by the in-laws as well as the husband," says Maya Srinivasan, an
executive in a multinational firm. "This continuous tension of
having to balance the two aspects of my life makes me feel useless
and exploited. I am not normally prone to depression, but lately,
I've begun to feel a certain amount of frustration."
Radha, a housemaid, doesn't understand what depression means. But in
her own limited way, she conveys her growing cynicism about life. "I
work for at least 15 houses every day. That means getting up as
early as four in the morning, preparing breakfast and lunch, getting
the children ready for school and then going off to work. My
husband, who has lost his job, doesn't help me at all. He only
mourns his fate," says Radha. "I'm living only for the sake of my
children. There is no happiness in my life."
It has often been stated that women are more prone to depression
than men. But Dr. R.K. Singh, professor and head of the department
of psychiatry in Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, India,
feels that this might be a wrong assumption. "Men are conditioned to
deny their feelings whereas a woman feeling slightly upset is more
likely to say that she is depressed. A man may express the same
feeling either through anger or alcoholism. This doesn't mean that
men feel any less depressed than women, "he argues.
Dr. Sadhana Vohra, a psychologist, feels that by nature women might
not be prone to depression, but the society makes them so. "This is
most noticeable during adolescence. A girl finds it more difficult
to come to terms with the changes taking place in her body, which
are much more sudden and obvious that those in a boy. To make
matters worse, she is suddenly, treated like a different person and
begins to attract catcalls when she goes out. Most fathers think
that this is an appreciative gesture and refuse to be bothered by
it. Very few try to understand the sense of humiliation and
bewilderment the girl feels," explains Dr. Vohra. "As a result, the
girl tries to hide within herself, feels insecure and vulnerable,
and you have created the perfect setup for depression," she adds.
THE FIRST OTHER
Women play an
important role in the psychological development of an individual,
especially as mothers.
According to Dr. Kakar, in the first few months of life, an infant
lives in a psychological state where there is no clear distinction
between 'I' and 'not I'. It is only through the interaction with the
mother that the concept of the 'other' emerges. And it is the
imprint of the mother-image, the first 'other' that determines
whether the outside world would seem friendly, rigid, threatening,
rejecting suspicious or loving to the subconscious of an adult. Dr.
Kakar further says that the way a child is looked upon determines
the behavior pattern of his adult life. For example, a favored child
believes in his capacity to win love and success and actually
performs well whereas an ignored child often continues to feel
neglected throughout life and has to work doubly hard to succeed.
In India, a child, especially a male child, remains in close contact
with his mother till early adolescence. Though this makes him feel
cared for and worthy of love, it also makes him expect the same
selfless care from the people he interacts with later in his life,
especially women. And his inability to get it often results in
aggression, finally leading to depression. "My wife doesn't care for
me as much as my mother used to," says Hargovind, rickshaw-puller.
"My wife has so many demands, she wants so much of attention. She
makes me feel that I don't matter at all." Comparing wives with
mothers is a common phenomenon, where the husband feels neglected
since she constantly feels that she can't live up to her husband's
expectations.
Evidence from clinical, empirical and ethnological research shows
that men have a genetic fear of being left alone which is suppressed
in western cultures. In India, this fear is commonly accepted and
often encouraged to keep families together. This is interpreted by
social scientists as a weakness in the Indian personality. J.
Hitchcock, a social scientist, writes in his book Pregnancy and
Childbirth: "Training in self-reliance and achievement are
conspicuous by their absence (in India). Children are not encouraged
to be independent." While this attachment to home and hearth might
restrict the adventurous and innovative instincts in a person, it
also acts as a social support system against severe depression.
In modern India, however, the demands of the growing number of
nuclear families and the necessity to settle in unfamiliar cities
break the childhood pattern of easily available support systems
without giving any alternative mode of support, adding to the causes
of depression. So, it is best to inculcate feelings of independence
in a child by letting him be on his own for long stretches of time
with the assurance that he can turn to you in need. This would not
only give him a firm belief in himself, but also create a lifelong
support system against severe depression.
