What is “depression” anyhow? Is it really real? It most certainly feels real in the midst of it and yet our feelings are not our facts, or so I’m told. And why is “depression” seemingly destined to plague writers, artists and scientists? Is this a special designation that would otherwise be honorable if we didn’t, as a society, judge it different? If society was built around the eccentricities of artistic and scientific madness, wouldn’t that then be the norm and we might perceive the rest of the world as walking zombies, maniacs engaging in pointless activity, autistic, obsessive-compulsive, lepers or a bunch of heathens??? And in that sense, the word “depress-ion” hardly seems apropos. It seems “alive-sion” might be better suited.
Is “depression” only perceived as “depression” because of how it looks from the outside? Would it still be called “depression” if you could see it from the inside? And for the one who is “feeling” it from the inside, does it feel “depress”ing because it is a battleground between calling and purpose and desire vs. expectation, obligation and responsibility? And then further compounded by the act of depressing the former in the interest of the latter?
Depression is a really serious disease, but I think of it like it’s an allergy to life. Just the right combination of relationship issues, financial issues, what I had to eat that day, etc. will trigger depression for me, which can be a downward spiral. The more depressed I am, the more I create situations that lead to more depression. For example: happy people avoid me, but depressed people are drawn to me.
I’ve learned to recognize the early warning signs of an oncoming depression and I use a bag full of tricks to take a quick detour to Happyville whenever I can feel it coming on. (Not that kind of bag!)
I’m not suggesting that everyone should do this, but the most effective trick for me is “fake it ’till you make it”. Kind of like being an actor/actress. If you pretend to be happy long enough, eventually the depression passes and life returns to normal. This usually takes a couple of days or so, but it works great for me.
Now, if you really want to go down the rabbit hole… Many leading quantum physicists agree that there are an infinite number of parallel universes that exist in very close proximity, and that our consciousness exists in the universe that matches our vibrational frequency. I believe that we shift through these universes at will by changing our own vibration/emotional state. So, when we I force myself to be happy and expect good things to happen for me and my family and friends, I’m actually shifting to a reality where those things exist.
So, do you want the blue pill, or the red pill, Neo?
All during my studies, I thought depression was a head game. Then after my son, I had mild post-partum… everything in my life was good, but my body was telling my head that I was depressed. It was as interesting as it was difficult and passed quickly without meds. My education was still pretty fresh, so I had that insight into exactly what “it” was. I took this as a life lesson to not judge others who have this physical condition all the time.
In my periods of “normal depression” – when hard times have come, I’ve not experienced this physical issue.
I won’t be able to leave the office today at noon since my backup person left the office ill. So I’m writing my break 🙂
I think depression plagues people like us because we are supersensitive- that’s how come we’re so creative…
I hope you are okay!
Love,
Laurie