Depression: 14 Universal Laws for Recovery

The Law of Blue

Just sort of feeling blue, kinda out of it, gets confused with being depressed. We all get the blues from time to time, and they pass.

The Law of Sad

Feeling sad, while not pleasant, makes sense in the context of the situation.

The Law of Clinical

True clinical depression is not just feeling blue or sad. It's both a biological and psychological struggle that's often best treated with a combination of medication and counseling.

The Law of Boot Straps

When you are depressed, some well-meaning people will tell you to just "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps." The problem is when you are clinically depressed, you don't have bootstraps.

The Law of Music, Part 1

Music can either lift you up or keep you down. Listening to certain kinds of music while depressed is like pouring gasoline on a fire and then wondering why it gets worse.

The Law of Music, Part 2

Make your own list of uplifting, positive, energizing music.

The Law of Coping

You need to have a variety of tools in your tool bag to effectively cope with depression. Here's a few suggested tools:

Talk about it. Trying to handle depression on your own is like trying to do your own open-heart surgery.

Write out your feelings. Getting it out on paper can get it out of you.

Take a drive and ease your mind.

Cry if you need to. There's a great line in Pat Conroy's novel Beach Music that goes something like: "Men die younger than women because men have not washed their faces enough with their own tears."

Exercise. If I can get a client that is depressed to exercise regularly, I know we are part of the way home.

The Law of Lifestyle

I've come to believe that there is such a thing as a "depressive lifestyle." Over-working, over-stressing, expectations of perfection, a critical, complaining and cynical spirit, focusing on the negative in life, feeding a sense of hopelessness through what you read and listen to, all these things contribute to a depressing life.

The Law of Discovery

Discovering they are depressed, while frightening for many clients, also gives a name and a beginning understanding of the struggles they have experienced.

The Law of Warning Signs

Many people feel like depression sort of snuck up on them. They didn't see it coming. As you work your way out of depression, it's crucial to develop a list of "early warning signs." These allow you to take early action to prevent a reoccurrence.

The Law of "Like Minded People"

If you surround your self with depressed people, you're likely to stay depressed. Or get depressed if you weren't already. And if you surround your self with positive people, it's a lot harder to get and stay depressed.

The Law of Focus

Focusing on everything that is wrong with your life and the world is a great way to stay stuck in depression. By the same token, focusing on everything that is right with your life and the world is a great way to move on out of depression.

The Law of Recovery

The really cool news is that people can and do recover from depression every day. Recovery begins with the decision to recover, and then selecting the best guides and creating the best map for your journey back to the passion of life.

The Law of Getting Stronger

This one comes from a special client of mine who has a wealth of experience in this area. Instead of only praying that circumstances change for the better (which is a good thing to do) pray and work on getting your self stronger to deal with whatever comes your way.

As Chicago, one of my favorite bands still sings:

"I'm feelin' stronger every day............"

Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.

---

Depression: Escape Your Mental Prison

There is an illness all around me in modern society... Read More

Acidity Depresses Thyriod Function

THE RISKAccumulation of acids in your body, due to insufficient... Read More

Senate Finance Committee Delays FDA Approval of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy for Depression

On June 15th, 2004, FDA's Medical Devices Panel recommended that... Read More

FDA Deems Vagus Nerve Therapy Approvable as a Treatment for Depression

On February 3, 2005 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration... Read More

A Simple Cure For Anxiety And Depression

Our innate desire is to be happy, and when we... Read More

Raise Your Feeling Frequency with a Loving Smile

In every moment of our life we have the choice... Read More

Omega 3 EPA: Natures Very Own Anti-depressant

Since Dr Malcolm Peet, a consultant psychiatrist at Sheffield swallow... Read More

Depression

Many of us feel depressed at one time or another,... Read More

Hurricane Recovery: Steps to Start Putting Your Life Back in Order

It seems unreal, another major storm hitting Florida after experiencing... Read More

St Johns Wort and Depression

The bright yellow flower of the St Johns Wort (hypericum... Read More

First Thing You Should Do to Get Out of Depression

Depression, in psychiatry, is a symptom of mood disorder characterized... Read More

Suffocate

I felt cold, my body was stiff and my back... Read More

To Long Term Care Professionals: How to Dramatically Improve your Residents Psychiatric Care

Long term care facilities and residents' doctors should consider combining... Read More

The Cost of Giving Up

I'm sure at times of deep crisis many of you... Read More

Depression Mantra

Depression is the most prevalent of all the emotional disorders.... Read More

What?s The Latest on Suicide Risk and Antidepressants For Children?

FDA confirms some antidepressants increase suicide risk in some children.... Read More

So You?ve Been Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder?

If you've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder (also known as... Read More

Depression And Celiac Disease

Depression is a condition which affects about 15% of the... Read More

Do You Think You Have Depression?

Do you have days where nothing can make you happy?... Read More

Depression is the Number One Cause of Disability in the United States

According to the World Health Organization, 4 of the 10... Read More

Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Treatment for Depression to be Launched in May

Final FDA approval of vagus nerve stimulation as a therapy... Read More

Fighting Depression by Restoring Your Routines

When we have depression, one of the things we drop... Read More

Manic Depressive Episodes And Scientology

Scientologists believe that chemical imbalances do not exist. In their... Read More

Depression Explained

Depression is a mental state marked by melancholy, pessimism or... Read More

Anxiety and Depression Treatment - 5 Tips for Beating Depression

Everyone has days when they are down, worn out and... Read More

Depression is Underdiagnosed in College Students

Everyone feels down or blue once in awhile. Especially during... Read More

Stress and Depression are Killing Us!

A short generation ago, families could set their watch by... Read More

Adult Men and Women Who Suffer From Chronic Depression

Market surveys on women, men and depression suggest an estimated... Read More

How to Uncover the Reason You Cant Sleep Tonight

If you are like me ...you love your sleep!Sleep deprivation... Read More

Learn To Take Control of Depression

While depression is a growing epidemic in western society, it... Read More

Aspartame and Your Mental Health

In 1965, a chemist working to develop an ulcer drug... Read More

Depression is a Choice

There is one very simple reason for all emotional depression.In... Read More

How You Can Learn To Treat Depression

When a person undertakes a course of therapy through their... Read More