MANAGING DEPRESSION
The easiest way out of depression is popping antidepressants. No
wonder medicines like Prozac have become popular. However, if taken
without a doctor's advice, antidepressants can have harmful side
effects such as continuous drowsiness, addiction and sleep
disturbance. Some reports also claim that Prozac may provoke
suicidal and homicidal tendencies in a person.
Non-prescribed drugs like ISD also give a feeling of elation and are
used by many as antidepressants. However using drugs to ward off
depression is like using psychedelics as a short cut to
enlightenment. ISD might give experiences that seem startlingly
spiritual in nature, but it doesn't bring about lasting effects. The
best treatment for depression, according to most psychiatrists, is
going to the root of the problem and eliminating it, along with
giving the patient support and understanding.
HOW TO COME OUT OF
THE BLUES
-
Write down all your feelings in a diary: this will act as a catharsis
-
Accept the mood, enter into it fully by listening to sad music and
gradually change it to light, pleasant tunes
-
Keep fresh flowers around you, especially roses
-
Practice
pranayama
or simply concentrate on your breath as you inhale and exhale
-
Surround yourself with pleasing
colors
of nature such as blue and green
-
Lock yourself in a room and laugh loudly for half an hour
-
Wake-up early in the morning and
meditate
-
Try to have a change of place
-
Involve yourself in activities that you like
-
Go for jogging, or exercise vigorously at home
-
Take a long bath and wear fresh clothes
-
Start thinking about things that have made you happy.
David
Campbell, a clinical psychologist from the Child & Family Department of
the Tavistock Clinic in London, who was recently in India to attend a
conference on mental health, feels that is necessary to teach families
how to cope with depressed individuals.
"Often a person who is called depressed by his family and friends,
cannot break away from that image and continues to nurture his
depression," says Campbell.
"You should refrain from branding anybody as depressed. Instead,
gradually change that person's self-image by asking him to remember
moments when he wasn't depressed, when he felt happy. Then build upon
that image," he adds.
It is also important to let a person talk. "You have to handle a
depressed person with sympathy and understanding. Take his words
seriously. Even a person who has decided to commit suicide would
communicate this thought at least once," says Dr. Sharad Chandra.
"Sometimes, the words that one uses can be very significant, "says
Elizabeth Vatsayan, an activist concerned with women's issues.
"When women feel angry, traditional elders prefer to call it sadness
since it is not feminine to feel anger. This creates a lot of
frustration in a woman." In a different perspective, a man's sadness
is often interpreted as anger to conform to the masculine image,
which ends up suppressing a man's feelings and creating frustration.
Nalini Mehta, 51, who has been undergoing treatment for
depression since 1969 and is a regular patient at Saarthak, says: "I
always had an independent nature but could hardly get my way around
due to family pressures and societal demands. All this resulted in a
breakdown and I had my first brush with psychotherapy through shock
treatment, "she recalls. When she started to take antidepressants,
she became addicted to them. "Now I have realized that it is talking
and being active that really helps. We need understanding and
encouragement, not impatience and ridicule."
Vijay Zutshi, who is working with the Commission of Central Excise,
feels that the worst part of depression is the withdrawal symptoms.
"You should think of others, who are in a worse state and try to
help them," says she. She feels that keeping yourself busy with work
helps in getting out of depression. Some women also find shopping or
eating binges a great way to beat the blues.
Saarthak, which has opened a daycare center to help people cope with
depression, has facilities for pottery, painting, games, learning
computers and other creative activities. "Nothing lifts the clouds
better than work not routine work but something creative, something
that expresses our deepest emotions," says Manideepa Ray, a painter
by hobby and an architect by profession. "I've been through
depression but now I know how to cope with it. It only takes a
little bit of sunshine, a loving word from somebody to see how
wonderful it is to be alive."
