Depression
Depression hurts
The fact that you are reading this can be a powerful testament and a big step to getting better!
Depression can take you out… to a point where it doesn’t even make sense to get out of bed or even stay in this fucking world.
It affects every aspect of your life. Your emotions, social relationships, clarity in your head, energy levels, behaviour… your ability to be present anywhere or enjoy anything.
You may not want to read this, but in all this pain, depression can say a lot of beautiful things about who you are as a person and there is a very good reason for you feeling this way.
Depression: Do you Wait to Feel Good to Do Good?
A major way to get out of depression is to start doing good BEFORE you feel good.
It can take a mindset of, ‘fuck my feelings… I gotta get up and get moving.’ It is almost like you gotta fake it to make it while at the same time processing and experiencing (not avoiding) those really important emotions.
At the same time, it’s important to listen to our bodies. I am never 100 percent sure about ignoring your body because that can lead to burnout. There definitely needs to be a balance between the two mindsets… either one can lead to issues in your life and making the darkness last longer.
If you are unsure of this, please connect with me so we can figure this shit out… before it’s too late.
Your Diet Plays a Role in your Mood
Your diet and routine play a role in the way you feel. Holidays, like Halloween, can be a good reminder of this.
If you are generally healthy, and then ‘have a night’ for a special occasion, be curious and compassionate towards your self the next day.
Do you feel ‘off’ in your body? Where? What is it your feeling? Are your thoughts ‘darker’ or is your confidence lower? Perhaps your partner ‘annoys’ you more than usual!? :-)
This could be a coincidence, or it could be an impact of what you put into your body.
If you generally do not have a healthy diet (mostly highly processed foods/ high sugar etc.), take a few days off and be curious and compassionate towards how your mood changes.
It is, of course, not the only thing involved in having a low or depressed state, but it can play a role.
And! It’s okay to ‘have a night,’ especially if you are able to recognize that the reason you feel shitty is not because you are shitty :-)
Depression: Readings and Videos
Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression and the Unexpected Solutions
by Johann Hari. How do you build a life worth living? This book is key to understanding this and what it takes to shake off that heavy blanket and climb out of the dark.
https://youtu.be/RG5xF5hSbjU?si=TkWkRvVcpaBxJc_M
https://youtu.be/MB5IX-np5fE?si=tfbEfYwACvatzPnd
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
by Dr. Burns - this book gives a good base on how to work with thoughts that are making you depressed and how to reframe them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4Pq0ozKeLc
I Don't Want to Talk about It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression
by Terry Real. Although targeting men specifically, I believe it is a book that everyone should read because it offers valuable insights and tips on how to move forward.
https://youtu.be/86YWT2VZniQ?si=YB2TERvaHRIGmAdh
Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving
by Pete Walker. An intense but extremely valuable way to look at your childhood and the impact it is having on you today… especially if you have the attitude that you didn’t have a traumatic childhood.
https://youtu.be/JsDq-D_NBfI?si=BRrchGKQ5KkY7moE
https://youtu.be/oVLHysMGi8o?si=-8cxPTzIWWhmS_OI
Man’s Search for Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl. A seminal work on the role that meaning plays in our sense of being and satisfaction with life. An unbelievable reading.
https://youtu.be/SVhuCpgLCTE?si=BbKDHLYao11Tks41
Man’s Search for Himself
by Rollo May. Building on Man’s Search for Himself by Viktor Frankl, giving more practical ways to discover and find purpose in this world.
https://youtu.be/U8ixjk8pEMY?si=qZt6uBu_mizJkIvK