Dealing with Depression and Anxiety

With the current whirlwhind of craziness about, many people who have a tendency toward depression and anxiety (which includes Ms. Sanity, gentle reader…) can be tending to struggle more than usual, due to the extra economic stress happening in most countries right now. At times like these, it’s important to pay extra attention to what one is putting into one’s mind, body, and spirit. What I find helps me, also, is to pay attention to the people that I surround myself with. When I am really struggling, I have to make an effort to reach out to my upbeat, positive thinking friends–and limit my contact with the real negative nay sayers. I also try to increase my intake of books, positive-oriented blogs, and other uplifting and inspirational items… and I’ve included a few favorites in this post. Unfortunately, some people-particularly people who have never themselves dealt with serious depression and anxiety – are very quick to just say “oh, well, snap out of it.” I know it’s tempting to throttle those people and say В ”Hey, If I could, I freakin’ would, all right?” but throttling is considered bad form, generally speaking.

David Burns, MD’s “Feeling Good,” was one of the first and best practical books I came across as I was working on my depressive self in my early 20′s. (I had been, I would say, clinically depressed since my teen years, if not before.) This book has a bazillion helpful hints, and lots of case histories to help the reader see and feel that they are NOT alone. I’d recommend this to anyone. It helped me tremendously.

I also found “You Can’t Afford the Luxury of A Negative Thought” both hysterical and very, very helpful and thought provoking. It has a ton of interesting quotations interspersed throughout, which of course I like. I believe this book also has a workbook that you can use to go through the book but the workbook is of course not necessary to gain a great deal out of reading the book.

Depression and anxiety can indeed be a crippling illness for those with severe cases of it. There is no question in my mind that some people need medication for it. (I just rather doubt that MILLIONS of people need medication for it, but that’s beside the point.) The thing is that you don’t have to suffer and be miserable. There is help available, in the form of good books, uplifting blogs (see the “Gratitude Blog” in my blogroll) along with about a trillion other ones. But most of all, don’t try to go it alone. Talk to someone you trust, reach out online, even. People with depression and serious anxiety do get better–sometimes a lot better. But it’s pretty rare for that to “just happen.” Usually effort must be made, in one way or another, or through working with an excellent therapist, counselor, and/or psychiatrist. The good ones of those professions are worth their weight in gold, and I assure you, they are out there.

Never doubt for one second that things can get better. They can, and they do. Ms. Sanity is living proof!
Feel free to let me know of any resources that you think should be shared with other gentle readers here.

June 7, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: Resources, Sane, Tips

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