Depression Support Group
Depression is a real and debilitating condition that is often misunderstood by family and friends. Its meaning can range from a prolonged period of sadness to an actual mental illness with specific symptoms. Find and share experiences with others who are going through the same struggles.
In one of my favourite books about depression, psychotherapist and social worker Richard O'Connor argues that depression is something we learn to do and practice over the years until it becomes second nature to us.
The reverse is also true: we can unlearn depression and learn the habits of happiness.
In essence, the more you act like a depressed person, the more depressed you become and the longer you stay depressed. The more you act like your non-depressed self, the less depressed you feel.
It is almost like rebuilding yourself from scratch. It is certainly a challenge when motivation, energy and hope are at an all time low.
However, it does get easier as we do it. The sense of achievement increases motivation and confidence and hope--so next time you try it is a little bit easier.
My challenge for this week is to try to dress nice for 3 days in a row. This is really hard because I have gained weight and dread the thought of trying on clothes and seeing they don't fit or look bad on me. Depression also makes me feel like I'm not a good "fit" for nice clothes, since I feel unattractive, fat, insecure. In the last months I have neglected my appearance a lot. I wear sweat pants every day. I'm ashamed to say it but I sometimes can't brush my teeth or take a shower every day.
However, I know when I feel better that is one of the things I do better: I take care and I dress nicer. My counselor asked me to try to dress nice for 3 days in a row and see how I feel. She said doing it once is not enough to see an effect but 3 times in a row is a good try.
It seems like such a big challenge. But I'm going to try and report back.
Would anyone else like to take on the challenge? Try doing something that you used to make you happy when you were not depressed. Do it for 3 days and report back to us. as it as challenging as you thought? Did it bring you little pleasure like you anticipated? Did it change your mood at all?
It's a little exercise on how to undo the habits of depression and learn/practice the habits of happiness. Undo depression and re-do you!
The reverse is also true: we can unlearn depression and learn the habits of happiness.
In essence, the more you act like a depressed person, the more depressed you become and the longer you stay depressed. The more you act like your non-depressed self, the less depressed you feel.
It is almost like rebuilding yourself from scratch. It is certainly a challenge when motivation, energy and hope are at an all time low.
However, it does get easier as we do it. The sense of achievement increases motivation and confidence and hope--so next time you try it is a little bit easier.
My challenge for this week is to try to dress nice for 3 days in a row. This is really hard because I have gained weight and dread the thought of trying on clothes and seeing they don't fit or look bad on me. Depression also makes me feel like I'm not a good "fit" for nice clothes, since I feel unattractive, fat, insecure. In the last months I have neglected my appearance a lot. I wear sweat pants every day. I'm ashamed to say it but I sometimes can't brush my teeth or take a shower every day.
However, I know when I feel better that is one of the things I do better: I take care and I dress nicer. My counselor asked me to try to dress nice for 3 days in a row and see how I feel. She said doing it once is not enough to see an effect but 3 times in a row is a good try.
It seems like such a big challenge. But I'm going to try and report back.
Would anyone else like to take on the challenge? Try doing something that you used to make you happy when you were not depressed. Do it for 3 days and report back to us. as it as challenging as you thought? Did it bring you little pleasure like you anticipated? Did it change your mood at all?
It's a little exercise on how to undo the habits of depression and learn/practice the habits of happiness. Undo depression and re-do you!
Thank you, I am loving this post !
I have tried various medications without huge success, some have made me worse, some have had absolutely no affect and the one I presently take maybe helps to a small degree (difficult to say, only way to find out for sure would be to stop taking it and see what happens - I aint trying it).
Your challenge of doing something for 3 days is a good one. When I first became depressed I found it very difficult to get going in the morning, to be honest I often just stayed in bed, I just could not find the motivation to get up, washed and dressed etc.
My therapist at the time suggested that I should just force myself to do it no matter how bad I felt. I have done it ever since and Yes when I wake I am still so tempted to just roll over and give in and stay in bed BUT I don't ! I force myself to get up, have breakfast, get washed and dressed. Once up and about things actually don't seem quite as bad, just that getting going seems to give a little boost. I can feel proud, even if I achieve nothing else in my day I accomplished that - I got up and dressed !
I too will take on your 3 day challenge - I will make an effort to style my hair rather than just tying it back in a ponytail.
Thanks for a positive post.
J