EXPLORING ALTERNATIVES
Depression, according to esoteric thinkers, has karmic reasons. It
is the result of exploiting one's spiritual faculties for limited
ends that leaves a vacuous nothingness in its wake. Thus, depression
is actually the soul mourning for its lost potential. This condition
can only be improved by flooding the depressed person with higher
and harmonious energy waves. One of the ways to do this is by Bach
Flower Remedies. This system classifies depression into three
categories: the negative Gentian (depression for a reason), the
negative Sweet Chestnut (active and able to express the despair in
words) and the negative Mustard (passive, emotional and sudden
depression). These complaints can be treated by their corresponding
flower essences.
Yoga, especially exercises that include forward bends, has a calming
effect on the mind and helps alleviate depression. Yoga is
particularly useful for menopausal depression. A biochemic medicine
like Kaliphos also acts as a calming agent though it has no curative
properties. "In homeopathy, it is necessary to understand the
character and background of a person," says Dr. Poonam Jain, a
homeopath. "We have remedies for each kind of depression, but
prolonged consultations are required before any medicine can be
prescribed," she says.
Herbal circulatory stimulants such as panax,
ginseng, rosemary and ginger may also prove beneficial in cases
of depression. Eating chocolates could also lift your mood
temporarily though it is not recommended very often. However,
ensuring a diet rich in vitamins, especially vitamin B, and proteins
can give you a cheerful disposition.
Certain scents, too, can change your mood. "The best fragrance to
help you come out of depression is rose," says Blossom Kochhar,
whose aromatherapy products are flooding the market. She already has
a ready product called Happiness that is specifically meant to lift
your spirits. "It is a blend of essential oils extracted from
Sandalwood, rose, lavender and geranium. You can inhale it, use it
for massaging the sides of your temple or put a few drops of it in
your bathwater," explains Kochhar.
"Ayurveda
classifies people in three categories according to their
constitution: vata, pitta and kapha," says Dr
Akhilesh Sharma, an ayurvedic physician. "Depression is a vata-related
problem and can be cured by specific ayurvedic remedies such as
shirodhara (an oil drip on the head). Avoiding tamasik
(fried, rotten, over-spiced etc.) food and consuming Brahmi
tea can further alleviate depression," he adds.
Vaastu shastra (the Indian version of Feng Shui) offers some
further tips. If your are prone to depression, check if your house
slants downwards in the south or east. If so, level the ground. "You
should never keep any gloomy pictures or an inverted swastika in the
room," says Rakesh Chawla, a vaastu expert. He further
suggests that keeping plants in the room, painting the walls pale
green or dull pink and avoiding dark ceilings can go a long way in
lifting your moods.
TOWARDS
LIGHT
It is said that the darkest hour is just before dawn. And like
everything else, this also passes. But often, in our ignorance and
self-pity, we turn our backs to the light and see only the darkness.
Depression is a disease that not only makes us incapable of
functioning in this world, but also puts a stop to our spiritual
progress. The ancient Indian texts promote the feeling of detachment
so that you act without expecting rewards. This enables you to
separate your deeper self from the ups and downs of life—giving your
soul enough breathing space to connect to the psyche wallows in
despair, it forgets all else except its misery.
"As long as I identified with my depression, I could not come out of
it," says Arti Chawla, a housewife who had been suffering from
clinical depression. "I was nothing more than a weeping,
self-pitying wretch. It was only when I accepted my feelings as a
disease that I turned to meditation and sought help." It worked for
Aarti, more so because she freed herself of her limited identity as
a creation of her circumstances.
Any book on psychology can give us innumerable causes and cures for
depression, but ultimately, what really helps is our desire to break
free of the dark miasma of despair. Not to give in, not to drown—but
to seek the strength within, to turn inward and allow everything
else to pass by, as if in a dream. If you can believe in that
strength, even for a little while, it would not take long to lift
the clouds of despair and let the sunshine through. After all,
'tomorrow is yet another day'.
Life Positive,
March 1998 Edited by Pravin Chopra
source
: http://www.lifepositive.com/mind/psychology/depression/depression.html
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