I posted this article on Helium:

I suffered for many years from Depression. Finally in 2001 I was diagnosed with severe depression and put on medication. After three months I was still not feeling better. I could not take care of myself nor of my children, which pulled me further into Depression.

Then one day, as I was laying in my bed all crawled up under the blanket, I had the thought: "No one and nothing is going to help you". "You are the only one that can do something about this". I did not know where to start so I just started to say to myself:" You are not depressed". In the beginning I still crawled into my bed, but the times I did got fewer and the length I stayed in bed got shorter.

Today I am Depression free; I have been for 5 years now. My life is full of Joy and takes up all space. I understand today that we create through our I AM being. We have a choice and are only victims to our experiences as long as we have believe to be.

If life is not going the way you would like it to go....choose again.

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May your awareness be perfection

Congratulations on your success. It might make the drug companies mad though.

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InterfaithForums.com-Where your ideas and beliefs count.

You hit the nail on the head L.K.

There is so much knowledge out there that people could benefit from, yet it is held back by those in "power" for reasons that lack compassion. I might burn my fingers one day, but I will speak what I have come to know as true, against all scientific proof.

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May your awareness be perfection

Congrat's Viv! That is awesome you overcame your depression! You did it without medications? Sweet i got a couple friends who suffer from depression and i got a cousin who is like taking 21 different meds to get her thru the day that is crazy i just don't believe in taking all that medication if you take so many drugs don't they counteract one another ? '


Anyways contrats viv that is a great accompolishment!

Hi 'Vivamis123',

I'm glad you found a way out of your depression.
I'm not much a believe in 'pharma' to solve our problems(though I do think some people 'may' not it in extreme circumstances.).
One thing about the 'pharma' stuff is that these are 'pushed' onto people who really need a good therapist, and they are far and few these days...., because its become pretty much an 'industry', and the bottom line rules.

I really think people are quite lucky if they 'survive' the spectacle(for a better word) of these 'Legal Drug Pushers', and their psychotropic band-aides on 'real emotions' that are contingent(and proportional) to the decaying decadence we see all about us.
*What conscious individual, cannot be crying inside with what they see going on about us? To me, the 'depressed' person is the normal one, because they haven't suffered becoming 'de-personalized' from 'what is'.

Others have mentally tricked themselves(and I guess we have to to some extent) to dis-associate from this reality(and its a hard reality, so I guess its understandable), but then they just become part of the so-called mainstream 'think' that the majority holds.
'Majority' doesn't mean 'correct'.,,, in fact this is quasi 'Group Think'(follow the herd, etc), and that is a destroyer of society, and worlds too.

'Individuality' is the thing which should be valued above all else, and with that are your 'Emotions'- which you are entitled too,, but others would rather you not have(because those 'emotions' come with contingent thoughts, and those thoughts are 'contrary' to the desired 'conformist' thinking and its paradigm).
'Paradigm', and 'Conformist': Possibly with the 'right' Paradigm, one could make an arguement for 'Conformity', but I 'dare'( ) say, that considering our Environmental 'crisis', conformity to the paradigm we've seen over the past 200 years('Industrial Oil Paradigm'), we've had it all wrong.

Proof: What I have been saying would have branded me a Communist at one time(maybe still), however, I am not any of 'there' Labels(no matter how hard they might try), and I can only wonder what the board members here think of my diatribes.
*I know one thing(I've said it before), "you cannot profit off your brother...because what you do to your brother you are doing to 'G-d', and would anyone dare profit off 'G-d'?" Answer is "no"..

I'll end with this, to 'Feel Emotion' when you 'know something is wrong', is the most normal of things, and it doesn't need medication, it needs 'Love and Understanding'.
Most of all, 'Collectively', we must all wake up before its too late.
Most important is that we talk our mind and not be intimidated.

Your 'Heart'(Conscience) knows the Truth of how things are, because that is where 'G-d' put it.

'Vivamis123',, 'G-d' knows your Heart, so let that be your strength.

An excerpt Posted by vivamis123
Then one day, as I was laying in my bed all crawled up under the blanket, I had the thought: "No one and nothing is going to help you". "You are the only one that can do something about this". I did not know where to start so I just started to say to myself:" You are not depressed". In the beginning I still crawled into my bed, but the times I did got fewer and the length I stayed in bed got shorter.

I was depressed years ago also, so I completely related to what you wrote about depression.

In fact the part above about you laying in bed...was me...

You are right..People need to 'choose' whether they want to be a victim or survivor and be happy....

However, I also believe that people need to cycle their pain...vent their sorrow....face their anguish....and by doing so...heal and survive...

I give all to God now..I appreciate life and all that I have..

God gives me peace when I am anxious..so now I am able to help others..with understanding and hope..

God bless you..I see He already has...

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~Don't Worry About Tomorrow, God Is Already There~
LadyMatty

There's a history of depression in my family... last year it hit my mom really badly. I've not been diagnosed, but I know I have it too.

I studied psychology for a while, and one thing it taught me is that chemical solutions are temporary... sorta like just supressing the symptoms rather than dealing with the real problem.

Mom has a sunlight lamp, really helped her. For myself, I found meditation helps. (I've been meditating regularly for a while now... when I went home for Christmas, I slipped out of the habit for a whole ten days, and the depression came back really badly.) The problem arises when I get trappped in the vicious circle of being depressed, so not feeling inclined to meditate, so feeling more depressed...

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http://www.fireinthehapter.co.uk - A hapless webcomic

Yes Falin...and thanks for sharing. It is a vicious circle once you are in it and it takes a lot of will power to truly step out of it and leave it behind....but it's so worth it : )

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May your awareness be perfection

Thank you for that, its always inspiring to hear personal stories like this - it always helps to know you are not alone. It has always been my understanding that while medication might help lift the depression enough for the person to be able to function again, real healing requires self-help methods and therapy designed to support and help the person experiencing it. Luckily, when I had post-natal depression I had a supportive GP (family doctor) who while he did prescribe medication as a short-term measure, also put me in contact with a support group that had a six week programme and phone support which proved invaluable. The resources available from the NZ mental health foundation are good, and not solely focused on medication.

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Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. Marie Curie

Congratulations to all who have lifted your selves up from depression. Although I agree that some forms of depression can be temporary and a person can come to terms with it and rise up using different forms of therapy or have a spiritual awakening, I am also an advocate for those who are chronically depressed and suffer from anxiety that is of an inherited nature.

I am one who has been depressed from childhood...or I should say from birth and came to realize this depression and anxiety condition was not something that could easily be alterned when the condition is inherited from the gene pool. I will be eternally grateful for medication which helped to keep me stable enough to function through out my life or I most likely would not be here to write this today. I'm also grateful for the psych therapy I muddled through and the alternative therapies I used, my spiritual quests and working diligently on being responsible for myself, yet it was not enough to completely bring the chemical imbalance into balance. I am not writing this to dismiss miracles or the idea that people who have this chronic condition can not change their chemistry through other channels but for me, it did not happen that way which is why I felt the need to post this because many times in my past I felt ever so guilty, even shameful that I was just not doing enough or doing it the right way which only put more of a burden on me. I have come to realize that I am who I am and have accepted my limitations in some areas and also my strengths and no longer struggle with trying to shape myself into something different or feel I'm not understanding. This is my transformation, my healing, amid prevailing depression and anxiety.

Thanks for the opportunity to share.

SaraLee