Pathwalking 189
One of the largest obstacles any Pathwalker will come across is depression.
Today we are going to explore a new avenue, because I am not sure it gets the attention it deserves. Depression afflicts FAR more people than anyone realizes.
The first and most important thing to recognize here is that none of us who suffer depression are alone. All of us experience different reactions and have different triggers, but depression is a lot more common than I think most people are willing to acknowledge.
What is depression? Depends on the person. For some it is a state of sadness, a feeling of incompleteness that makes no sense logically but emotionally is like a dull and constant pain. Like pain, some people experience depression more sharply, for some it is dull. For some it is occasional and for others it is chronic. No matter the label or the kind, depression can be as debilitating as any pain, but to the naked eye is completely invisible.
I believe that depression is one of the reasons people choose to let life live them, rather than making the choices for themselves. When you are struggling with depression there is a simplicity in not making major life decisions or sometimes even minor choices that can be appealing. When depression makes it even harder to go about a given day, it feels easier to let the pattern carry you, and not put forth the effort of conscious reality creation.
Unsurprisingly, this is backwards. Taking the time and making the effort to be awake and aware and conscious will help with depression. This can be akin to stretching a muscle that is pained, and requires you to push past that pain, but as such it is similarly helpful towards recovery.
I can think of no one who completely and totally has overcome depression. You can knock it down, stave it off, change it. You can certainly lessen it. But depression never completely goes away. It lingers, it has certain triggers, and it often feels like it makes absolutely no sense.
I am no expert on this topic, but I have lived most of my adult life with depression. I’ve done therapy, I’ve done a couple rounds of drugs to treat it. I have used meditation and exercise to overcome it. I have in many respects created Pathwalking as a means to work through my depression with focus on consciousness and by being more aware of my emotions.
My triggers are different from yours, most likely. We all have different things that set us off and that generate negativity, which in turns sparks depression. It is an infuriating feeling, because it frequently makes no sense, seems to defy logic and reality and circumstances. When you are surrounded by people you love and who love you that nagging sensation feels totally ridiculous, and that in turn worsens it. Vicious circle, anyone?
What can I do with this knowledge? First – I think it really helps to know none of us are alone with this struggle. It feels like we are alone because this is an entirely internal matter. Yet so many of us cope with this on a regular basis that acknowledging it is ok, and that we are not horridly messed up due to this goes a surprisingly long way towards working with this.
For many years I worked on discovering the roots of my depression. Where did it come from? Why was I having this issue? I have come to realize that it’s a combination of matters, and I was able to identify many of its origins. All well and good, until it creeps back and hamstrings you again.
What is more important than uncovering and working on the root of depression is dealing with the immediate matter. Yes, it can be useful to know what triggers depression, and then work to avoid it. If I want to be depressed all I have to do is read about the upcoming US elections and the stunningly awful Congress and other such matters. Avoiding these, and in many respects avoiding what I perceive as uninformed opinions from some on these topics, keeps me in a better headspace.
More importantly, when I recognize I am feeling depressed I need to not just let go and let life happen around me, I need to work even harder to wrest control. I need to put my focus on the reality I want to consciously create. I need to intentionally choose my path and work to walk it. Depression often ramps up fear and negativity, both of which I have mentioned many times before will throw you off course.
Easier said than done. True. When I am feeling depressed I have a much harder time maintaining my focus, and I get more easily frustrated by how ineffectual I feel. Unlike other emotions which I can take control of and be aware of, depression is a much trickier matter. Depression is a unique and often inexplicable amalgam of pieces of emotions I can barely make sense of, let alone grapple with. Knowing this goes a long ways towards working with it however.
Most importantly, and the reason why I am writing about this today, is to acknowledge that we are not alone. I think if we more open in discussing this state of being, and we share our experiences with it we can overcome it more easily. This struggle does not make any of us lesser, unworthy, or undeserving of the happiness and joy life should hold…but depression can make it feel that way. Knowing this is something everyone struggles with in one form or another, and talking about it instead of sweeping it under the rug can go a long ways towards finding more effective ways to overcome it.
Acknowledgement, gratitude, sharing and avoiding negativity are means to overcome depression, and means we can all do together. I struggle with this beast just like you do. I am grateful that I have a means to communicate this. I will share with you my own experiences when I can. I won’t post to social media negative things you might find a need to avoid.
We are all in this together, so let’s do what we can together to overcome depression when we’re feeling it.
Do you recognize that you don’t need to go at this alone?
This is the one-hundred eighty ninth entry in my series. These weekly posts are specifically about walking along the path of life, and my personal desire to make a difference in this world along the way. Feel free to re-blog and share. Thank you for joining me.
The first year of Pathwalking, including some expanded ideas, is available in print and for your Kindle.
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