overcoming depression

St John Cassian makes a good point today in A Year with the Church Fathers. He says that we can all remember times when we are in a funk, and someone comes to visit us. No matter what they say or how they say it, we take it the wrong way. Not because they're doing anything wrong, but just because we're in a foul mood.

He says this shows us very clearly that it doesn't lie in other people's power to make us happy or unhappy, but in ourselves. If we are feeling "on top of the world", no matter what someone says, it bounces off of us and we continue in the same great mood.

So how, the logical sequence goes, do we get out of these funks once we're in them? It's not an easy answer. If it were, millions of depressed people around the world would suddenly be free of depression. But there are several things we can do.

If you haven't already tried any of these, and you suffer from depression, you might give them a try. Exercise is one of the best ways to overcome depression. Just the action itself produces endorphins in our bodies that make us happier. And of course, when we exercise regularly, we begin to see positive changes in our bodies and in our moods that continue to raise our spirits.

Diet is another thing we can change. Eating the right foods can totally change our mental outlook. Here are some tips on that.

Of course, prayer and/or meditation will help, as well. Just lifting our minds to God and offering Him our suffering goes a long way to changing our outlook. And meditating puts us in THIS moment, rather than worrying about the future or regretting the past. Living in the NOW is one of the primary ways that most experts agree will help us overcome depression.

But beyond those things, here is a very effective technique for overcoming depression. I've used it, and it really works for me. You might give it a try.

If you try all of these things and you continue to suffer, you might seek out professional help, because depression is not something to take lightly. And it is almost always caused by a chemical issue in our brains, normally fixed by exercise, diet, prayer/meditation, and the visualization techniques in the link I shared. But if these things don't help, medication might be necessary to overcome the chemical issue.

And don't worry - it happens to millions of people everyday. It can be fixed. Try the things mentioned above, and if they don't help, seek out better help. You'll be glad you did.

God, thanks for teaching us practical things for overcoming the common ailment of depression.