Relaxation-  Practice lying flat on floor if possible either in quietude or gentle classical music. This requires no thinking but feeling awareness only  – Let nature’s vitality flow through and refresh your psyche

Enjoy a professional relaxation massage – to feel energies renewed

Physical exercise followed by a warm shower or bath with lavender or neroli bath oil

Take a series of slow deeper breaths before you decide to become active again – then deliberately inhale the perfume of one of the natural essential oils that appeals to you

Spend 5 minutes in upright position repeating your personal affirmation that inspires and makes you feel happy and strong

Drink pure water – rainwater if possible or drink a pure fresh fruit juice -sipping a little at a time and consciously drawing vitality

Appreciate being alive – Look around you and focus upon the beautiful forms, plants, sky, trees – to realise afresh how wonderful to be alive to learn and to enjoy nature and participate in the Life Adventure

Finally, promise yourself to remain as long as possible in this pleasant mind set or mood. Let nothing disturb you. Let no one have the power to disturb you. Remain calm in whatever circumstances

Attend classes or participate in sports that are directly helpful in lifting your mood –confiding in your therapist, attending  laughing groups, comedy shows, or, listening to favourite melodic music

Be creative – painting, playing a musical instrument, sewing, crafts, singing or skills in a sport

Seek for a skilled psychologist who will help you without recommendation for prescription drugs, many of which cannot claim to cure and many can prove harmful

Find a healthy natural alternative to The Pill that is one proven cause of depression

Any or all of these are positive self determined ways to overcome depression and you will benefit continuing efforts especially when you find what really works for you personally.

Prayer is the universal ‘advice’ or technique to help lift your mood

Don’t

Drink alcohol – it will not help your depression in the long run

Don’t take antidepressant medications –  many will be detrimental to your mental well being

Don’t remain solitary except to practise your private relaxation but enjoy walks and the company of a friend.

Don’t get in the habit of repeating to yourself or to others “I’m depressed ..” or “I’m feeling bad” – this has a negative effect upon the subconscious mind that relies upon positive thought feed-in.

Don’t continue any old habit – substitute a better one!

Don’t seek solace from food – when depressed is the worst time to digest food and your body will suffer

 Don’t try to focus your mind in reading dutiful learning or study but rather choose to study a subject or hobby of genuine personal interest 

Don’t bombard your brain with heavy rock noises or music that is loud and without melody at this is the cause of much depression.

Don’t burden your love ones or take out your moods upon others if you can confide in a psychologist or counsellor who is trained to be impartial and just listen.

REMEMBER 

You are a special and unique person, created to experience and enjoy life as well as to offer your personal gifts and talents to others. Why waste life time?

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However, in spite of the emerging proof of the dangers of these psychiatric drugs and their potential to effect mind changing behavior negatively, even to a point of suicide, most doctors continue to claim that by far the most prescriptions they make out in their practice are for antidepressants for adults, and increasingly Ritalin for ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children. 

Where once our social concern focused upon the dangers of hallucinatory drugs, mind drugs have now become big business, regardless of the damage they cause the brain.

Doctors who once trustingly followed the claims of the pharmaceutical industry are now disenchanted with toxic chemical drugs.  There is a move by some professors in psychiatry to ban their use in the U.S. as has already been done in some other countries where dedicated psychiatrists are inclined to explore the older methods or seek safer, more natural, alternative methods of treatment.

The increasing threat of litigation from patients seeking compensation may serve to motivate this.

This is a serious issue indicated by more than 12 million entries in Google on the Dangers of Psychiaric Drugs.

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Stillness becomes a time of interesting experience. We become first aware of our physical comfort or otherwise, then of the constant rhythm of the breath, and of our senses that maintain our increasing awareness of ourselves as we shut out the external world by closing our eyes.

It is worth persevering with the simplest practice of stillness. When we cease external muscular activity, we allow ourselves opportunity to discover more of the natural processes of Nature as it refuels our energies with the natural vital processes and patterns that in their mysterious way, maintain the health requirement for our body and nervous system. We begin to allow a lightness and peace to prevail in our mood as we realize the faith that we can choose to place in the great natural processes of life.

Feel that the sensation of elevation and lightness grows to the extent we surrender to stillness and become conscious of the comforting, positive energies of nature.

Keep practicing this simple meditation.  It will help in many ways and is a direct tonic for depression.

