[apples_]

I've had depression for 10 years. Even on medication I was still depressed and my doctor and I just kept going up on my medication every visit to see if it would help me. I've seen him for about 2 years now.

Recently I realized what I wanted to do with my life. I'm into spiritual things, tarot cards, numerology, astrology and always have been. There's this store that teaches classes in this stuff and I called the person who did my tarot card reading and asked him if he taught mediumship as that was one of the things on his card. He said yes and so I set up an appointment.

Literally since I started taking the classes I haven't been depressed. It's COMPLETELY gone! I have anxiety and have all my life, and when I talk to my teacher and am in that store I don't feel anxious at all.

Something he told me might help someone here out. He said (for example) alcoholics are alcoholics because they believe they are an alcoholic. (I'm not saying it's not a true disease, but just hear me out) He said we are what we think we are, we are what we manifest.

For a long time I just believed I had no personality and that who I was was a depressed and anxious person. I believed that I was going to be like this forever.

Anyone ever hear of that one lady who says fake it till you make it? This is the same concept. My teacher says he wakes up every morning, looks in the mirror and says to himself, "I'm fabulous!", "I'm funny", I'm whatever I want to be and so it becomes true if you truly believe it.

So instead of thinking about how you have depression or anxiety or bipolar disorder or an anxiety disorder or schizophrenia or whatever you think you are think of what you want to be and who you truly are underneath your illness and say it to yourself in the mirror and start believing in it until one day you f---ing are what you say you are

[Skeezyks]

Thanks for sharing your insight, apples_!

[lizardlady]

I am glad this worked for you, but as a person who has struggled with depression most (all?) of life this smacks of being told "just think happy thoughts and you won't be depressed." It also comes across to me as blaming the person who is ill for their illness. That's pretty demeaning in my book.

[alchemy63]

I'm glad you found what works for you apples ☺

[profound_betrayal]

Im glad that this worked for you apples. Thanks for sharing, in the event that you can help someone else.

However, people are very different and the psyche is so complex and mysterious, that, that same solution may not help 'all'. Depression is complicated that way. Yours seemed to have been linked to a lack of passion in life? ? ?

You wrote >> Recently I realized what I wanted to do with my life. << you got your eureka moment you found YOUR passion!

I know what my passion is, but I have been 'beaten into the ground & could barely string a few thoughts together at times. Feel VERY depleted. I continue to try of course, but if the reasons for the problems are diverse, then the solutions will also be diverse.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I love a good success story re depression!! I know that it may be of help to someone else who is trying to find their way in the murky, dark waters that is depression.

[Gus1234U]

the power of spirituality to support healing and change has long been believed in and practiced in many cultures. i believe in it.

also, there is a great deal of 'scientific' research and documentation of the 'placebo effect', wherein belief plays a major part in healing.

i hope folks will not be too swift to scoff at the experience of the OP, and others on this site and IRL, who have found belief to be very curative.

[Fuzzybear]

[Travelinglady]

I'm glad to hear about your cure. I do think having a purpose in life can give us hope and excitement. (Alas, though, it doesn't work for everyone.)

You've described optimism, which is essential for success in life. However, optimism alone is not enough, for hard work and determination are also required.

Life is an obstacle course, and some obstacles are easy to overcome and some are extremely difficult and some cannot be overcome by yourself.

The test will be how you react when you hit a difficult obstacle.

[Michelea]

I'm happy you found something that works well for you, congrats!!

I do think we get acclimated to depression after experiencing it for awhile, which makes it more difficult to find our way out of or around it....because it has now become our "home base". (Well, true for me at least.)

I've read where others swear by the look in the mirror thing, so although it wouldn't work for me, it obviously works very well for some...like you.

[avlady]

my depression comes from my heart- i just wish love wouldn't hurt so much!!!

[Psychochick]

Originally Posted by apples_

I've had depression for 10 years. Even on medication I was still depressed and my doctor and I just kept going up on my medication every visit to see if it would help me. I've seen him for about 2 years now.

Recently I realized what I wanted to do with my life. I'm into spiritual things, tarot cards, numerology, astrology and always have been. There's this store that teaches classes in this stuff and I called the person who did my tarot card reading and asked him if he taught mediumship as that was one of the things on his card. He said yes and so I set up an appointment.

Literally since I started taking the classes I haven't been depressed. It's COMPLETELY gone! I have anxiety and have all my life, and when I talk to my teacher and am in that store I don't feel anxious at all.

Something he told me might help someone here out. He said (for example) alcoholics are alcoholics because they believe they are an alcoholic. (I'm not saying it's not a true disease, but just hear me out) He said we are what we think we are, we are what we manifest.

For a long time I just believed I had no personality and that who I was was a depressed and anxious person. I believed that I was going to be like this forever.

Anyone ever hear of that one lady who says fake it till you make it? This is the same concept. My teacher says he wakes up every morning, looks in the mirror and says to himself, "I'm fabulous!", "I'm funny", I'm whatever I want to be and so it becomes true if you truly believe it.

