Comments on: From the Dark Side http://socci.com/blog/2006/11/21/from-the-dark-side/ Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:26:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Valerie http://socci.com/blog/2006/11/21/from-the-dark-side/#comment-259 Valerie Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:48:25 +0000 http://socci.com/blog/2006/11/21/from-the-dark-side/#comment-259 <div>Hello! I realize that I am commenting on a fairly old post of yours but this post struck me because I have had experiences with depression over the course of my life and have had to be on depression drugs also! I know precisely where you are and I just wanted to share some methods that have helped me go from fully dependent on anti-depressant drugs for three years to a drug-free and very happy person for the past six years. It has been a long journey for me and I hope these tips can help you, too! Depression is a very real illness, however, I have not had much success with drugs, the side effects are usually too drastic and take me even further from my real self. I believe that nature provides the key to our healing for any sickness and that we need to look less to man-made cures that affect our brain chemistry adversely and more to our inner wisdom and nature's healing bounty. The best things I have found that are non-chemical are gradually moving yourself into a diet of mostly whole organic foods. Also, yoga and meditation completely calms and clears my mind of the negative chatter. Yoga has been especially helpful to help me alleviate stress and depression in a kinetic and balancing way (I recommend Rodney Yee's beginner's DVDs). Nutritious foods and movement are both healing medicines for those wounded by 'civilization'. As far as diet goes, it is very important that you have a balanced diet for a balanced mind. You must get all refined sugar out of your diet in all forms (white sugar, brown sugar and especially high fructose corn syrup),- sugar is an unrecognized culprit of many sicknesses in our society and it is absolutely poison for those affected by depression, it catapults us deeper into melancholy. It will help you a LOT to get the sugar out (fruits are not processed sugar, so eat them up in loads) Refined sugar is in almost everything processed so eat organic fruits and vegetables according to your cravings, a diet high in processed foods is almost certain to cause depression. If you must eat processed foods, check the labels and make sure it has a maximum of 6-8 grams of sugar per serving. Another helpful coping technique for depression is getting in tune with your life, listening to your deepest whispers of true self, and pinpointing areas in your life that you feel fulfilled and areas where you need work...be grateful for where you are fulfilled and then slowly and steadily work on the areas that need work. Getting sunshine, exercise, having meaningful work, solid friendships with noble people, watching little to no television and getting plenty sleep are all necessary for me to have a normal and happy mental life. If medicine helps you, try to do these things to supplement the drugs until you know that you are healed. Also, most importantly of all, change the way you talk to yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be gentle with yourself. Do not be hard on yourself or speak negatively to yourself. Talk to and treat yourself as you would your greatest hero. Healing will not come until you open yourself up to feel gratitude for the blessing you already have. You can be healed. While prescription drugs can help you for a while, and I am certainly not a doctor, I have been there inside of depression, I know the grip it feels like it has on your very soul, I have come out on the other side and this is my truth. The lifelong answer to inner peace cannot be found in big drug companies that are profiting on your pain. The answer is in you, in your heart, and you must trust yourself to lead your life with your heart while keeping your head straight. Our society is out of touch with nature, with our true inner clocks and society tends to bludgeon individuality, it can be hard to deal with this and block out the inner critic, but if what you want is relief from depression, you will find it. Walk in peace, my friend.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My reply to Valerie... <em>My goodness. Well ok. Thank you for sharing all of this I think all of those things are really great suggestions; but wonder why it is you are making assumptions that I, or many other people, don't do these things.</em> <em>I have been to the depths of hell and back in my life experience. Real physical hell, not emotional. I have coped. I have adapted and I have moved on. I have reinvented myself many times over.</em> <em>I have gone from a confused, manic, alcoholic, dependent and very ill person to a very happy and well adjusted one. My transition was not only based on the foundation of a desire to change, it was assisted by chemistry that helped my sick brain to heal. Its been accompanied by a deep faith that things will ultimately work out... A deep faith in a power beyond myself.</em> <em>This has nothing to do with drug companies or pop psychiatry. It was and continues to be very, very real for me.</em> <em>I have close personal experience with people who are suffering from physiological disorders of the brain. Without their meds, these people are non-functional. Some are dangerous.</em> <em>My depression and suicidality have nothing to do with refined sugars, mediation, yoga, or a sound exercise regime. In fact I was working out two hours daily when I became the most ill I've ever been. I've always relied on prayer.