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Help for those Depressed ....

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cygnusx1

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I would like to offer some sort of help for those who feel depressed , it has been one of my battles over a number of years , so I can speak from experience to a degree .

I think we would all agree that depression is basically a condition of the mind , usually brought about by our INABILITY to cope with people , problems or just plain loneliness .

If we can just spend a few moments recognising that our mind is like some complex computer with memory and circuitry .

Now , I know we feel depressed and it can be so debilitating , so exhausting and so destructive , especially if we have bad memories of something either conscious or unconscious.

That heavy cloud , that ''black dog on my shoulder'' , that feeling of loss , that feeling of fear .

Now , I do really think that sometimes deep depression can only be handled by professional councillers (and maybe meds) , but I would hope that most of us can attempt some sort of self help .
Don't always assume that "the professionals" have all the answers , and don't always assume meds are the answer. Personally I would steer well clear of meds unless there is no alternative.

Back to self help.
Consider your mind is a tender , small child , that can be easily harmed and easily manipulated.
What should we do with a small child ?
Protect it from the world .
In much the same way , because some of us have tender , delicate and sensitive minds , we need to expend energy by working to keep our minds safe , healthy and secure .

Consider the things that make us depressed .
Many of the threads here share similar concerns , some show utter bewilderment and an inability to deal with tradgedy , like a news broadcast of some catastrophe , like recent Hurricanes , earthquakes and famines.
Others show real fear about such topics as the Rapture .

Our aim throughout this life is to be able to function at a "normal" level , but because we are individuals , some of us will have much more pain contemplating suffering and death than others.

My advice , and it is honest straight advice , is consider the things that trigger your anxieties and depressions and AVOID them!
Plain and simple , don't watch the news , don't listen to anything that will send you into ''the gloom''.
This does not mean "put on some smile" , like fake your self into happiness , that may work on the surface , but it will not really help the underlying cause.
Make every effort to feed your mind with good things .... things that support and encourage happy thoughts.
Consider doing something spontanious , a trip to the zoo , go see a brass band , learn how to grow vegetables. , also time spent in creativity , art , writing , poetry , music. .. will certainly help keep your mind away from dark thoughts if done correctly .

Whatever you do , aim at protecting your mind , it is an amazing part of you , but it does need looking after.

As a further thought , and I know this does work , if you are feeling depressed and you find yourself being drawn downhill , do some really hard work ...... go mow that lawn , and paint that fence .
Take up jogging and eat healthy food ......... when you experience the joy of accomplishing something , you will get good feelings of peace and well being , and if you have worked at something physical for a number of hours , tiredness can also be beneficial........... we all need to sleep better.

These thought are mine , I have struggled to maintain a balanced mind , I still do.Nothing here is fancy , just straight honest words that I sincerely hope will help as many as come here for whatever reason.

Feel free to share , your thoughts , experiences , with one condition ........... please don't ever speak negatively .... try and condition your thoughts so that you have this attitude .......... "ONWARDS AND UPWARDS "


GOD BLESS YOU MY FRIEND!
 
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BarbB

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Cygnus - when did you turn 100 years old? I must have missed your birthday. :D

I'm going off Paxil in a week or two. I've been on it for 5 years and know that I'm going to feel pretty bad for a while. I decreased the dose and had no recurrence of my symptoms which were sort of obsessive depression. I'll let you know when I do so because I'll want lots of prayers, friend! :hug:
 
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cygnusx1

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newlamb said:
Cygnus - when did you turn 100 years old? I must have missed your birthday. :D

I'm going off Paxil in a week or two. I've been on it for 5 years and know that I'm going to feel pretty bad for a while. I decreased the dose and had no recurrence of my symptoms which were sort of obsessive depression. I'll let you know when I do so because I'll want lots of prayers, friend! :hug:

God Bless you newlamb!!
(105 years old but the silly machine only goes to 100 :p )

I woke up this morning with another straight thought for this thread .......... there are those who will greatly benefit from learning scripture , I mean memorising it , now this may be for you newlamb , it may seem difficult to begin with but see how it goes , see if you can learn and recite the entire Gospel of John!