……………

Depression can be sometimes altered by a change of attitude. This, Francis Thompson reminded us when the poet wrote his famous work “The Hound of Heaven”  -

Shade of His hand, outstretched caressingly?”

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But worst of all, we have the statistics of the numbers of young people who go through with it. The critical age group would seem to be from 15 – 25 years. In one year in Australia, in 2003 there were 270 deaths by suicide in this age bracket.

It is difficult to evaluate how and why this situation plagues our society and threatens its future and what can be done to reduce the problem on a scale grand enough to produce positive results. It could be that we have to deal with each individual case through continuing counseling as well as alerting teachers and parents to the need to teach teenagers ways of coping with negative moods and to remain aware of any indications of severe depression developing in their charges.

In the climate of the present economic downturn, males in particular are in trouble, both in rural and city areas. Both workplaces are threatened. Greater job losses will inevitably increase outbreaks of depression and actions of suicide amongst all age groups.

It is understandably the most demeaning situation for men with lifetime experience in a trades or professions has no hope for anything by rejection of their job applications, regardless of their skills.  Increasingly, vacancies will be filled by young applicants.

Some older men and women accept the challenge and re-channel their energies into areas of creative endeavour of their own to establish successful enterprises. Others get more and more depressed and so we have not only our youth but middle aged and elderly people becoming vulnerable to the idea of suicide to escape their difficult circumstances.

Although there is little we can do to help the mental and emotional suffering of others whose choices remain their own responsibility, it does not debar us from being willing to help anyone we meet and who is open to receiving our moral support or even practical help if that is appropriate.

Suicide is instilled in our life teachings as against secular and spiritual law. Although we must keep flexible enough to debate these issues, most of us inwardly tend to believe that it is best to face our difficulties rather than to run away.

Many problems are common to us all and in addition, each of us has unique factors to deal with either in our personality or soul, or in our circumstances. When we overcome, we feel successful. To encourage everyone to persevere is something to remember,  as it is important for our own future welfare.

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: The Complete Self-Help Guide”, offers timely solutions. Read more…

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It is a sad testament to our culture that instead of the word ‘happiness’ we hear all too often its opposite – that is ‘depression.’ Although it was once used as a common term to describe a negative mood of passing fear, frustration or concern it now is used with more serious medical implications. 

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: The Complete Self-Help Guide”, offers timely solutions. Read more…

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It is our own personal adventure to find out what we can do to help ourselves when we are feeling out of sorts and wish to restore the well-being which envelops us when we feel in tune with ourselves and life in general. 

Unless this is remedied, other mental symptoms and problems will occur. So, as we ask ourselves, and can answer honestly the question ‘Why am I unhappy’? we begin to unravel any problem within the psyche. Although it may not be apparent, we really do know the answer, even if it at present resides in our unconscious mind.

We ourselves hold the key to the remedy once we face the real cause.
So what is it that makes you unhappy? What is it that makes you feel happy?
Medical cases of what is termed ‘clinical depression’ are those which doctors have determined a patient’s symptoms to derive directly from chemical constituents or conditions in the brain itself . In these cases chemical medicines or drugs are employed as a treatment method. Many serious cases are under threat of self damage and suicide and require surveillance.
Other than these serious cases of depression, which certainly require medical attention, we all must find our way through despondency or times when we are dispirited. One way is to become happily creative in some enjoyable enterprise and activity, particularly if it involves helping other people.
We can help ourselves by taking a different attitude to our problems.
We can take stock of all our positive good fortune and our good points.
We can cease wanting and practise contentment.
If we are depressed because of the pressures and hurts inflicted physically or mentally by others, it needs only our courage to be free of them.
If we suffer from feelings of hopelessness, we can take time to counsel ourselves and to simply write down your thoughts about what it is that you want to achieve. Try making this simple list before you seek professional counselling.
Sometimes, when we are really honest with ourselves, we get depressed because we can’t have our own way – about anything at all, even about our life itself when it doesn’t seem to be working out. But when we hold our vision and our private hopes, things always improve.
A simple technique is to smile – to smile at yourself in the mirror – to smile at others in the street – to smile when you see something beautiful – to smile when you go for a walk in the sunlight. It is the best tonic of all!

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-Help Guide”, offers simple and timely solutions. Read more…
 

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Those suffering minor depression may seek for the right avenue of self help and determine to control their moods through positive thinking, or through the soothing influence of music, or taking up a new hobby, or by positive self talk and affirmations that will swing their mood. Women find various ways such as massage therapy and beauty treatment or buying a new frock seeking to relieve passing depression.  We all have our own manner of lifting our spirits.

