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How I Beat Depression

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Re: How I Beat Depression

#141
post #50

It's impossible to "think yourself" out of depression or "do something good" out of depression, unless it's just a temporary down mood. The way I beat depression is by doing pure mental exercises on focusing on the actual physical areas of the body where depression is felt, without trying to change/fight/eliminate the feeling itself. I came up with this technique during lowest point of my life and was almost shocked…

It sounds like you independently discovered mindfulness meditation. Good for you!

I actually practiced mindfullness meditation with, lets say it, zero results. The method I used is more, like: "love your enemy" or rather "love your pain", or more precisely be aware of the areas of the body which are feeling pain. Negative thoughts are just light energy sparks causing pain within the body. This bodily pain is heavier, more resident energy that could become alive on it's own, even without further thinking. It was really frustrating to me to wake up in the beautiful morning and within 2 seconds feel heavy wave of depression dawning on me again. I didn't even had time to think and was wondering why it is happening to be. Until i realized that depression lives in the body, not in the mind. Once I started paying attention to the body, the depressive thoughts and depressive emotions starts to disappear. This is more what Eckhart Tolle was writing about, albeit without specifics that I added to my practice.

As i started to see results - I started having fun with it, like looking for negative emotional reactions within me on different thoughts or situations and then frying and washing these emotions off and away by applying the method.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#142
post #50

It's impossible to "think yourself" out of depression or "do something good" out of depression, unless it's just a temporary down mood. The way I beat depression is by doing pure mental exercises on focusing on the actual physical areas of the body where depression is felt, without trying to change/fight/eliminate the feeling itself. I came up with this technique during lowest point of my life and was almost shocked…

Could you please expand on the type and method of the mental exercises? I'm interested in what worked for you... are you able to describe how someone else could undertake those exercises?

Yes sure. Hope it helps: ------------------------ To start with basics - depression in it's essence is suppressed pain (or blocked energy) within the body. This pain could start with either traumatic event, long exposure to unhealthy, unloving and unfriendly environment or as a consequence of consistently negative thought patterns. Negative thought patterns causes inner emotional unpleasant sensations within the body. More negative thoughts cause more emotional pain. This pain in turn fuels more negative thoughts and the vicious, self-fullfilling cycle starts to function on it's own: inner emotional pain fuels negative thoughts, and thoughts causes more and stronger emotional pain.

Once this vicious cycle strengthens - pain becomes rooted in the body without thoughts, and person goes beyond "talkative" therapies and it becomes impossible to "talk yourself" out of depression, impossible to "do yourself" out of depression or "positively think" yourself out of depression. Changing thoughts from negative to positive no longer helps because rooted inner emotional pain burns like an underground fire that is not taken care of and easily comes back.

I found the solution that worked for me better than anything. Instead of trying to "think myself" out of depression or do some "pain killing" or distracting activities, I dived into depression, or more precisely "felt myself" directly into the areas of the body where I felt painful feelings.

Most people are trying to avoid, escape or suppress pain. People would use drugs, painkillers, porn, entertainment, alcohol, doing-something-noble or engage with any possible distraction away from pain. But pain inside is not taken care of and soon inevitably comes back.

So here's exact technique: When you start feeling depressed or strongly emotionally down - locate inside your body exact areas where you feel these depressive or negative sensations and feelings. Usually these will be in abdomen sections, chest areas, neck, shoulders, quite often occupying large areas of your body or even covering hands or feet. Make sure you mentally "mark down" all exact areas where you feel this depression. Depression doesn't like you to look at it directly like that. Depression loves to make epic unresolvable problems of gigantic proportions out of everything, and it absolutely hates to be diminished to pure physical bodily sensations. And that's exactly what you will do.

Once you pinpointed exact physical areas in the body where you feel emotional, painful sensations do these steps together: 1. Start observing these physical areas within the body where you feel something. Just observe areas without trying to change your feelings. 2. Start to consciously follow your breathing. In and out. In and out - and at the same time watch/observe your inner physical areas as above. Hint: To easily focus on body areas - imagine you breathing through theses areas. Imagine you actually inhaling and exhaling through these areas - this approach helps you to focus on exact body areas (where you feel sensations of negative emotions or depression) as well as to keep conscious breathing.

