Depression

Depression

This is one of the most “scorned” emotions to have in the USA especially. Why, one has to wonder? Some of it is that others are uncomfortable being around depression. Again, why? Are they so unstable in their façade of happiness that being around a depressed person will somehow set them off, tip the balance in their fragile construction of so-called happiness?  If one is truly centered, it does not matter if another is depressed or angry. It is simply weather and you wear a raincoat or go inside.  Is the uncomfortableness because one feels compelled to “help” and then feels angry or helpless around a depressed (or even sad) person because they don’t know how to help (meaning get rid of the depression—because part of real help is simple acceptance)?  Why are depressed people often considered a “downer”?  There are many things for you to personally consider here.

Social and environmental factors can affect mood, even cause depression. For example, if you are Native American living on a reservation, the pain of the destruction of your tribe and beloved Mother Earth is a real pain, and one that is not easily (if ever) addressed). If you are a person of color born into ghetto conditions, even after you “make it out” your sisters and brothers are still there.  Food additives, toxins in the air (including off-gassing), and genetics can all be factors and even causes of depression (and weight gain, anxiety, sexual dysfunction etc.) So depression is not a simple concept nor is it something you can tell people to “get over it” without some investigation into causes. Without data (intuition alone is not enough---Spirit created us with a left brain too, for a reason) you cannot look into different methods of self-care and/or treatment,

However, if you have a fear, prejudice or even revulsion towards “depression” as the Western culture does (unless you are a celebrity) you will run away from delving into why you are feeling depressed and run towards denial or superficial cover-ups.  Many people are already in denial about being depressed because it is such an “unacceptable” expression of feelings.  While there are extreme cases of so-called mental illness, there is a predisposition in this country to over diagnose and over prescribe medication.  Depression is a winter season.  A time of slowing down, hibernation, resting.  It is a time of slow days, hot chocolate, cozy fires and warm beds and gatherings of friends, readings of books. During depression you are forced to be in a relationship with your Self.  You are forced to seek out resources for support, make changes in lifestyle and reprioritize , well, everything, When you are depressed you practice mindfulness , you have too because life is so heavy and slow forcing you notice Everything.  You learn self-care, or you die. You learn never to ever bury your feelings again. You learn to not “not speak” because the price is too high.  You learn to be kind because in your depression you discover that when you buried your feelings   and spiraled into depression, your hurt became rage and that leaked out of you randomly like radiation, hurting everyone in your circle because you were too weakened or crippled to confront what was killing you.  You learn to make amends to your Self and others.

A bout of depression presses you into becoming an authentic person which is ultimately the “cure” for depression. No wonder people are reluctant to be around a “depressed” person.  The authenticity developing in that person as they struggle to become whole and more balanced might infect or confront you.  Authenticity is terrifying for most people in this current point of history. Depression means you are healing. It is a step up from numbing out or addiction in order to numb out.  It does not mean you are a bad person or a “downer”. People who react poorly to your depression do so because you are triggering unhealed emotions in them, stirring up their own unhealed issues and threatening their fragile house of cards of denial.

If you are depressed and completely non-functional, you need some serious help. If you are depressed and getting by, you also need some help. Depression is a red flag that you are out of balance and you may not know if that is from a spiritual (past lives, entities etc.), physical (environmental toxicity, nutritional deficiencies etc.), or emotional source (family, cultural history). It does mean you need help learning to re-balance and you need someone on your side teaching you how to have the courage to feel your feelings and the skills to express those feelings so in the future you can better maintain your balance through life’s challenges.

Journey On