Firstly - Words of Wisdom
Depression is real!
Being honest with yourself is a good starting point to
self-realization!
Depression:
Symptons:
i) Losing interest
in the things you used to enjoy.
ii) Lasting feelings
of unhappiness.
iii) Lasting
feelings of hopelessness.
iv) Feeling
anxious.
v) Feeling tearful.
There is nothing to hate.
- I don’t want to hate anything.
- I don’t like the emotion of hate.
- Hate is a waste of energy (and I don’t want to waste my
energy!)
We all need significance in life. The most significance
comes from helping others. In order to help other people, you must first help
yourself (or learn to help yourself) -
like those airline safety briefs where you must put on your oxygen mask first,
before you help others put on their oxygen mask.
A Personal
Example
A: All the symptoms
above are present.
Symptoms
i: I have lost interest in my work and I used to enjoy this.
It was very
different 7+ years ago when I got my current job. I was very excited to get a
role in - what at the time was - my dream company to work for. I felt like I
was on top of the world. Now I’m struggling to even care. The stuff doesn’t
excite me like it used to.
ii: Lasting feelings of unhappiness.
I have been feeling
unhappy with my life. I think I’ve tried to compensate by buying nice sports cars,
but I realize this has actually made me less happy (it’s like a vicious circle,
you feel unhappy so buy something nice, but the debt makes you more unhappy, so
you buy more, and on and on...)
iii: Lasting feelings of hopelessness.
I’ve been feeling
hopeless. Like I’m rubbish at my work (lucky to still have a job). Like I’m hopeless at what I do and no hope finding
something better (especially whilst maintaining the same salary.) Like I’m
hopeless in life (I have a wife who lives 1000s of miles away who I barely ever
see and no friends) and it all seems pointless.
iv: Feeling anxious.
My work makes me
feel anxious - anxious about interacting with people, anxious about doing a
good job or simply just doing enough, anxious about delivering work, anxious about time
management... Beyond work, there’s anxiety about the future - where am I going,
what am I doing...
v: Feeling tearful.
This does sometimes
happen and I hadn’t realized it was a symptom of depression. Sometimes, the
simple thought of starting a day’s work makes me tearful (“not another day” blub
blub...)
Overcoming Depression
The first step on the path to overcoming depression is accepting you have depression.
Q: How to overcome depression?
A: This is the million dollar question. The most honest
answer to this is -
“No one knows (especially not the author of this post). To
a great extent you have to find your way (and avoid habit forming drugs).”
7 suggestions that might help:
1) Discipline
Discipline
is at the Core of Everything!
“Without self-discipline, success is impossible!”
2) Dopamine Detox
“Motivation (a system) to do difficult things” / “A
system to make doing difficult things easy”
3) Significance
Everyone
is Looking for Significance
“Everyone is struggling ... and looking for significance”
4) Enjoy Life!
Life
is Meant to be Enjoyed in Moderation
“The journey of life ... is meant to be travelled and
enjoyed.”
“If it’s hard to learn to do something well, learn to be
happy doing it poorly”.
5) Happiness is a
Choice!
https://activechristianity.org/this-is-the-single-determining-factor-of-your-happiness
“In every situation, there is one thing you can control
... the way you react to the things that you meet in life will determine the
degree of your happiness or unhappiness. Your reaction and only your
reaction, is the determining factor.”
6) Phlegmatism
(phlegmatic)!
https://www.lexico.com/definition/phlegmatic
“... (of a person)
having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition”
7) Right Attitude
The
most significant change in a person's life is a change of attitude.
“Right attitudes produce right actions.”
What does
the Above Mean for the Author
1) I’m going to get my discipline back.
2) I’m going to practice dopamine detox (wake at 0430, exercise,
breakfast, ablutions, 8am to 6pm work/study/read with just water to drink, after
6pm is my time, 10pm in bed).
3) My significance (helping people):
- I am a husband/son/brother/step-father
and want to help my wife/parents/family.
- I am an employee and want to
help my customers and employer.
4) Enjoy exercise. Enjoy
helping people. Enjoy
walking/trekking/running/travel. Enjoy being
debt free (one day). Enjoy cars. Enjoy home.
5/6/7) “Don’t worry be happy!”
Image: Pure Heart
