I found some Meaning

[LogDog]

Hi Guys, Just been reading about Wild Dingo and his state of affairs. My compassion is being sent to you and your friends. I have been struggling with something similar, but way too complex to even begin to share my story.
However there is hope to all of us who may have depression or resentments and I agree with ruffly rustic about causes. But here are some tips I have since learnt which have helped me move forward.
Positive Affirmations Work Wonders.
If you feel the barrage of negative thoughts entering your brain space listen to them and then say out loud or quietly to yourself the exact opposite 3 times.
e.g. My life is a mess, I cant believe my wife has left me, there must be something really wrong with me, I will be doomed to be alone for the rest of my life.
(sound familiar)
Replace it with My world is beautiful, I am beautiful and loveable and I attract loving relationships into my life. 3X .

Even if you don't believe it, it does not matter, it is simple repetition of the words that re-train the subconscious mind, like the subliminal messages that are now banned from television for being far too effective.

I know this sounds a bit airy fairy to some of you but it has been known and proven to work for centuries. The brain is where change begins. The key is repetition, you must say it daily. Imagine how good you could become at woodwork if you said everyday before entering the shed " I am constantly improving my skills" or" I create perfection everytime"
I have found many books and tapes on the subject and even now practice it myself with amazing results. "The Secret" is a popular explanation for this phenomenon and I just love Louise Hay's books. Here are some philosophies from the book" You can heal your life" by Louise L Hay.
We are each responsible for all of our experiences.
Every thought we think is creating our future.
The point of power is always in the present moment.
Everyone suffers from self hatred and guilt.
The bottom line for everyone is “I'm not good enough”.
It's only a thought and that thought can be changed.
We create every so called illness in our bodies.
Resentment,criticism, and guilt are the most damaging patterns.
Releasing resentment will dissolve even cancer.
We must release the past and forgive everyone.
We must be willing to begin to learn to love ourselves.
Self-approval and Self acceptance in the now are the keys to positive changes.
When we really love ourselves, everything in our life works.

So lets not give up on ourselves or any one else for that matter because we are all suffering and could do with some love.
Love= Kindness + Compassion


Lovingly Laura

[olfella]

Gee thats deep Logdog, but true. I remember putting a sticker on the mirror so each time I shaved it reminded me to say my affirmation. I dont think the rest of the family even noticed it....

[LogDog]

As deep as the oceans. But I am sorry I forgot to state my intentions for this thread.
I would like anyone who is interested to share their tricks, tools, tendencies to survive the debilitating effects of depression or mental illness. We are all effected by it in one way or another and if anyone has some more insights into coping mechanisms I would be delighted.

Another way of coping with issues is not to dwell to much and to stay busy, just don't forget to deal with the problem first.

This is where the chisels and the lathe would come in handy, hey!

[Woodwould]

Here are some philosophies from the book" You can heal your life" by Louise L Hay.
We are each responsible for all of our experiences. I disagree
Every thought we think is creating our future.
The point of power is always in the present moment.
Everyone suffers from self hatred and guilt. Not everyone.
The bottom line for everyone is “I'm not good enough”. Not everyone.
It's only a thought and that thought can be changed.
We create every so called illness in our bodies. I disagree
Resentment,criticism, and guilt are the most damaging patterns.
Releasing resentment will dissolve even cancer.I disagree . I wonder how she would explain one case of a RUC Sergeant, shot by the IRA who is now a vegetable (to all intents and purposes brain dead) and contracted cancer since being invalided? I know of other similar cases too where the sufferer has no power of thought.
We must release the past and forgive everyone.
We must be willing to begin to learn to love ourselves.
Self-approval and Self acceptance in the now are the keys to positive changes.
When we really love ourselves, everything in our life works. I disagree !

I do accept the power of the brain to effect change, but too many of these psycho-babblers go too far in their sentiments.

I've encountered much depression and unfortunately, in most instances, it could have been avoided, or at least addressed before it wreaked its ultimate stroke. Internal conflict can be every bit as devastating as the physical kind.

I wish you well in your endeavours.

Editors Note: - This is also now an EDITED POST

[Chris Parks]

I went through a very stressful time in my life, to the point I just laid on the floor and could not get up, true it wasn't depression or I did not label it as such but it included a heart attack, very minor but it was awake up call. I found during this time that the only periods I was free of symptoms was when I was fully occupied doing manual work as at the time I was building my workshop. My mind had no time to focus on whatever was worrying me so all the chest pains etc went away. It took me over three years to be free of symptoms but then I am a stubborn person and never sought professional help. To this day if I go short of sleep or have periods of stress all the symptoms recur and I am told I will never be rid of them entirely. I reckon the answer is to stay busy but the real trick is being motivated to begin the process. My daughter had a very troubled period in her life, depression, anorexia, boulemia, the whole cocktail and finding her husband to be cured that. She cost me thousands at pyscho babble places when all she wanted was to be loved by someone and her parents did not qualify. Sad but true.

[Wild Dingo]

Laura... I want to meet you!!!

I have no idea what works each of us are different although I do agree with some of the points you raise referring to the author there is no sameness for each of us suffer in our own way... sometimes what works for one works for many and sometimes it just works for one way it is.

For me it was very recent in fact just 2 weeks ago when I fell and cracked my head near died and experienced the incredible of loosing my memory... I realized that life yes LIFE could end in a split second and there was nothing NOT A THING any of us could do about it!

