Two Things to Remember About Depression

There are two important things to remember to get rid of depression.

Number one: You can't fill up your life with YOU. You fill up your life with your interaction with others. Even writers or artists who spend a lot of time disengaged from the regular workday world nevertheless are engaged in activity or practice that connects them symbolically and philosophically with others. They write about things that other people are concerned with and there is always the expectation that through their writing or art or other craft they will connect physically with others.

Number two: You must remember to label your depression as soon as possible. You can't get out of depression if you don't know you are in it. If you believe the world is damned, you can't escape damnation.  It's almost a matter of name it and claim it. For instance I am perfectly okay right at this moment. But about 40 minutes ago I got a terrific mental downshaft. I felt hopeless about life in general, "the old what's the point, you just get old and die" kind of thinking. It was so painful. And I was totally absorbed in my despair.

All of a sudden I "woke up" and said to myself. " Life isn't worthless, you Jerk, this is depression." As a matter of habit I thought of an old nursery rhyme. I didn't try to think it, it kind of thought itself, "row, row, row, your boat." But after only a few seconds of the nursery rhyme I "forgot" I was depressed and simply continued getting dressed, and brushing my teeth. I started thinking about the things I had planned for the day.