Mental Health
Zen of Depression, Common Sense, and Trust Your Feelings
JANE’S FEATURED PICK Therese Borchard’s stream of consciousness in “Confessions of a Suicidal Yogi” sums up what I consider to be the zen of dealing with depression: by living through it.
My thoughts have been where Therese’s thoughts have been, and in the depths of depression I had asked those forbidden questions. Why bother? Who cares? What difference does it make? If I disappeared who would notice anyway? From the concerned comments of readers who responded to Therese’s post, I want to emphasize that this was one of Therese’s recollections, as she had followed up in a subsequent post. It is similar to the chronicles of my personal journey through depression; I cringe when I read it, and if you happen to read that page without knowing the context of this being part of my past, you would feel grave concerns (especially around June of 1998). But the only way to deal with pain is to live through it. And the only way to deal with depression is to live through it. Yes, we can run and we can hide and we can numb ourselves in different ways. But the only tried and true method that has always worked in keeping ourselves alive is - living through it.
We could be neighbors, “m”, (for real) and I appreciate you sharing your blog with me. Instead of linking individual entries that you’ve submitted, I’m going to link to your blog so people can bookmark it and visit. Since in my last edition, Therese talked about how she used blogging as a therapeutic tool, I think you’ll too find that blogging is a powerful instrument in your journey through depression.
D. Kai Wilson asked how we could ascribe a movement to proactivism when we’re just exercising common sense. I don’t know… maybe common sense sounds so unglamorous that people would pay more attention to a big word like “proactivism”. My favorite parts of the entry is, “We pay the price of our brilliance in mood swings, and though our currency is tears and days without sleep, I’ll be the first to say that its a good life. It would be better if people would stop asking whether I was normal or not, and wouldn’t I love to function like a ‘normal’ human being.” - beautifully said. Congratulations on publishing your nonfiction book, Kai.
This post from the Positivity Blog is geared toward personal development, and contains useful information for the “cognitive aspect” of managing psychic pain. This is complemented by Alan’s Stinking Thinking Post.
Shaheen Lakhan always sends brainy entries of the academic kind, and in this edition shared two provocative topics. One is on an antipsychiatry movement, which is not new but has gotten its recent share of celebrity lash-and-backlash (think Tom Cruise v. Brooke Shields). The other is a very valid question of how objective are diagnoses in mental illnesses. John Grohol of PsychCentral fame commented on the subjective nature of most medicines, which I agree. I believe the truth is somewhere in between the extremes: most of us (if not all of us) have some kind of an “imbalance” or another - the life process itself is a physical example in imbalance and nonequilibrium. Mental health diagnoses can help when these enable people who can be treated receive treatment, and can harm when these become labels for people to seek fast fixes to life’s more convoluted problems.
Dr. Deyo wants you to listen to yourself, honor your feelings, and accept even (especially!) the negative ones as a valid and valuable part of you. It all boils down to “love thyself” in all your flawed AND fabulous glory. Dr. Deyo may not be the first one to suggest that you trust your feelings because the Star Wars trilogies have seared that aphorism into our pop culture, yet my Yoda consciousness foresees Dr. Deyo having a great professional career ahead and all the good that she’s going to do, and her future patients will thank her for doing what she does.
Sometimes I get entries that feels like a conversation… here are two. Mercurial scribe is celebrating stability, one moment at a time, which I’m glad to read. Suni asked why she is forced to deal with her own self sabotaging behaviors… my feeling to this is “because you still have some important lessons to learn about yourself, and its a way that you get yourself to pay attention to this learning.”
Wow. Patch Adams calling Nurse Ratched a pill Nazi. I can’t do the story justice so I’ll let Nurse Ratched tell you the story herself.
This concludes this carnival edition. To submit for the next edition, please use this link. Until next time!
Jane Chin
Discussion
3 comments for “Zen of Depression, Common Sense, and Trust Your Feelings”
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All information in Jane's Mental Health Source Page website is for your information and education. The information does not replace or substitute for professional medical treatment or for professional medical advice relative to a specific medical question or condition.
jane, thanks for the link.
it’s so funny because i know who you are! you’re that MSL in MY pharma rep mags!
i was in pharma sales too. i’ve ventured to your other site and have enjoyed reading some of your articles.
that industry seems so far away but is so close as i still have many friends in it including former accounts who’ve become friends.
perhaps we can meet up since we are “neighbors.” you’re very interesting and i’d like to hear more about your entrepreneurial ventures.
regards,
m
thanks for noticing my writing in pharm rep mag and for visiting my other sites
it’s been years since my MSL days, but of course MSLs remain close to my heart given that I provide consulting in that area.
sure, let’s meet up; i’m in redondo beach. drop me an email if you’re nearby and feel like chatting over the cuppa tea or coffee.
I have seen many patients benefit drastically from giving themselves a ‘time out’ time. Meaning, that each day, they set aside time to relax and do something they truly enjoy doing. This is like a release valve for them and if they religiously stick with this plan each day, have improved and have reported they are coping with the depression better. One patient I know went from totally stressed out to managing his depression quite well. Does it eventually rid patients of depression? Time will tell, but from what I’ve seen thus far, is certainly helping. I can suggest doing whatever relaxes oneself, whether playing a game or just sitting in silence, with no distractions.