How Are You Stronger Than Depression?

 

You are stronger than depression.

Depression is a liar.  Depression will tell you all kinds of things about who you are, and they are all lies.  It tells you that you are unworthy, undeserving, and that all bad things are what you can have.

But you are worthy, and deserving, and all good things are what you can have.  Depression is lying to you, and though I know it is hard to believe, you ARE stronger than depression.

I have dealt with this a long time, and still struggle with it.  But I know from my own experience that the black dog lies.  The loneliness, the belief in your inferiority, the lack of desire and energy…it is not the truth.

Positivity comes from the certain knowledge that depression is a liar, and when all is said and done, you are stronger than depression.  The stories it tells are not true.  No matter how often you have been told these stories, and no matter how many times you may not have succeeded, come out on top, or felt worthy and deserving, it doesn’t change the truth.  You are amazing, you are worthy and deserving, and you are stronger than depression.

I know how it feels.  Combatting depression is not easy by any stretch of the imagination.  There is literally no one magic pill, and countless methods to treat depression.  What works for me may not work for you.  However, there are still attitude shifters we can employ to help fight depression.

Positivity is stronger than depression.

The thing I strive to remember is that depression is not a creature of the now, but of past and future.  As Lao Tzu said, “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

I am no therapist, but I have spent most of my life combatting depression.  Through trial and error, I have found a few things that tend to subdue depression.

Consciousness creates reality.  Being present is stronger than depression.

When depression is looming over you like a shadow, in addition to seeking help and traditional treatment methods, try some of the following to show it who is boss:

• Listen to upbeat music. A lot of us, when depressed, tend to want melancholy or angry music.  But that only feeds depression.  Change to something upbeat, fun, peppy to generate some positivity.
• Seek out a change of scenery. Get out of the dark by going for a drive, or a walk, rearrange your living room, or anything else to change the scenery.  You are stronger than depression, so why be somewhere that lets it linger?
• Meditate. I know that for some people, this invites an opportunity to let your thoughts overwhelm you.  But it can also serve as a means to calm and still the mind, and release negativity.
• Get physical. Go for a jog.  Lift weights.  Find a punching bag or beat an old mattress with a stick.  Movement, and getting physical can channel away the negativity that depression generates.
• Write it out. Journal away.  Write out everything in your head.  It helps to show that you are stronger than depression when you put it out like that, because then you can burn it or otherwise confront it.  I tend to see that the fear at the root of most of my bouts of depression is something I can overcome when it’s right there in front of me.

You are stronger than depression.

I know it does not feel like the truth, but it is.  Perhaps most importantly, recognize that you are not alone.  I know if feels like you are, and that nobody can truly understand what you are going through…but that’s not the case.  You are not alone, and you have means to combat this, find positivity, and send depression into remission.

I believe in you.  Keep at it.

Finding positivity is not hard, but it does require action.

Knowing that you are stronger than depression, you can work to overcome it, and apply positivity to show it that you are in control.  When we take action to combat depression, and work to overcome its effect on our psyche, we empower ourselves.  When we feel empowered, we often spread that feeling to others around us, and as such can build more positive feelings.  We can use the positive feelings this generates to dissolve negative feelings.  When we take away negative feelings, we open up space to let in positive feelings, and that is something we can be grateful for.  Gratitude leads to happiness.  Happiness is the ultimate positive attitude.  Positive attitude begets positive energy, and that is always a good thing.

This is the two-hundred and fifty-second entry of my Positivity series.  It is my hope these weekly messages might help spread positive energies for everyone.  Feel free to share, re-blog and spread the positivity.

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