Hello dear friend...
Relieving depression is what I'd like to write about this day...
Happy February...
Last February I wrote about fun. It's all outlined in a post just for you and you can read it by clicking here if you want to.
The reason I'd like to talk about depression is that it is the last item, number thirteen, on the stress test.
Question thirteen asks, " Are you unable to enjoy yourself even when you are doing something you enjoy?"
If you scored a three, four, or five on this question, chances are you may be sad. There are varying degrees of sadness. It ranges from mild, moderate, to severe. Degrees of unhappiness are accompanied by the length of time a person has felt sorrow.
Some things in life make us sad. For example, a death or a divorce, are occasions that nearly always create varying degrees of sadness. It is normal to feel unhappy when unwanted things happen.
However, life is not meant for anyone to live in a space of unhappiness, which is the opposite of enjoyment.
This is a very delicate subject because people who are depressed are often sick and tired of people telling them what they should do to feel better.
If you are reading this post because someone else is depressed, and you'd like to help them, the best thing you can do is stop giving advice, and love, and just listen. People dealing with chronic depression do not need the pressure of making you feel okay because they don't feel okay.
If you are reading this post because you feel unhappy, the only thing I want to say to you is you are so very important.
You are so very important to God.
You are so very important to your family and friends.
You are so very important to me.
But most of all...
You are so very important to you.
In my, How to Destress, book I describe reasons why people may be unhappy, and I also provide things a person can do to overcome a lack of enjoyment.
The most important thing a person can do, in my humble opinion, is to begin to believe in him or herself. Believing in the self does not sound like an easy thing to do, to a person who has been with sadness for long periods.
If I could get a sad person to care enough about him or herself to connect to God, I know he or she could, and would find comfort, and would find strength. I know that he or she would learn the reality of God, and then begin to believe in himself or herself.
The crux of depression, often, is that the individual does not believe in himself or herself enough to think a thought in his or her favor, and for any length of time. Any work is hard work for a person suffering from sadness.
If a person could do one thing, and make a long-term commitment to do that one thing, I believe he or she can, and would be lifted. That one thing is to turn to God, then listen and look for spiritual things. Spiritual things are love and joy.
Turn and look, that's all you gotta do but, you gotta do it all day long, every day, for the rest of your life. Practice makes permanent in this human existence.
Turn to, talk to and walk with God, and He will show you He is real. Turning to, talking, and walking with Him, is just a thought away.
If you could think that one thought of turning to God regularly, I believe you will see how real He is, and you will see how important you are.
Focus on God!
Focus on Love!
Focus on talking to God!
Focus on walking with God!
I believe, and know, with all my heart and soul He will comfort you, and strengthen you. When you are comforted and strengthened it is easier to feel self-empowerment, which leads to believing in yourself.
Depression can and will be relieved a little bit at a time if a person will continuously tries to think a thought in his or her favor. That all it takes is a thought pointed toward God. I do not believe it will happen overnight, or even over a year, especially if you've dealt with it for a long time.
The goal is to believe, focus, and never give up.
Never give up!
Never give up on God!
Never give up on yourself!
One last word to the wise, if you are reading this post for someone you believe is suffering from sadness. The best thing you can do besides shutting your mouth ~wink, wink~, loving, and listening is you could turn to God as well. Words rarely ever teach a depressed person how to relieve their depression but unconditional love always heals. Take the advice given above about connecting to God, and you can, and will be the unconditional love a sad person needs.
That's all I got my friend except a hug and a prayer held tight in my heart for you.
I suffered for years with depression, and because of God, I have learned He is real, and that He is true comfort in my lonely times of need. The healing didn't happen overnight it took years. The best part of it all, I am so grateful for the relief that I have that nearly every moment is pure joy.
God bless you, my dear friend...
Speak soon...
Elizabeth
