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Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,476
Registered: ‎06-27-2010

Re: serious depression

[ Edited ]

 

Many years ago I moved halfway across the country to start a brand new job.  I had no friends or family there and never had lived alone, it was a daunting job involving some major challenges and obstacles, and my anxiety, worries, and then depression really started to kick in.   I found a therapist and talked about the "catastrophizing" -- we can really do a number on ourselves if we let it spiral out of control.    

 

Even though I was terrified (I'm not kidding) of public speaking, one of her suggestions was that I enroll in the Dale Carnegie course.   For more reasons than I can explain, it turned out to be one of the scariest and also the most beneficial things I ever did.

Part of the course involves reading his book "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" and it was a life-changer for me. 

 

(Here's a nice synopsis, helpful to see the thinking behind the process and steps to take.   Copy and paste the link or just search for the various summaries of the book:  westegg.com/unmaintained/carnegie/stop-worry.html)

 

I learned to ask "what's the worst thing that could happen," write down all the possibilities, and then determine what I'd do if each one did happen.   In most cases, I find the "worst things" never do happen (statistics show most of the things we worry about never come to pass) but feeling prepared for them is a powerfully effective dose of peace for the mind and soul.   

 

I hope this will be helpful for you, @gellen, and I hope you see how many of us care about you and want to be of service if we can.   Please let us know how you're doing if you feel comfortable doing so.   There are good people here who will listen, really hear you, and who will offer a supportive heart and caring spirit.❤️

 

Few things reveal your intellect and your generosity of spirit—the parallel powers of your heart and mind—better than how you give feedback.~Maria Popova
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Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,554
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Everything changes.

 

Hang on, this will pass -- not all at once but in parts. 

 

We've been through a lot.  We can barely wrap our heads around how many more have died than were lost in the Viet Nam war.  It's insane that we are expected to believe the virus will disappear soon.

 

Still, we can get through this and be stronger and better that we were.  Keep our rational thinking heads, stay smart, be kind.  We are all in this together and we'll ultimately come through it together, there really is no other way.