How I understood and then escaped

Anyone doing that much snapping would sustain an overuse injury to the tendons. Also the cushion-like cartilage inside the joint would break down over time, leading to bone rubbing on bone. Actually I would expect it wouldn't take long. Symptoms of arthritis can be crippling, I have seen quite a few massage therapists (one of) - my own occupations - quit the industry. You could clap your hands and change the name to clap club, that would be a safer option if you are going to sustain that many decisions over the course of a day.

Vital , I ordered one of the books you suggested yesterday . I've always been interested in the brain - gut connection . I might start a food journal .

This depression thing just doesn't make any real sense to me after all these years . As you said awhile back , and it has been my experience , for no good reason it just rolls in like a fog - even at times when things are going well as if it were a snickering bully .

Appreciate your positive attitude and wise counsel . take care .

I'm definitely going to give this a try. It sounds similar to other material I've read about neuro-associative conditioning.

This is a brilliant analysis!! Thank you for taking the time to write this up. This is honestly the clearest I've ever seen depression described. You hit it on the nose and this method is very, practically helpful as well.

For all of those who feel like they don't fit into the world, I wrote a fun blog post called "here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels...". If you're interested it's on my blog called outsiderolympics (.com).

I often feel like I'm on the outside of things, but as I get older I learn to embrace it more and more as I begin to feel comfortable in my own skin, prior to being accepted by others.

for some reason i have a hard time snapping my fingers

when i started this program i just said snap to myself in my head

that's how i started and that's how i do it now and it is fine

i agree with what you said....especially as we get older...for instance, i did a lot of knitting this winter and i could feel it in my hands where there was a repetition of movement

very true what you said here

Hi DechanDawa,

I do the same thing when I'm in a situation where snapping my fingers would be rude (there aren't many situations like that, really). I think "SNAP" in my head, with bright bold colors. You might want to invent your own bold gesture like pounding your chest with your fist or something like that. I have the idea that really making it your own could make it even more powerful.

- vital

Do you think an outward physical gesture is necessary? I would say one physical response is, if I am sitting down I get up.

Hi DechanDawa, I think that any way you do it where you really FEEL it and enjoy it is just wonderful. I tend to think that being physical and bold helps, but that's just my own experience. One thing that I find helps a lot is letting myself have a little smile when I do it. I'm so glad it's help you. - vital

This is the most interesting program I have learned about on PC. I am going to work on developing some kind of bold gesture I can use. I completely believe in the theory behind this program. It makes a lot of sense. I use it. I will be using it even more. Thanks.

Thanks so much, DechanDawa. I love that I can use all the "every day" parts of my life to get better and better. That feeling when you realize that it really works is amazing. I haven't posted that much recently, but I still to check every day or so. - vital

I don't know who came up with the theory behind Snap!Club, but it seems to be the key to everything. I hesitate to even talk about it because I might sound like an idiot I am such a big fan. I now see that during this last depression I stopped making decisions big and small and I procrastinated, and presently I have a lot of big decisions to make...like how much money I should be pouring into my old vehicle...where I should move to...whether I should continue to live alone or live with housemates...what kind of job I should go for next. It is like I let my decision making muscle get weak and now that I need to use it -- it feels strained. So I am kind of suffering right now, but I need Snap!Club -- as a life line. I don't want to ever get in this position again. I truly don't recognize who I have become. I was always a very proactive, competitive person. A major depression can leave us flattened. I just wanted to say that doing Snap!Club is probably the most important thing I am doing now in my life. I use it to eat well, exercise, keep my environment clean, make "to-do" lists, and challenge myself to approach all the bigger decisions. I snap to get out the door. I snap to make a phone call. I need to do a lot more snapping. I am thinking of going and getting one of those clickers, since I have a hard time snapping my fingers. But really, now when I say snap there is like a little explosion in my brain...full of color and lighting bolts and stars. I feel Snap!Club is a tool that could change the world -- okay, the mental health and wellness world -- but for some reason it is kind of still a secret. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I think my depression is beginning to break up since I made some major changes in the last few weeks. I started walking every day (until a big snowstorm) and do two sitting meditations daily.

Not using an outward gesture with Snap! but saying it in my head.

Want to keep things simple.