So instead of thinking about how you have depression or anxiety or bipolar disorder or an anxiety disorder or schizophrenia or whatever you think you are think of what you want to be and who you truly are underneath your illness and say it to yourself in the mirror and start believing in it until one day you f---ing are what you say you are

Well, apples, it's good that you found what worked for you. That's great. Unfortunately I've been depressed for most of my life (at least since my teens, and I'm 61 now) and nothing has worked for me. I don't think most ppl with depression are capable of (1) finding a purpose in life or (2) if they do find one, eventually the depression robs them of the ability to put it to use. For example, I used to have LOTS of things I loved and wanted to do. When the depression hit, I lost interest, as well as the energy and ability to concentrate necessary to accomplish my goals. (I've heard that happens to a lot of depressed people. If I'm not mistaken, it's one of the "signs of depression" that psychologists/psychiatrists look for in making a diagnosis.) I just don't feel like doing anything. Very few things interest me--which again is very typical of depression. I did try (in my teens) to fight off my depression by thinking "happy thoughts" and reading positive literature--it only left me feeling even more hopeless. I wondered, "If it works for other people, why not for me?" Which, of course, only deepened my depression. Your well-meant advice might help a certain percentage of people, but I have to say, based on my own experience and my training in psychology, that I am very dubious about how well it would work for most of us.

[muncie]

Originally Posted by apples_

I've had depression for 10 years. Even on medication I was still depressed and my doctor and I just kept going up on my medication every visit to see if it would help me. I've seen him for about 2 years now.

Recently I realized what I wanted to do with my life. I'm into spiritual things, tarot cards, numerology, astrology and always have been. There's this store that teaches classes in this stuff and I called the person who did my tarot card reading and asked him if he taught mediumship as that was one of the things on his card. He said yes and so I set up an appointment.

Literally since I started taking the classes I haven't been depressed. It's COMPLETELY gone! I have anxiety and have all my life, and when I talk to my teacher and am in that store I don't feel anxious at all.

Something he told me might help someone here out. He said (for example) alcoholics are alcoholics because they believe they are an alcoholic. (I'm not saying it's not a true disease, but just hear me out) He said we are what we think we are, we are what we manifest.

For a long time I just believed I had no personality and that who I was was a depressed and anxious person. I believed that I was going to be like this forever.

Anyone ever hear of that one lady who says fake it till you make it? This is the same concept. My teacher says he wakes up every morning, looks in the mirror and says to himself, "I'm fabulous!", "I'm funny", I'm whatever I want to be and so it becomes true if you truly believe it.

So instead of thinking about how you have depression or anxiety or bipolar disorder or an anxiety disorder or schizophrenia or whatever you think you are think of what you want to be and who you truly are underneath your illness and say it to yourself in the mirror and start believing in it until one day you f---ing are what you say you are

I believe you are right apples, "we are what we believe." But depression can be hard wired and difficult to overcome. Your theory may help some with low self-esteem. Also, putting labels on ourselves makes us a believer. I have used that theory of "fake it till you make it" to hide anxiety or fear of a situation. Kind of taking on a role like an actor in a movie (even though it isn't you . I'm glad this is working for you and thanks for sharing.

[(JD)]

This part is true, for it's the way God created us.

He said we are what we think we are, we are what we manifest.

Neurobiology has "recently" proven that thoughts can be "seen" in the brain. If negative, then toxic trees are see, if positive, then healthy trees are seen. We are what we think. The brain has no opinion of it's own--it operates by what we think, and produces the chemicals to enact what it has been told. 75-98% of all disease has a root in negative thinking--toxic thoughts. All disease, physical, mental, behavioral....high percentage eh? (Some of course are by environment, accident, war etc.)

You can read more on this ground breaking science at Dr Caroline Leaf's website.

I'm glad you found the solution... regardless of how you arrived.

[ablankscript]

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Everyone's depression is different. Negative thoughts are pesky, the whole mind itself is like a wild animal that must be tamed. The quote is the central idea behind James Allen book "As a Man Thinketh" I recommend any book by this man, he is a treasure trove of wisdom and hardly anyone has even heard of him. While depression is yet to be fully understood by modern medicine, is it in fact a chemical imbalance? Ancient teachings and wisdom have long held truths that help us beat depression. No matter what religion you are every single one has something to tell you about depression.

The oldest of all sciences which is now looked down upon by every other science, astrology shows how celestial events affect our lives on Earth. Astrology has been used to predict many events, including the birth of Jesus as well as Buddha. The Hermetics said "As above so below, as below so above" they also noticed that man would often become as if being swayed by outside forces, the correlated it with celestial events. As public workers such police, ems, and hospital workers and many will say that when it is a full moon that things get rather odd. The hermetists strived to free themselves from these outside forces, simply by knowing that they were there. Then we have stories in the bible such is the book of Job and many of the sayings of Jesus that seem to be sayings just for the anxious and depressed. In ancient mythology, Greek, Egyptian, roman etc the planets were the Gods each having traits and personalities and the positions at birth become like a map of a person's life. I am sure you know all of this already.

I am no expert on the mind, but from my own experience while the intrusive depressing thoughts won't stop, I don't have to allow them to grow into weeds and ruin my garden. I can choose to focus on the heavenly thoughts rather than the thoughts that bind me to hell. It also helps doing things that distract the mind and cause some joy, because then it is hard to think depressing thoughts as the mind can't be pulled in two directions at once by itself that would be like trying to fly by lifting yourself up.