What is depression? What has depression become and what it is becoming? Is it having low self-esteem or hopelessness? Is it being sad or tearful? Is it losing interest in yourself or your life? Is it fatigue or lack of motivation? Is it difficulty focusing or feelings of guilt? It is anxiety or excessive worry? Or is it any combination of these negative emotions?
Depression is classified by a combination or clutter of emotional and physical symptoms; by general definition it can be any or all of these things. Of course there are more specifics involved when it comes to a clinical diagnosis. But when it comes to a universal understanding, depression encompasses a variety of negative emotions, physical ailments, and social factors. In this way, any stream of negative emotion that weights on a person is labeled as depression.
And as you know the term ‘depression’ holds a negative and limiting context whether clinically or self-diagnosed. Carrying around this label will attach you more to the symptoms of your depression that the message it’s trying to convey.
The truth behind depression is that it does not define or control you; it is simply a manifestation of the suppressed emotions and thoughts that you have not dealt with. Your emotions each carry a message to tell you what is working and what is not working. Negative emotions show you that something is not working; positive emotions confirm you are on the right path. Negative emotions tell you when you get off track, and this is your sign to change or rethink your course. Positive emotions show you are in alignment with your passions and desires. All of your emotions have a purpose and a message; they are natural gifts and instincts that point you in the right direction.
Listen to your depressive symptoms; do not ignore them. When you suppress or mask emotions through attachments, addictions, and medications, you will miss the entire point and end up suffering unnecessarily, sometimes forever. Unacknowledged negative emotions will continue to expand and manifest into more emotional distress, and even physical pain. This avoidance keeps you stuck, spinning your wheels in the mud, and continuously leads to a dead end.
The truth about depression is that it’s not there to hinder, hurt, or limit you. It is rarely an illness in need of a medical cure. It does not just happen to you. You do not just catch depression. You create depression by avoiding the signs and emotions that are communicating with you. Depression is there to show you have gotten off track and are disconnected in some way from your true self. Depression does not mean you are sick and need to go to the doctor. It means you need to identify what is not working, what is not right, what needs to change.
The truth about depression is that you don’t have to accept this label; you don’t have to believe that something is wrong with you; you don’t have to take medications, and you certainly do not have to take on the expected suffering. You can release the weight and burden of depression by changing the way you perceive it. Depression is a message that you not living in alignment with your true self (whatever that means to you) and that something needs to change. Depression is only progressive if you fold into its pattern of suffering. Your teaching is to focus on why you might be depressed and how and where you may have gotten off track. Avoid focusing on the depression – stop feeding the depression and only seek to identify what it means to you.
If you or someone you know feels depressed act immediately in getting some kind of personal development plan into place. You can create your own daily routine to inspire hope and stir up energy; or you can utilize the countless self-healing and self-growth approaches out there. At Being True To You Personal Coaching Services we have a variety of coaching programs and lessons that will change your life, many times on the first day.
Thank you for reading!
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Deanne & Trista Adamson
Deanne Adamson
M.S. Mental Health Counseling
BeingTrueToYou.com
480.269.7818