My wife used to do that years ago , and I do feel the mind of most of us needs occupying , less we give it room to drift into negativity.

Of course I will pray for you newlamb (thanks for the message)
''There are more that stand on our side no matter what you see'' :wave:

Love Cygnus
 
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cygnusx1

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Romans 12:2

Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. (WEB)

And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (ASV)

And let not your behaviour be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God. (BBE)

And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (DBY)

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (KJV)

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God. (WBS)

And do not follow the customs of the present age, but be transformed by the entire renewal of your minds, so that you may learn by experience what God's will is--that will which is good and beautiful and perfect. (WEY)

and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what 'is' the will of God -- the good, and acceptable, and perfect. (YLT)
 
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Evie

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thanks for posting this,funny thing is,I was on looking around for something on depression and came across this. Strange,no I don't think so.
Anyways I suffer from depression terribly. I have always been a happy person. Now,I'm trying to figure out what my problem is?
 
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cygnusx...

much of what you said i totally agree with. I do feel that the remedy is in the mind, or thinking about good things. I've had depression since leaving school around 20 years ago, but many people say i am upbeat, cheery etc, which is true, but i also struggle with depression. I try to find little things to be grateful for such as the warmth of the sun, the birds singing, and so on.
Also, it's important to take those small steps and move on from the past.
Most importantly, don't shut yourself off from others.
 
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cygnusx1

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[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=+1]Philippians 4:8 [/size][/font]​
http://bible.cc/philippians/4-9.htmhttp://bible.cc/colossians/1-1.htmhttp://bible.cc/colossians/1-1.htm

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things. (WEB)

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (ASV)

For the rest, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things have honour, whatever things are upright, whatever things are holy, whatever things are beautiful, whatever things are of value, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, give thought to these things. (BBE)

For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are amiable, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if any praise, think on these things. (DBY)

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (KJV)

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things. (WBS)

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever wins respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovable, whatever is of good repute--if there is any virtue or anything deemed worthy of praise--cherish the thought of these things. (WEY)

As to the rest, brethren, as many things as are true, as many as 'are' grave, as many as 'are' righteous, as many as 'are' pure, as many as 'are' lovely, as many as 'are' of good report, if any worthiness, and if any praise, these things think upon; (YLT)[/font]​
 
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cygnusx1

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cygnusx1 said:
God Bless you newlamb!!
(105 years old but the silly machine only goes to 100 :p )

I woke up this morning with another straight thought for this thread .......... there are those who will greatly benefit from learning scripture , I mean memorising it , now this may be for you newlamb , it may seem difficult to begin with but see how it goes , see if you can learn and recite the entire Gospel of John!

My wife used to do that years ago , and I do feel the mind of most of us needs occupying , less we give it room to drift into negativity.

Of course I will pray for you newlamb (thanks for the message)
''There are more that stand on our side no matter what you see'' :wave:

Love Cygnus

How to Memorize Scripture




http://www.memoryverses.org/tricks.htm
 
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cygnusx1

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[size=+2]Building A Healthy Mind"[/size]



A healthy mind is the product of disciplined thinking that has a positive Biblical focus.

PASTOR: Eugene Harder Sept. 26/93 S93\HEMIND-S.911

In study six I made a comment that some of you said "aye" to and others said "nay" to it. If you've never suffered a major hurt, grief or loss or experienced depression you probably said "aye". If you've suffered a major hurt, grief or loss or experienced depression you probably said "nay".

The provocative comment I made was, "many times prolonged depression and hurt slips into sophisticated thumb sucking." Anyone who has suffered deep hurts and losses experiences grief. Marilyn Heavilin, best selling author of "Roses in December" says, "Grief is the process of facing the death of a dream."

Most of us begin life with idealistic expectations for the future. We dream of a storybook romance and life in a cosy home on tree lined boulevard with emerald green manicured lawns. We dream of a job in which we can maximize our gifts, talents, abilities and education. We'll have children who always say, "please" and "may I". They'll have a garden wedding at our estate under clear blue skies and then live happily ever after.