When areas of pain are watched - the energy pathways opens and pain (blocked energy) starts dissolving. When you add conscious breathing - this suspends incessant thinking and increases energy flow. This accelerates the whole process. Again - you're not trying to change, kill or eliminate anything. Like Eckhart Tolle says - you just adding the light of your awareness to your body. In this case to the areas that feels negative sensations.

Even if painful feelings does not dissolve during this practice, you will find that they will inevitably diminish soon after. Hope it helps!

Re: How I Beat Depression

#143

I don't think one can actually beat depression but instead only really cope with the symptoms. I know that sounds awful and kind of defeatist (and I could be wrong) but I think the idea that you can actually conquer this disease sets you up for failure. I first noticed my own depression when I was just a 13 year old kid and first sought help just before the end of high school. I've been through the entire range of em…

I've suffered from MDD and tried to kill myself several times, the last attempt was very serious and I almost did die. Now, almost a decade later and I think I can say I have "beaten" depression. The cure? Time, therapy, loving intimate relationships and judicious use of psychedelics.

How do you fail to kill yourself, multiple times?

I know that sounds unbelievably crude, but I'm really curious. My brother recently tried and I wonder (hope) that perhaps sometimes these attempts are more a call for help, rather than a genuine attempt.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#144
post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you please expand on the type and method of the mental exercises? I'm interested in what worked for you... are you able to describe how someone else could undertake those exercises?

Yes sure. Hope it helps: ------------------------ To start with basics - depression in it's essence is suppressed pain (or blocked energy) within the body. This pain could start with either traumatic event, long exposure to unhealthy, unloving and unfriendly environment or as a consequence of consistently negative thought patterns. Negative thought patterns causes inner emotional unpleasant sensations within the body…

You just discovered Vipassana meditation on your own!

Re: How I Beat Depression

#145
post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes sure. Hope it helps: ------------------------ To start with basics - depression in it's essence is suppressed pain (or blocked energy) within the body. This pain could start with either traumatic event, long exposure to unhealthy, unloving and unfriendly environment or as a consequence of consistently negative thought patterns. Negative thought patterns causes inner emotional unpleasant sensations within the body…

You just discovered Vipassana meditation on your own!

Hehe... I been at Vipassana meditation 10 days retreat actually. I'd say Vipassana is a good foundation as it teaches person to listen to/observe body sensations.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#146

I don't think one can actually beat depression but instead only really cope with the symptoms. I know that sounds awful and kind of defeatist (and I could be wrong) but I think the idea that you can actually conquer this disease sets you up for failure. I first noticed my own depression when I was just a 13 year old kid and first sought help just before the end of high school. I've been through the entire range of em…

Why is this nonsense the top comment? How can you, from your study of a cohort of one, assert that no one can beat depression because you haven't? That's a potentially fatal message you're sending, and it's based solely on your own experiences. People get depressed for all sorts of reasons. It's bad enough that some doctors would lump the majority of patients as being clinically depressed and prescribe drugs that may…

Your edit is why this nonsense is the top comment. Because beat is not the right word and gives the impression that the patient is at fault among other things I go into. My message isn't fatal at all. It's hopeful. I said nothing negative. All I'm saying is that to believe you've beaten depression is a dangerous thing not that there's no hope for anyone who's depressed.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#147
post #114
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are wrong, I beat depression. I don't just 'cope' with it, I actually don't feel depressed any more at all. And this is the rule rather than the exception, most people with depression recover just fine.

Do you have statistics on that? Anyway, "depression" is so vague/broad that it's like measuring whether most people with physical unfitness eventually recover just fine.

[deleted]

Re: How I Beat Depression

#148
post #114
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are wrong, I beat depression. I don't just 'cope' with it, I actually don't feel depressed any more at all. And this is the rule rather than the exception, most people with depression recover just fine.

Do you have statistics on that? Anyway, "depression" is so vague/broad that it's like measuring whether most people with physical unfitness eventually recover just fine.

When I say 'depression' I mean one of the depressive disorders as per DSM criteria. Major depressive disorder is the only one that has > 50% relapse rate. Most depressed people do not have major depression.

Re: How I Beat Depression

#149
post #84

I am wondering if anyone has tried any online intervention for anxiety or depression. Some of them have strong theoretical background (like CBT that is mentioned in another comment). Any impressions?

Online access would make it much more accessible, especially for those who are introverted and have social anxiety like me.
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