Depression and anxiety are crippling, but treatable, conditions. I am a patient and a survivor of these conditions. This article is meant to provide information and support for anyone who has suffered from or is suffering from these illnesses. For me, overcoming these conditions meant putting myself in a better place to experience all that life has to offer.
I first discovered my depression in the spring of 1993 at the age of 28. I began my journey to recovery by talking to some close friends about resources for counseling. After initially working with two different psychologists with little success, I was referred to a psychiatrist with whom I felt a good connection. It is important to feel comfortable with this relationship in order to evoke any kind of noticeable change in your depression.
During the time when my depression was at its worst, I would spend many nights in bed thinking that anything would be better than feeling this way. When I would turn out my light, the darkness in my room felt heavy. Imagine a sheet of squeaky clean glass that has been spray painted with a thin coat of grey paint. The paint is the equivalent of depression as it impairs what I would call your mental vision.
I began my therapy initially on a bi-weekly basis and after some time moved to a monthly basis. On and off for 10 years, my therapy sessions were overall very successful. I had moved through the worst part of my spells with depression. However, there were still moments in which the anxiety and depression would overcome me. The difference was that I had a better understanding of myself and how to disarm the episodes. These spells were enough to convince me that I had to keep moving forward in my quest for a depression-free life. I knew that there must be more to overcoming these spells, however I felt that I had gone as far as I could go with my current therapist.
Angel Therapy
In the summer of 2003 I was introduced to an angel therapist. I realized shortly thereafter that this new form of self-exploration was the answer that I was looking for. Angel therapy can help to accelerate one’s ability to overcome the symptoms of depression. By connecting with the angelic realm, one can more clearly understand the meaning and causes behind the symptoms of depression and take action to move away from the life patterns that no longer serve the higher self.
The key difference between traditional psychotherapy and angel therapy is the guidance that is offered by the angelic realm during angel therapy. We all have angels and guides who assist us throughout our lives. An angel therapist makes contact with a person’s guides, angels and loved ones who have crossed over, who are assisting us in ways we sometimes don’t recognize. This guidance is communicated to the patient in response to the patient’s dialogue with the therapist. Once you gain an understanding of how angel therapy works, this holistic approach to healing is extremely helpful in providing powerful techniques for overcoming depression.
One such technique, which involves gaining an understanding of daily life patterns, was presented to me by my angel therapist via the Archangel Gabriel. Gabriel said that by doing something as simple as taking a new route to work, or noticing new landmarks along the way, can have a positive effect on curing depression. In the purest sense, we are all made up of energy. By shifting the energy that we experience in our daily routines, we can begin to change the patterns that create feelings of depression. These energy shifts can take place by consciously recognizing new things in our surroundings.
During the times when my depression was still persistent, even the most mundane daily experiences were painful. As I began to consciously evaluate daily events, such as driving to and from work, winding down from the day or going to sleep, I was able to change the way that I experienced these routines and, in turn, shift my feelings to positive ones.
Angel therapy is a positive, holistic approach to understanding how to overcome depression. As with any physician, it is important to find an angel therapist with whom you feel comfortable.
A Course in Miracles
The ability to establish inner peace is another key to overcoming depression. It is possible to be completely at peace in the midst of a noisy environment. It is also possible to experience inner noise while in a peaceful environment.
How does one gain the ability to be peaceful? For me, A Course in Miracles has been a wonderful gift for finding inner peace and gaining a better understanding of the meanings of truth, love, life, forgiveness and our relationships with fellow man. Published by The Foundation for Inner Peace, A Course in Miracles is arranged throughout as a teaching device. It consists of three books: a Text, a Workbook for Students, and a Manual for Teachers.
A Course in Miracles began with decision of two people to join in a common goal of finding "another way" of working together that was free of aggression and anger. Helen Schucman and William Thetford were Professors of Medical Psychology at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. The Course was received by Helen though a rapid inner dictation which she took down in shorthand. The Voice she heard was that of the Holy Spirit.
I believe A Course in Miracles is a gift to mankind and a teaching device for discovering the means to find inner peace.
Other Resources
I have found additional support through books by Louise Hay in which she explains the concept that we are not the same person that we were years, days or even seconds ago. This concept also helps to undo old life patterns that can cause feelings of depression. By living in the present and recognizing that feelings that we experience are different each moment of our lives, it is possible to consciously change patterns that can cause feelings of depression.
Medication can also be part of the equation for healing depression. I firmly believe that medication alone cannot completely move someone out of a depressive state. It is the combination of medication with therapy that enables an individual to move away from depression.
Relationships
The evaluation of personal and professional relationships is important to explore and understand when overcoming depression. Because the energy of others can have an influence over you, it is important to understand the dynamics of your relationships and evaluate how the people that you interact with impact you. I encourage you to shape the world around you by consciously determining who has a positive impact on you and surround yourself with those individuals. This is by no means implying that the people that you feel have a negative impact on you are bad people, but simply that they are not complementary to your emotional well-being.
The World is a Classroom
I would like to encourage anyone who is suffering from depression to find help and to know that it exists. We all have issues that impact our lives, this is what makes us human. We also have our own areas for personal growth and positive transformation. And we all deserve the best that life has to offer.
We are all here to learn and no-one is exempt from the lessons that life has to teach us. It is these lessons that give us character and transform us into the individuals that we are to become. The world is a classroom for learning, loving, healing and growing. With effort, interdependence and love, you can rise above depression.
Resources:
You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay (Hay House Publishing)
A Course in Miracles, The Foundation for Inner Peace [www.acim.org]
A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, by Marianne Williamson (HarperCollins)
Steffany Barton, Angels Insight [www.angelsinsight.com]
Doreen Virtue, Ph.D. [www.angeltherapy.com]