That sparked the survivor in me... now theres a thing ALL of us have a survivor inside us but some stay victims and some surrender to the dog chewing on their throat... All of us choose which way we will be by how we react theres a saying Ive recently taken to heart "If you keep doing the same shyte you will get the same crap" and its true Id kept letting what had happened what I believed should have happened could have happened but didnt I kept playing around in my head the broken wreckage of my love for Jody and kept seeing "a better lifestyle than we had ever had" but failed to see Jodys view... so Ive stopped "doing the same shyte" and am making sygnificant changes so I dont "keep getting the same crap"

Change IS the best way... for me... maybe not for everyone maybe just for me but to change my life to sell the house buy an investmen house get on a plane for a totally foreign place is my way... as I say it may not be anyone elses way or even one other persons but it is the ONLY way I can deal with whats happened.

The other thing Ive done is to "bury" my beautiful wonderful wife of over 25 years in my heart soul and mind as though she had actually passed away last year to accept she is no longer here and the woman who carries her name is someone I dont know very well this has helped me immensely to let go of my memories wants and desires as my mind saw it.

The positive affirmations definantly do work... Without believing in me without first learning to like myself first then to love the person I am I wouldnt be able to be where I now am standing on the precipice of a new life without fear or worry... without having many friends around the world who have shown me their care love and heartfelt warmth toward the person they know... me... Id not have been able to focus on who I am how good a person I am how much I care about others and so be able to first like myself and slowly steadily be able to love the person I am again... without that I had begun to dislike who I am the person I had become while with Jo and after she left and had little self respect or esteem... now I KNOW I will be okay I KNOW life can be good again I KNOW that people like the person I am and I KNOW there will be love in my life once again when it is time it will happen.

So everyone is different and none can have a blanket cure for depression loss of self esteem or respect it comes from within and from those who care love and treasure the person you are... belief in yourself is vital... I guess deep within myself I never lost the basic seed of my belief in me the who what of me personally I just lost sight of it due to the life Id accepted.

Accept second best of yourself and you will only ever experience second best accept nothing but the best of yourself and you will always experience the best... give less than your best and you will accept less than the best give 100% of your best and that will be your return... also relates to relationships that require 100% of your best efforts and communication kindness gentleness patience and respect and you will receive the same in return... do the other and care love respect and communication go out the window and eventually the relationship will end.

Thank you Laura for making such a brilliant effort as I said Id love to meet you positive people are worth bottling in my book!

Ive another final thing I think I will share with you Life is very precious... treat it like it is dont waste one second of your precious life with people who dont like you dont want to be with you or are angry aggressive or negative... hard one really but it gets easier as you work out those who do like you who do want to share your time and life and those who have positive influences in your life... oh and one should try never to be rude or unjust to anyone for everyone has feelings and each time you do it always comes back magnified by 100

Life is to LIVE and we only get one go at it so dont waste a moment of it

Cheers
Shane... who faces an uncertain future with a great deal of trepidation but also masses of excitement of whats to come... all at the age of 52 (YEEEHA!!! Im officially an old fart today!! Yay me!! )

[toolbagsPLUS]

Hi Shane,

Tough stuff huh, mate for what it's worth I've had the "Black Dog" stork me for several years and this little ditty, though not a cure does lend some relief and brings a smile to my face. Hope it does the same for you.

A Little Brown Cork

A little brown cork fell in the path of a whale
Who lashed it down with his angry tail.
But in spite of its blows it quickly arose,
And floated serenely before his nose.
Said the cork to the whale:
“You may flap and splutter and frown,
But you never, never, can keep me down;
For I’m of the stuff
That is buoyant enough
To float instead of drown!”
Anonymous


Cheers

Steve

[JourneyMan]

Laura, just wanted to point you in the direction of two books posted on Shane's similar thread.

Ryan

[LogDog]

I am so glad that some of you are learning the value of positive thinking. It will keep you alive and if you do it enough it can even make you well and rediculously joyous.
The thing is to constantly have relief thoughts, even when your situation seems bleak and your emotions are negative, please reach for thoughts that make you feel better. Tell yourself whatever it takes (positive self dialogue and positive affirmations) to change your upstream thoughts into downstream (relief) thoughts.
Upstream thoughts = any thoughts that create a negative feeling in your body and/or mind. This means you are at a low vibration and not in alignment with your higher self.
Paddling futile strokes upstream.
Downstream thoughts= any thoughts that create a positive lighter feeling in your body and/or mind. This means you are coming into alignment with your higher,creative self and paddling with the flow of life that wants to guide you to all that you desire.

I used to say that if you go with the flow you were a dead fish but now that I understand universal energy flows I know that swimming really hard against the current is not helpful, as all that you desire is downstream. If anyone is interested in this healing style for body, mind and spirit, I recommend reading:

The Astonishing Power of Emotions- Esther and Jerry Hicks.
The Secret-
The Bible-
Love is Letting Go of Fear- Gerald G. Jampolsky
There is a spiritual solution to every problem- Wayne W. Dyer
Anatomy of the spirit- Caroline Myss(PH.D.)
Conversations With God- Neale Donald Walsch
The Power of Now- Eckhart Tolle
Just to name a few.

Peace and blessings to you all.
Laura

[davidurquhart]

I just wanted to encourage dad's who've separated, divorced, or in some other way lost contact with or access to their kids that there is a grass roots organisation called "Dads in Distress" that has meetings in various places - google it. I went to a meeting once when I was utterly miserable and got some valuable insight and fellowship.