However, clinical depression is created by some chemical imbalances in the brain as well as the lack of some physical needs such as nutrition, rest and harmonious relationships. It may well be that you can persevere and overcome your depression with determined and sincere efforts. This is preferable and commendable alternative to drugs, although herbal medicine can offer a safer and time tested remedy. But it matters little that all your thought is directed towards easing the conditions that you are aware cause you unhappiness; that you nourish your body with the right amount of vitamins and minerals, if you are taking The Pill or other drugs that can have equally devastating side effects.

Surveys show that it is mainly women who suffer depression. The figures have a remarkable correspondence with the number of women on The Pill. Now there is plenty of medical evidence confirming that hormonal contraceptives have the capacity to severely influence a woman’s moods and state of mind adversely.

Results of tests by Professor Jayashri Kulkarni from the Australian Monash University, as well as many American researchers have convincing evidence of the direct relationship between the Pill and depression.

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-Help Guide”, offers simple and timely solutions. Read more…

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You may be wondering why, in spite of various natural remedies you have taken, or in spite of the many drugs you have tried to help you overcome conditions of depression, nothing has worked for you.

Perhaps you have overlooked some important factors that must be addressed and eliminated before persisting in seeking a remedy. These are found to be causative factors, although of unknown or varying degree as each of us reacts somewhat differently. However, without eliminating these negative impediments to your mental health and well being, no remedy can be anticipated to be successful.

One of these is the recreational use of cannabis or Marihuana. Medical research is continuing to demonstrate that cannabis is linked to depression and psychosis with symptoms tending to increase with volume of the drug taken.

The Pill

The other is of direct interest to both sexes but is of major concern to women. That is the birth control measure, in use by the majority of women as a popular contraceptive. We call it The Pill.

There have been many complaints regarding the side effects of The Pill since first it was released to the public. Allowing that there have been many improvements to the original formula, we are still faced with medical evidence that includes high risk reactions that endanger our health. This is not physical health alone but most importantly manifests as depression and mental instability of various kinds.

This is such a common reaction in women on The Pill and statistics seem to indicate a strong correspondence between women on The Pill and those who are being treated for depression.  This is worth serious investigation.

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-help Guide, offers simple and timely solutions.  Read more…

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Depression can be a transitory state or can become a chronic psychological condition that is treated medically as clinical depression. Then psychiatrists will generally prescribe drugs as a remedy, although many are considering the potential value of less potent chemicals.

Those who wish to avoid taking drugs and want alternatives must clearly state their preference at the outset of treatment. We need to be well informed of options before undergoing such important treatment of mind and brain in our desire for mental fitness.

Mental depression is, however, a serious social issue. There are millions suffering the condition to some degree with a considerable number taking medical drugs or requiring psychiatric treatment and care. Not only limited methods of treatment and facilities cause concern but the potential danger of the many side effects of the drugs used in current treatment.

However, most people who suffer from moods of depression, deflated spirits, or are feeling themselves deprived of their natural enjoyment of life are experiencing passing states that reflect  difficult circumstances or their and lack of emotional or mental satisfaction. If this is the case we are then capable of dealing with remedies and adjustments ourselves through self-help natural methods that will return us to health and mental fitness.

Even simple changes in our habits or self culture can produce wonderful results and can change a lack-lustre life into a happier one. We benefit by the changes, as do the people around us. Depression is one of the least attractive but strongly infectious states and a cheerful person is always more popular in society than one clouded in gloom.

This encourages us all to take responsibility for our basic ‘homework’ in self discipline. We need to look after our brain and physical health generally, but also to cultivate new habit patterns of thinking and feeling that will keep our spirits vital, our minds positive and clear, and our emotions balanced. Then we can really enjoy all the wonderful life opportunities ahead.

There are many natural avenues of assistance to help us, whether we choose philosophic ideas, or  take up new interests of practical nature. It is also our choice to focus either upon dissolving the core reason for our discontent or unhappiness or to forego the search for causes and just focus upon rebuilding our personality.

Either approach will give us results – just as long as we start today! 

Sally Janssen’s wonderful book Mental health and Fitness: A Simple Self-help Guide, offers simple and timely solutions.  Read more…

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