Before our fifth birthday someone takes a machete to our dream. Abuse, divorce, recession and the random accidents of life seem to leave us with half a dream. Dreams die young and at a tender age we begin to experience grief. We ask, "How long should normal healthy grieving last? " How will I know when I've crossed the line between grief and self-pity, between the death of a dream and thumb sucking?

Our society is anxious for us to "get over it" and "return to normal." Consequently many people bury their pain alive without resolution. I know of people who go on trips immediately following a funeral or they remove all pictures and belongings of the loved one who died. What they are doing is burying the pain alive without proper grief and resolution. How long does proper grief take?

It appears King David mourned the death the Amnon for nearly three years. (2 Samuel 13) How long do you grieve the death of your dreams? For each dream the answer will be different. How do I know when I have crossed the line from grief to self-pity? I don't have a list of ten indicators that identify self-pity. I do have from scripture a list of indicators of a healthy mind. As I share these with you ask yourself, "Do these indicators accurately describe the state of my mind? " I believe the Holy Spirit will make that known to you if you give Him an opportunity by reading the bible regularly.

I. The Thinking Focus Of A Healthy Mind

1. A Healthy Mind has the Focus of a Disciple. "But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on his laws and thinking about ways to follow him more closely. (Ps 1:2 TLB) That verse talks about a vital connection with God. The healthy mind delights in walking in God's ways. The healthy mind finds the strength and discipline to closely follow God. This implies the mind of a learner. Does this describe your current mental state?

2. A Healthy Mind Has The Focus of a Worshipper. "Those wonderful deeds are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them. (Psalm 77:12 TLB) Think of the mind set of a shepherd. Day and night away from the cares and worries that most of us are subjected to. The focus is on the God of creation and seeking to understand His ways. True worship is one of the central ingredients of a healthy mind. Worship is the best therapy I know for broken, battered dreams.

Worship is the best prescription in the world for the virus of self-pity. You cannot simultaneously worship God and suck your thumb. Do you want to know if you have crossed the line from grieving to self-pity? Do you worship God or do you worry about the swift kick life delivered to you?

3. The Healthy Mind Grasps Personal God Appointed Responsibility. "I couldn't rest, I couldn't sleep, thinking how I ought to build a permanent home for the Ark of the Lord, a Temple for the mighty one of Israel. Then I vowed that I would do it; I made a solemn promise to the Lord. (Psalm 132:2 TLB)

God has a role for each of us to fulfil in life. A healthy mind is occupied with the joys of the task at hand. You won't hear it complaining about being so busy, no time for myself, I'm pulled this way and that way and nobody has it as bad as I have it. The healthy mind says, "Lucky me, God trusts me with His ministry. I am a labourer together with God. Isn't that grand, I can store up treasures in heaven." When you find delight in God appointed responsibility, instantly, self-pity will exit your life and your days of thumb sucking will be over.

Victor Frankl, the Austrian psychiatrist who was sentenced to the Jewish death camps of World War II asked himself why some prisoners could take the brutality of the camp. Why did they become healthy people who gave away their food to the sick while others stole food, gorged themselves and apathetically collapsed. In watching his fellow inmates, he discovered that some grew not because they suffered less but because they had reason to accept their suffering.

Despite torture they clung to life because they clung to finishing a book, returning to their children, or to helping others bear suffering. Frankl also discovered that what seemed his greatest tragedy, the destruction of his manuscript containing his life work, was really responsible for his survival of the concentration camp ordeal. Stronger than the pain of the Nazi torture was his desire to reconstruct the lost manuscript. Even in the midst of a delirium from typhoid fever, he clung to life and wrote his thoughts on prison scraps.

Where loss of a manuscript made others give up life, Frankl made it a reason to endure all and live. As Frankl concluded, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." When we see the growth possible from the loss of a manuscript or any hurt, we are giving ourselves a why to accept suffering and forgive. Even in a concentration camp we remain free to choose whether to be true to our God appointed responsibility or collapse in a heap of self-pity.

