Depression and Moods- Check in! (Page 4)

runrachierun,

I hope you're doing a bit better today....things can just get so freakin' overwhelming sometimes, especially when you don't see a way out.  Please let us know how you are!

Let me put in a small plug for CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) - I can sure understand why it seems kinda kooky if you're just reading about it.  But I had this in my last round of counseling with HUGE success! The basic premise is that when you have thoughts and emotions, your brain produces a certain chemistry that correlates to that emotion that affects your body.  For example, when you're sad (emotion) your brain produces certain chemicals and then you cry (physical reaction).  When you're nervous (emotion) your brain produces certain chemicals that make your stomach tense and your blood pressure go up (physical reaction).  But if you get stuck in a certain emotional pattern, you can get stuck in certain brain chemistry pattern too - kind of like a habit or addiction even - and they feed off of each other. Your brain chemistry gets in a rut that you need to break out of.

What cognitive behavioral therapy does is work on breaking those brain chemisty habits by breaking the thought pattern habits.  In essence, you're slowing down your thinking and testing your thoughts for a) truth, b) helpfulness, and c) healthiness.  If your thoughts fail the test, you reject them and consciously work on changing your thinking.  An example - let's say I have a poor body image (which I do).  I may think of myself as grossly obese.  That is factually untrue, is not helpful to my everyday life, and is destructive to my self esteem.  Those thoughts fail the test.  Therefore, I must reject that kind of thinking and adopt the more accurate view that while I have weight to lose, I am not unhealthy or incredibly fat.  I can do some things to improve my weight, so I have some control and affect on the issue.  That is more positive thinking and far more productive, and better brain chemistry follows.

I hope that explains things a little bit better.  CBT is a pretty valuable tool once you get the hang of it.  So often I catch myself thinking horrible things about myself that just pull me down and then I have knee-jerk reactions to them, rather than slowing down and trying to figure out where those horrible thoughts came from and whether or not they are true. I was alarmed at first to realize how many negative things I had internalized that were really just flat out lies.  Lies that I inferred from my childhood or absorbed from our crazy culture. Junk like I'm not lovable, I have to be perfect all the time or no one will like me, I have no worth in an of myself, etc.  All lies - and it took a good bit of effort and practice to toss that stuff out.

OK...I've written my novel for the day.  Give us a holler back and let us know how you are!

Hey guys,

My wife gave me permission to share her pic with the world. Per some of the recommendations here, my 2 boys shaved their head in unity with their mom. My wife wouldn't let me or my daughter. My daughter was VERY relieved!! lol

Keep smiling guys. Some days, that's all we've got.

Wow.  The love and joy shared in that picture is incredible considering what lies ahead.  I'm speechless. I was going to post a bit about me, but maybe another day.  All I'll say is another depression sufferer here. 

mman: There's probably nothing I can do from NY to make your family's next 6mos (hopefully more) enjoyable, but don't hesitate to ask. And you're right, your wife is Beautiful without hair!

So much beauty and so much LOVE....WOW

Chad...how did your presentation go? 

I hope you are feeling better today now that it is behind you.

Steve

chadtower - 2008-05-25 8:59 PM

MuscleMomma - 2008-05-22 5:47 PM Corporations advertise in gay mags, there are gay pride marches. Communities of like minded people who support each other that they are just fine regardless of what others might think.

There's some irony in the lack of parades for Depression Awareness. How would we get all of us depressed people up off the couches and onto the streets?

I don't care who you are...that's pretty funny