What is depression?
Depression is a sickness that we can trace right back to biblical times when we read about Job, who lost fortune and family and was afflicted with boils covering his body. Who wouldn’t be depressed in those circumstances? Today over 75,000 people per year, commit suicide in North America. Investigations reveal that over half of these victims were suffering from depression. Add to that the fact that only a small percentage who attempt suicide actually succeed. Depression can be indeed a terminal illness. It can also be beat and prevented by acquiring a few simple habits.
Who is affected?
Depression seems to be a universal illness that most of us have experienced to some degree in life. We all seem to be susceptible, regardless of position, possessions or popularity. I have met depressed accountants, housewives, pastors, construction workers and businessmen. Even Sir Winston Churchill was given to severe bouts of depression and yet was a great leader at a time of national crisis. Some of the world’s greatest men were plagued with this problem and would fall into a period of depression after some outstanding accomplishment. It seems they had just run out of goals, just as I had when I hit burnout at the age of 27.
What is the cause of depression?
The number-one cause of depression is the lack of clearly defined long-term goals. It is also important to note that it is quite normal to experience depression soon after you have achieved a worthy goal, but before you’ve taken time to set another goal. Depression is also caused by looking inward instead of being focused on helping others. Helping others in need, makes us forget we need help ourselves. Another cause of depression is a chemical imbalance in our bodies. Sometimes this is caused by a lack of physical exercise, and at other times, it is a hereditary thing, and still other times it can be some traumatic experience from our past. Reading and watching negative news can cause depression. The media pumps negativity into our minds because that’s what sells their newspapers and gets their TV ratings up. We become what we think about the most. Being around negative people is a depressing experience in itself. Negative people can get positive people down a lot easier than the other way around. Negative self-talk will cause depression. Our sub-conscious mind receives self-talk messages at the rate of 1200 words per minute. That’s twenty words every second. It’s easy to see how we can talk ourselves up or down very quickly at that rate.
Six Habits that will help you beat depression and live again
Set clearly defined long-term goals in every area of your life. Get involved in something bigger than yourself. There is nothing as uplifting as helping another human being. Have a regular checkup. Where your body goes, your mind follows. Limit your TV time. The top CEO’s only watch an average of five hours of TV per week when the average North American watches five times as much. To be happy and positive, it’s absolutely necessary to surround ourselves with happy and positive people. Talk to yourself in positive manner. It’s amazing how happy some people can be amidst some of life’s saddest experiences. Their joy just continues to radiate, while others seem to find a reason to be depressed over joyful circumstances. Recovery from depression is only possible when we realize that it is our attitude toward circumstances, not the circumstances themselves that cause us to be depressed.