</em> <em>No doubt there are folks out there who may not need to be medicated; and yes the drug companies are marketing these things like aspirin. That is certainly not my case, and really; how dare you assume it is???</em> <em> </em></div> Hello! I realize that I am commenting on a fairly old post of yours but this post struck me because I have had experiences with depression over the course of my life and have had to be on depression drugs also! I know precisely where you are and I just wanted to share some methods that have helped me go from fully dependent on anti-depressant drugs for three years to a drug-free and very happy person for the past six years. It has been a long journey for me and I hope these tips can help you, too! Depression is a very real illness, however, I have not had much success with drugs, the side effects are usually too drastic and take me even further from my real self. I believe that nature provides the key to our healing for any sickness and that we need to look less to man-made cures that affect our brain chemistry adversely and more to our inner wisdom and nature’s healing bounty. The best things I have found that are non-chemical are gradually moving yourself into a diet of mostly whole organic foods. Also, yoga and meditation completely calms and clears my mind of the negative chatter. Yoga has been especially helpful to help me alleviate stress and depression in a kinetic and balancing way (I recommend Rodney Yee’s beginner’s DVDs). Nutritious foods and movement are both healing medicines for those wounded by ‘civilization’. As far as diet goes, it is very important that you have a balanced diet for a balanced mind. You must get all refined sugar out of your diet in all forms (white sugar, brown sugar and especially high fructose corn syrup),- sugar is an unrecognized culprit of many sicknesses in our society and it is absolutely poison for those affected by depression, it catapults us deeper into melancholy. It will help you a LOT to get the sugar out (fruits are not processed sugar, so eat them up in loads) Refined sugar is in almost everything processed so eat organic fruits and vegetables according to your cravings, a diet high in processed foods is almost certain to cause depression. If you must eat processed foods, check the labels and make sure it has a maximum of 6-8 grams of sugar per serving. Another helpful coping technique for depression is getting in tune with your life, listening to your deepest whispers of true self, and pinpointing areas in your life that you feel fulfilled and areas where you need work…be grateful for where you are fulfilled and then slowly and steadily work on the areas that need work. Getting sunshine, exercise, having meaningful work, solid friendships with noble people, watching little to no television and getting plenty sleep are all necessary for me to have a normal and happy mental life. If medicine helps you, try to do these things to supplement the drugs until you know that you are healed. Also, most importantly of all, change the way you talk to yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be gentle with yourself. Do not be hard on yourself or speak negatively to yourself. Talk to and treat yourself as you would your greatest hero. Healing will not come until you open yourself up to feel gratitude for the blessing you already have. You can be healed. While prescription drugs can help you for a while, and I am certainly not a doctor, I have been there inside of depression, I know the grip it feels like it has on your very soul, I have come out on the other side and this is my truth. The lifelong answer to inner peace cannot be found in big drug companies that are profiting on your pain. The answer is in you, in your heart, and you must trust yourself to lead your life with your heart while keeping your head straight. Our society is out of touch with nature, with our true inner clocks and society tends to bludgeon individuality, it can be hard to deal with this and block out the inner critic, but if what you want is relief from depression, you will find it. Walk in peace, my friend.——————————————————————————————————————-

My reply to Valerie…

My goodness. Well ok. Thank you for sharing all of this I think all of those things are really great suggestions; but wonder why it is you are making assumptions that I, or many other people, don’t do these things.

I have been to the depths of hell and back in my life experience. Real physical hell, not emotional. I have coped. I have adapted and I have moved on. I have reinvented myself many times over.

I have gone from a confused, manic, alcoholic, dependent and very ill person to a very happy and well adjusted one. My transition was not only based on the foundation of a desire to change, it was assisted by chemistry that helped my sick brain to heal. Its been accompanied by a deep faith that things will ultimately work out… A deep faith in a power beyond myself.

This has nothing to do with drug companies or pop psychiatry. It was and continues to be very, very real for me.

I have close personal experience with people who are suffering from physiological disorders of the brain. Without their meds, these people are non-functional. Some are dangerous.

My depression and suicidality have nothing to do with refined sugars, mediation, yoga, or a sound exercise regime. In fact I was working out two hours daily when I became the most ill I’ve ever been. I’ve always relied on prayer.

No doubt there are folks out there who may not need to be medicated; and yes the drug companies are marketing these things like aspirin. That is certainly not my case, and really; how dare you assume it is???


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