4. A Healthy Mind Functions In The Role Of A Peacemaker "Then make my joy complete by being like&shy;minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." (Phillipians 2:2 NIV) "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (2:5 KJV) "I beg Euodias, and Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. (4:2 KJV) A healthy mind hums when there is harmony. The mind that is gripped by self-pity is to absorbed by it's own pain to promote happiness in others. 5. A Healthy Mind will Focus of Positive Progress. "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. (Proverbs 16:3 KJV) The healthy mind doesn't spend all it's time contemplating it's navel. There comes a time when it says, "The time has come for this dream, this vision the Lord gave me to become a reality. I must initiate steps of action. I must begin to move.

http://www.newhope.bc.ca/93-09-26.htm
 
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Evie

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"Most of us begin life with idealistic expectations for the future. We dream of a storybook romance and life in a cosy home on tree lined boulevard with emerald green manicured lawns. We dream of a job in which we can maximize our gifts, talents, abilities and education. We'll have children who always say, "please" and "may I". They'll have a garden wedding at our estate under clear blue skies and then live happily ever after.

Before our fifth birthday someone takes a machete to our dream. Abuse, divorce, recession and the random accidents of life seem to leave us with half a dream. Dreams die young and at a tender age we begin to experience grief. We ask, "How long should normal healthy grieving last? " How will I know when I've crossed the line between grief and self-pity, between the death of a dream and thumb sucking?

Our society is anxious for us to "get over it" and "return to normal." Consequently many people bury their pain alive without resolution. I know of people who go on trips immediately following a funeral or they remove all pictures and belongings of the loved one who died. What they are doing is burying the pain alive without proper grief and resolution. How long does proper grief take?"





this is me right here, ya hit the nail right on the head.
it's just so true,we grow up thinking everything will be like a "Cinderella story" and then WHAM! Is it me or do others suffer this also?
 
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cygnusx1

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itsgood said:
I just don't care about getting better

but you care enough to let others know ! ;)

methinks you do care , but you are in a mental "rut" and have almost given up ............ you need to have your mind transformed .... have you a reason to be depressed?
 
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Evie

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itsgood said:
well I have trouble in social situations and can't cope with change so I will not be able to hold down a job or get married my whole life and so I think there is not any point to me being alive so I pray to God that I will die soon
with negative thinking like that,you won't. Becareful what you say and think. Don't wish you could die,I pray thay that you do not and that you do get better. You need to think positive especially in today's society.
Remember: WE CAN DO ALL THINGS
 
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cygnusx1

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itsgood said:
well I have trouble in social situations and can't cope with change so I will not be able to hold down a job or get married my whole life and so I think there is not any point to me being alive so I pray to God that I will die soon

excuse me , but I don't accept your feelings at all.

You have been convinced by some people that this may be the case , I am here to say to you that this is not the case.

Your mind may not be functioning correctly but that can be treated and healed. God still heals today , do you know that ?

I think most people who have a "problem" look for ''experts'' to come up with some answers , and what they get for their troubles is a "new" physiological condition ....and some trial drugs..... and they then tell the person with the problem that they have made a correct diagnosis..... which they will give a new label to and congratulate themselves of their skill.

The problem is when we simply trust 'science' we eliminate a whole Spiritual dimension.

If you have trouble in social situations , what are they ?
do you shout out swear words?
Do you misunderstand concepts like sarcasm and humour ?
Do you find people impossible ? why ?

many of these conditions I truly believe can be treated with prayer and with a whole new approach to the mind and it's social conditioning .

here is a question ....... can dogs suffer from your "condition" ?
 
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itsgood

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no dogs cannot suffer from my condition. I don't shout swear words out but I think them. Sometimes I misunderstand sarcasm. I am sorry I really don't want to have negative thoughts but I have tried and prayed for so long and God hasn't healed me I have given up, you are welcome to pray for me if you want as many have done before
 
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Evie

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itsgood said:
no dogs cannot suffer from my condition. I don't shout swear words out but I think them. Sometimes I misunderstand sarcasm. I am sorry I really don't want to have negative thoughts but I have tried and prayed for so long and God hasn't healed me I have given up, you are welcome to pray for me if you want as many have done before
praying for you
 
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