Have been developing a holistic program for the past 6 months. What people need to realize is that the holistic approach takes time. It takes time for the body and the mind to heal. But Snap! is another tool along the way. Non toxic! With great side-effects.

Am interested in the link to mindfulness, Zen, etc. I have been a meditator for a couple of decades, but avoid sitting meditation during deep depression because I think it promotes depersonalization. However, now that the depression is breaking up...sitting meditation is great...and yes, I think Snap! is a good practice off the meditation cushion.

I used to like the fact that I could make decisions and take responsibility for them.

When I became depressed that is the person I lost...the decider. For sure.

Depression is about playing it safe. Depression is about staying in bed where it's safe.

Being depressed is boring. Living as a decider is interesting.

Snapping is a way to get back to that. But I think it is going to take a while. I can be patient.

I think a good thing is to review at the end of each day where snapping has helped. Today once again it got me up, showered, dressed, with my place clean, and out the door. Oh, and I even "forgot" to be depressed a couple of times. Well, all of this is like a little miracle. It just works to snap.

Hi DechanDawa,

Thanks so much for the kind words. I can tell that you really get it. I especially love what you say about color and lightning bolts and stars . As you say, it still is a little bit of a secret, even though it is steadily spreading and Brigham and Women's Hospital just asked me to present it to a third round of patients, so I think that the professionals are catching on too. It's understandable that it's a bit of a secret, though. It sounds like it's kind of a random nice coping thing to do - one of many possible ways to feel better, but not a huge deal. What's been missed, I think, is that this gets directly at that heart of what's really going on when you are depressed. Even when I knew it made sense, I was still shocked and amazed at how a life-long problem that seemed inescapable could be dissolved so easily.

- vital

Okay, I did some research and now think I am straight on the founder of Snap! You! SY!

Snap! would not work well, I think, for those convinced depression is biological in origin, because Snap! is about self-generated responsibility. As in Response-ability. However, I do think a long depressive episode changes brain chemistry so Snapping! is like you are bringing the brain back to some former state. That's how I see it. It could be that some areas of the brain atrophied, but the brain is very plastic, and "wants" and delights in setting up new neural networks. You know, I still want to "know" the meaning of the depression, why it started etc. However,recently I read something, a quote that made more sense than analyzing depression, and it said: "Curing unhappiness requires more happiness." That's very Buddhist. Maybe later is a better time to think about the depression. Now is the time to get out of it. That is why the joyful explosion in my mind while Snapping! is important. I might not want to think that way because my depressed mind is like a goth teenager, still wanting to wallow in the mire! But we have to re-introduce the idea of joy. It's so hard. But one has to want happiness, and taste happiness, in order to retrieve happiness.

Hi everyone. I gave another one of my talks and demonstrations, sharing my own experience and thoughts to a new group of depression patients at the Brigham and Women's hospital. I always enjoy these things as I think I'm really helping.

Also, a group of professionals at the Boston University medical campus want to get together with me and talk about new possibilities .

- vital

Congrats

Thanks very much for this vital ! I've read so much about depression but this is the first time I read something and was immediately intrigued because what you wrote sounded so true. Usually I felt like everything I heard or read about depression was a very incomplete explanation that wasn't helpful in any way, I was always left dissatisfied, feeling like nobody could help me and that I had to use all my energy to figure this out for myself. Having been severely depressed for 7 years and probably depressed for longer than that, I have done a lot of thinking about this and have come to many of the same conclusions as you although I must say I didn't come quite as far.

Anyway, I gave Snap Club a try, I'm currently on my 3rd day of snapping and I've already noticed many changes in my mood and my thinking patterns. Going through each day is nowhere near as hard as it used to be. Some of the negative thoughts I had that repeated over and over again, day after day, are either gone completely or they still rear their ugly head occasionally but for the most part, I can simply observe them and let them go.

I still can't believe it's had such an impact on my life in only 2 days and a few hours. You're an amazing person !

Congratulations SparklingFire! It's pretty amazing isn't it? It's still working for me and many others too.

Best wishes,

- vital

Still an interesting concept for anyone who has not yet read this post.

Stumbled upon this forum today because my depression has become unbearable. I will give this a try. It seems to of worked for a decent amount of people hopefully it will work for me.