I Got Out of Bed Today

Dearest A.B Curtiss,

Thank you ever so much for your replies. It's certainly encouraging to learn that our very nature is joy and once the despair and fear removed, it will resurface.

I believe I have a lot of repressed fear as I witnessed some traumatic things as a child. Sure, I have had numerous therapies over the years and at peace with the trauma. But I have overwhelming fear that I cannot look after myself, be an independent adult and eventually have a family when I can't even look after myself. I think often of just quitting and giving up, but I just cannot do that to the rest of my family.

Is there a way I can buy that chapter 10 part on line?

I'm almost done reading the Brainswitch book, and reading your replies and blogs...

Yet I still cannot will myself to get out of bed and do something, except for going to the bathroom. You keep mentioning we all have the will to do it, yet I cannot find this WILL and courage that you mention. Is this really a choice I'm making.... when I'm really fed up with depression and just want normalcy and joy back in my life? Y

Thank you ever so much for and for sending chapter 10, which I look forward to reading.

Do you have any comments/advice on how I can conjure up will and strength to get out of bed?

Thank you infinitely. Y

Dear Y_______

Check your self-talk to see if you are telling yourself you can't get out of bed and kind of self-hypnotizing yourself that it is impossible. Then start telling yourself over and over that you CAN get out of bed. Repetition is one way to self-hypnotize ourselves on purpose to get our brain to do things we want it to do for us.

Visualize a wave that is helping you and just float out of bed. This is a great visualization that Nurse Claire Weekes uses for Agoraphobics to help them go out their front door. Isn't it a shame what we do to ourselves? The good news is that what we have the power to do to ourselves negatively, we CAN also do positively. We have the power. We just have to use it better. Yes, it is our choice to stay in bed to get up and move forward with our day. Who else, or what else can you blame it on when, as you said, you get up to go to the bathroom, right? . A. B. Curtiss

Dear AB Curtiss,

Please allow me to ask another question, as I'm reading Brainswitch for the second round. Is the neocortex the same as what we call the "left brain"?

Besides the brainswitching exercises you suggest in your book, will doing some math or logical thinking exercises help with the chemical inbalance that depression causes? Will it help to strengthen this part of the brain, even when you are well - meaning - not having any negative / downer thoughts?

Thank you in advance for all your generous help since yesterday.

PS: I'm still in bed and it's already early evening, but don't feel bad at all for some reason -- perhaps some laziness for staying in bed the past 2 days, but not any negative / downer thoughts and able to focus more on your book that arrived yesterday.

Y___________

Dear Y_____

No the neocortex is not the same as the left brain. There are many ways to divide up the brain architecturally to study it, one way is right/ left, the other way is top/ bottom. The neocortex is the top of the brain and the subcortex is the bottom, generally speaking. For the purposes of getting out of depression, we are mainly interested in the brain functionally rather than architecturally. A. B. Curtiss

Dear A.B. Curtiss,

Thank you very much for your reply and the clarification. I was able to get out of bed and go about my day, and I feel a lot better to be productive.

I look forward to practicing the exercises and getting better and better each day. I may have more questions along the way as I digest the materials more in-depth.

Thank you ever so much for your generous support, I think you are truly amazing to be really helping people!

With infinite gratitude, Y_____

Dear Y____________

Good for you and congratulations on your new life of self-responsibility.