Happiness

How do you find the happiness from within if you're always sooooo depressed and hate yourself?

Well, meds and therapy. Through them you will learn to love yourself and you will find happiness. Much love sweety.

Ryan

Meds are worth #@&*. The jury's still out on therapy. I'm a baby work-in-process with therapy. I'll have to grab onto your 'much love'.

You need to learn to like yourself, first. That will take care of some of the depression. Visa versa works, too. I don't know any other way to take care of the depression but through meds. At least, not much else worked for me.

And besides, happiness depends on "happenings." They are exterior to the core you. Seems to me that if you're comfortable/happy with yourself, then the biggest part is taken care of.

That's a question I often ask myself Angel *huuugs* I wanna run after your avatar and try to tape it's wings back on!!! I know how you feel and ask the same *HUG*

If happiness depends on happenings, then aren't you looking from outside yourself? That's what I do now, so when happenings aren't good, then depression creeps in, which is the story of my life. I need some good happenings.

Sorry, my avatar angel is losing her wings cuz I'm soooooooo depressed.

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If happiness depends on happenings, then aren't you looking from outside yourself?

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Exactly! That's why you need to learn to love yourself so that you'll at least be happy with yourself. Happiness will be inside you. Then outside stimuly won't affect you nearly as much!

But if I could somehow find some 'good' happenings, then I'd be happy at least until the next bad thing happened again.

Well, Angel, one of the hardest things to do is learn to accept our outside circumstances for what they are. If they aren't what we want them to be, we have to learn to try to change them instead of letting them get us unnecessarily down to the point that we dwell on them and end up feeding our own depression further. I have yet to learn this, but it is one of the many goals in my life. I hope you are able to find some peace soon. Be safe.

Ryan

Thanks Ryan, but some things are not in our control to change unfortunately. My depression prevails.

Angel, I understand what you're saying. My point was that our illness's can prevent us from making the positive changes that our lives need. The depression is what we have to work through in order to look at our lives with new eyes and see the silver linings.

Ryan

I'm working on making some positive changes in therapy but I don't know how to work through this awful, awful depression that always drags me down.

Your T should be able to help you work throught it. Don't despair. Thinking about the positive things you're told here, too, will help.

But what if what depresses me is out of my control and I'm having an extremely difficult time dealing with not only the situation but also the fact that there is nothing I can do to change it.

Also some of my depression is for no reason at all, I just feel depressed.

And then there are times where I start to really self-loathe not only myself but my entire life, more than I usually do and would really not like to be.

Three different scenerios that all result in depression. I don't think they can be all handled in the same way.

Angel, there's a prayer said (not sure if you're religious) by many in AA and NA programs It's not the religious aspect I'm trying to get across, but more the message. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." I've never found changing the things I can change in my life to be difficult. I have a very hard time trying to accept what I can't change... like the things I've had to endure throughout my entire life. I can't change them but I want to so badly. One of the things that no med will fix is our situation in life. I'm praying that through therapy I will learn the skills needed to deal with my life as it is. It's definately not easy and I hope that you will be able to learn these things as well. My situation gets me down almost on a daily basis and I don't know how to change it, or if I even can. I feel for you and I hope that soon these dark clouds part and you can see the sun again. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Ryan

i love that line in the Princess Diaries that goes something like this...no one can disrespect you without your permission......if you hate yourself....it's because of negativei outside influences...that you believed....my t. says to concentrate on the person i know myself to be.....hope that's some help to you too......i see a very good person in you.....hope you see it soon too...love grace

Thanks Ryan and Grace. I know about both of those things but I'm very deep in the abyss and tears are streaming.

Angel, the only thing I have left to say is that I'm here if you need a shoulder to cry on. We'll all do our best to get you through this hard time sweety. Just remember that we all love you very much.

Ryan

Thanks Ryan. You are a very sweet, caring and understanding person always there to help everybody out. ((((((((Ryan))))))))

I don't know Angel. I use to tell my therapist that I was depressed, not unhappy. To me they are different. (I think I am unhappy now, but I wasn't then) I think unhappiness/grief can come from within ourselves and also from the outside. Depression is within us and is harder to fight. I am going to repeat the prayer I sent you a while ago. I hope I am not breaking any rules by doing this. I have heard Dr. Grohl doesn't want too many discussions on faith because they can become volatile, so I hope I don't offend anyone.

May today there be peace within. May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you....

May you be content knowing you are a child of God.... Let this presence settle into our bones, and allow our souls the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of you.

Angel I hope you aren't letting the big green ugly monster of depression win. I know he can be tough to fight as I fight him on a minute to minute basis but know there are us to help you fight him. Keep reaching out.

Janniebug