Resistance

Resistance Isn’t it a strange thing about humans, how resistance we can be? For example, a person may know that he or she needs to lose weight, quit smoking, work harder, and yet the opposite comes to roost and the person becomes resistant to the thing that he or she knows is the better choice. We often sabotage our own success. A video for you: Reading: 1. Allow yourself to feel your emotions and recognize them as protective, self-preserving signals from your subconscious. 2. Accept your emotional reaction to change and give your feelings expression. Expressing your feelings is healthy, as long as it is not at anyone else’s expense. Cry if you are sad, laugh if you are joyous, and scream if you feel frustrated (you may want to consider screaming into a pillow or when you are alone in your car!). Talk to someone you trust, or write or “journal” if that is more your style. You need to give yourself the opportunity to release emotional energy before you can get logical and practical about the change. 3. Explore the messages your emotions are bringing to you. Ask, “What are my feelings telling me?” Be nonjudgmental and honest with yourself—especially when you examine your negative emotions. 4. Write down your hopes as well as your fears and concerns in a journal or on a piece of paper. Things are a lot less scary when they are not whirling aimlessly in your head. Sometimes your fears have no base in reality, but you can’t see that until you look at them closely. 5. Write down your questions about the change and try to find out the answers to as much of them as you can. Remember—less “unknown” means less “fear”! 6. Study what you have written. Doubtless all the outcomes you consider are possible—but which ones are most probable? Identify and focus on those that are likely to happen and let go of the far-fetched concerns for now. 7. Prepare yourself the best way you can for the likely outcomes. Control and influence what you can in the process and let go of the rest. There is no point in wasting energy on something you cannot do anything about. Make a transition plan that considers all your options, your support system, and your behavioral response to change. Excerpt from "Change Thrivers—Your Resource Guide for Making Change Work" www.ChangeThriversBook.com

Trauma

As I mentioned in an earlier post, depression is not trauma, but trauma can bring about depression. When a person has experienced trauma, it can make the person feel stuck and unable to move forward in life. Horrific events are traumatic, but also traumas include losing a job, experiencing a divorce, being bullied, or other losses that to others might seem trite, but for some they are debilitating. Read here to learn more about Trauma and PTSD How do you move forward from trauma? It takes time and re-programing the mind. This can be done through cognitive therapy, hypnosis, or a combination of both and other techniques, such as narrative therapy. If you would like to learn more about these on you own, you can learn more here More information on PTSD and effective treatments can be found here. A revolutionary treatment can be found here There are some positive effects of trauma Life is difficult in many ways, and starting over again from a trauma takes time, a good support system, and changing the way one does things. Trauma can be a good teacher and lessons it teaches can make you stronger in many ways.

Depression Session One

Depression Session One

6/4/2014

I write about depression again, because it is one of the things I deal with on a regular basis, both with clients and also for myself. I think it is a wretched thing that torments people from the inside out. I have seen people that would have good reason to be depressed that weren't, and some people who are very sensitive about many things, and therefore often depressed. It is a mindset, which stems from the conversations that we have with ourselves.

I want to clarify that depression is not the same as trauma. If you have had a horrible event in your life then you are working through something that takes time to heal, that is not the same as depression. I will discuss more on trauma on a different blog.

Depression is a personal experience that has some roots in genetics and some from childhood,but it is a workable condition. Medication can be helpful, but one still needs to do the work to control the mind.

So, think about this, if you cannot use the word “I” then you cannot be depressed, because depression often stems from thoughts about yourself and how you d feel you are not good enough and so on. I would like to share a quote with you from Eknath Easwaran : "Dwelling on oneself is the root cause of most personal problems. The more pre-occupied we are with our private fears, resentments, cravings - the more power they have over us." Googlebooks

Here are some Other thoughts on depression

Other countries and depression

You may want to read some quotes about depression:

Some say that depression is selfish.

Here is something to listen to. It is very peaceful that can help you with anxiety,depression, and procrastination.

I also have an audio that you can listen to, that you may find helpful:

Ok, enough of that, now it is time to put a little fun in your life each day: http://www.mindspringshealth.org/wp-content/uploads/Calendar_2014_Main_small.pdf