Overcoming Depression

The aura of depression around our client was so heavy it could be cut with a knife. She'd lost her husband a few years back. Even though she’d been sober for many years, she relapsed and couldn't stop drinking until she came to us. Her children didn't speak to her anymore. Her health was bad. She didn't have a job. As I listened to her, I almost became depressed myself. After all, who wouldn't find these circumstances overwhelming?

Yet what value is there in letting our minds dwell on negativity? If we only think about the bad experiences, then we're going to wallow  in a muck of depression that eventually will take us down. We'll either go back to drinking or drugging or succumb to illness. We can't live a productive life in these circumstances.

But how do we escape when bad things that happened seem to drag us down? There are no easy answers. But there are suggestions that can help us overcome our past.

First, we must live in the present. We might take inventory and say "well this is what I have left, what am I going to do with it?" Aside from medication there are natural things we can do to help us overcome depression. There is exercise, meditation, and prayer. Another way to overcome depression is to get involved. Perhaps this woman could attend more 12-step meetings. Or join a church. Or she could counsel the younger women who come into the program. After all, having lived half of her life, she has a wealth of experience to share.

The point is to take action; its harder to be depressed when we're in motion.