DEPRESSION – WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SIGNS?

Feelings of overwhelming sadness
Crying spells
Mood changes – anger, rage
Pessimism and negative self-talk
Lack of satisfaction
Feelings of loneliness or despair
A sense of failure or of worthlessness
Guilty feelings
A sense of punishment
Self dislike
Self accusation
Suicidal thoughts
Irritability
Social withdrawal – feeling that you don't want to go out
Indecisiveness
Distorted body image
Work inhibition, inability to get going
Tiredness
Loss of appetite or increased appetite
Weight loss
Sleep preoccupation or an inability to sleep
Loss of sex drive
Loss of motivation
Slowness in movement
Change in ability to tolerate pain or being more sensitive
Change in capacity to experience pleasure
Noise sensitivity
Alcohol abuse
Panic attacks

If you experience a number of the above symptoms, remember you are not alone. If you haven't sought medical help, then do so now. Anti-depressants can help us to feel better. However, they may not cure the problem ... that's up to you.

This is because only by changing ourselves, can we actually affect a cure.

Recovery begins when you consciously decide you've had enough, and you want to stop doing whatever it is that's causing your self destruction.

Keep reading ... all will be revealed!

MOOD QUESTIONNAIRE

Below is a mood/feeling exercise. Please fill it in before you begin. You will complete another at the end of the course.

Circle the number which indicates how you are feeling right now. Under is a negative mood (the lowest), above is positive (the highest).

Keeping score of how you feel out of ten

Name Date

Mood

I feel sad and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I'm the happiest
gloomy I've ever felt

Confidence

I feel like hiding in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I could stand up
a corner and give a public
speech

Self esteem

I feel worthless 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I'm on top of the
world

How much I feel like changing

I can't be 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I want a big life
bothered to do makeover
anything

Hope for the future

I can't believe 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I'm very hopeful
anything will get life will be better
better

Add up the numbers and record your score......................

But, do not judge. As you are recording what you are feeling right now, this exercise is just a simple way to keep note of your progress and improvement. It shouldn't involve any judgement.

If you're reading this book then your mood may be in the lower areas. At the end of this course one would hope and expect that your score will improve.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with only one step

Lao Tzu

HANDLING MIND CHATTER

The mind is the master controller of your body – the primary source of your thoughts and actions. What you think becomes your reality. What you concentrate on, you will bring about.

The first step toward recovery is simply to notice what the mind is saying. For some of us, this is the hardest part, because many of us do not notice what we think.

To enable you to get well you must now begin to take control of your mind and thoughts.

What is a negative emotion? A negative emotion is one that is toxic to the body and interferes with its balance and harmonious functioning. Negative emotions include fear, anxiety, anger, intense dislike, hatred, jealousy, sadness, resentment and envy. All these disrupt energy flow in the body, affecting the immune system, digestion, and the production of hormones, thereby contributing to physical and mental disease.

Alternatively, joy, love and peace are states of being which come from within your true nature, and strengthen your immune system, invigorating and healing the body.

Up until now it's possible that the voice inside your head has been telling sad, anxious or angry stories about yourself and your life, about other people, and about the past, future or imaginary events. The voice may be blaming, accusing, complaining or imagining. Perhaps you have been believing the distorted things your inner voice says. At this point the unhappiness has set in and a vicious circle ensues.

You can now learn to break the habit of accumulating and perpetuating of old emotions. You must learn to continually return to the present moment, rather than be obsessed with your mental `stories'. If you don't, your mind will go on and on spinning its tales, continually reviving old emotion.

Humans limit themselves through grievances, hostility, regret, guilt and shame. It is time to learn how to squash the self sabotage. Using logic and rational responses you can begin to change these unwanted thought patterns.

Let's make a start. We will begin by just noticing what your mind is saying, that is, the types of thoughts that go through your mind. There must be no judgment about this, just observe what you notice about your thoughts.

DISTORTED THINKING STYLES (COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS)

Psychiatrist A.T. Beck and Dr. David Burns' in-depth research has identified a number of common cognitive distortions. See references below for further recommended reading on this subject.

Cognitive distortions or inappropriate, distorted thoughts are prevalent and negative ways that our mind has developed to convinceus of something about us that is not true. These inaccurate core beliefs, or illogical thoughts about ourselves, act to reinforce negative thinking and create distressing and unwanted emotional responses.

We continually tell ourselves things that sound rational and accurate, but often they are untrue, and really only serve to keep us feeling bad about ourselves and others. They perpetuate emotional disturbance and sickness.

Remember that your emotions follow your thoughts, and negative emotions are not actually reflective of the real or true situation. They reflect only what you have just thought.

Below are some common cognitive distortions, also called `inappropriate thought patterns'. `Inappropriate' may even be too bland a description, because some of these thoughts become toxic. That is, they become dangerous, destructive and harmful to our health. They keep us feeling bad and sad.

• All-Or-Nothing thinking

You see...