Hamm said, ‘I very much knew what the idea of permanence was by that point. I dropped out of school, moved into the basement of my older half-sister Julie’s house, enrolled in a local college and sank into depression.

‘It was the classic definition of clinical depression; you want to stay in bed all day, you sleep till four o’clock in the afternoon. I didn’t have any drive to get up and do anything.

‘It was rough: it stinks.

‘Other people who are better than me at putting thoughts into words describe it as a black cloud that descends on you.

‘You become numb. You feel so overwhelmed that it’s hard to take any step towards solving your situation.’

(Were there suicidal thoughts?)

‘Yeah, sure. When you’re in that space that’s something that comes up. It’s like a record skipping; it just gets caught in this loop and needs to be jostled out of the loop. And then all of a sudden the song plays again and then you get back on the track.

‘I was prescribed Prozac, which I took for a month. The therapy and the pharmaceuticals clear up your brain chemistry just enough so you can start taking steps forward.’

(He worked in a restaurant as he came out of his depression.)

‘I was a dishwasher in a local Greek restaurant. No money, but it was something to do. It got me out of bed. I like restaurants. They become these weird families and you get very close to people.’

(Hamm still feels astonishment at being cast as a leading man.)

‘I was at the very bottom of the list. I wasn’t even on the list,’ he jokes.

‘Aggressively casual’ is how Jon, 6ft 1in, describes his own style

‘Famous people bring more viewers to television and I was not by anyone’s definition famous. I had to audition eight times before studio executives were convinced. Of course I was thrilled to get the job.

‘And then what always happens, you get the job and you go, “Oh, now I actually have to do it!”’

From ‘I was at the very bottom of the list’: How Mad Men’s Jon Hamm finally became a leading man, By Elaine Lipworth, Daily Mail 10 March 2012.

Photo: Elisabeth Moss and Jon Hamm in Mad Men [AMC TV series]

~~~

According to the online listing “Famous People Who Have Suffered from Depression or Manic-Depression,” people in the arts who have declared publicly they are bipolar or unipolar include Tim Burton, Francis Ford Coppola, Sheryl Crow; Ellen DeGeneres; Charles Dickens, Patty Duke; Connie Francis; Mariette Hartley; Margot Kidder; Kristy McNichol; Kate Millett; Sinead O’Connor; Marie Osmond; Dolly Parton; Bonnie Raitt; Jeannie C. Riley; Roseanne, Axl Rose, Winona Ryder, Francesco Scavullo, Lili Taylor, Tom Waits, Robin Williams and others.

From my article Depression and Creativity.

~~~

In an article a few years ago, she commented:

“A few months ago I felt really low, really sad. Depressed for no reason. I’m a very positive person, and I’ve always been glass-half-full. So it was like someone flipped a switch in me.”

She says her split with Zach Braff “added to what I was going through, but it’s not the complete reason. It definitely doesn’t help if you’re already in that place.”

Moore, 22 at the time, also spoke of some of the existential issues she is exploring:

“I’ve been going through this really crazy time in my life – it’s what I imagine people fresh out of college go through. I’m asking myself life-altering questions, like Who am I? Where do I fit in this world? What am I doing, what do I want to do? Am I living to my full potential?”

[Jane magazine, Feb 2007]

Gifted and talented people are more likely to ask those kinds of questions, and may experience feelings discussed in the article Existential Depression in Gifted Individuals, by James T. Webb, Ph.D.

As he notes, “existential depression arises when an individual confronts certain basic issues of existence.. [such as] death, freedom, isolation and meaninglessness.”

Mandy Moore has also commented in interviews about her sensitivity:

“I’ll cry at anything, even a tissue commercial. I’m overly sensitive. It’s so easy to hurt my feelings.” [allstarz.org/~mandymoore/]

“I’m extremely-extremely sensitive. I can cry at the drop of a hat. I’m such a girl when it comes to that. Anything upsets me. I cry all the time. I cry when I’m happy too.” [absolutely.net]

“I’m really overly sensitive. I get my feelings hurt very easily, and sometimes I just cry for no reason, and I hate that.” [malaya.com March 21 2004]

Many people may equate high sensitivity with giftedness / exceptional ability.

But in her article The Highly Sensitive Child (and Adults, Too): Is Sensitivity the Same as Being Gifted?, Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. writes that in her experience, “not all highly sensitive people are gifted. That is, at least as adults, many HSPs are not expressing some talent in a way that others would recognize as outstanding.”

She also notes high sensitivity occurs in 15 to 20 percent of the population, but a smaller percentage are considered gifted.

But sensitivity is a trait shared by many highly talented, if not gifted, actors and other artists like Moore, and may be part of what makes them so creative.

In our audio interview, Jim Hallowes, founder of the Highly Sensitive People website, talks about his perspectives on this trait and how it relates to gifted and creative people.

Related post: Using Your High Sensitivity Personality As an Actor.

Related Talent Development Resources page: Existential dread.

Article: Growing Up Gifted Is Not Easy – by Elaine Aron, PhD.

Highly Sensitive site

Highly Sensitive / Facebook

~~

According to an Allhealth site article, “The risk of depression among teen girls is high, and this risk lasts into early adulthood, US researchers report. A study of young women living in Los Angeles found that 47% had at least one episode of major depression within 5 years after high school graduation.” ["Young Women at High Risk for Depression" - allhealth.com] 

Kay Redfield Jamison, professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and herself a person with bipolar depression, notes in her book “Touched with Fire..” that the majority of people suffering from mood disorder do not possess extraordinary imagination, and most accomplished artists do not suffer from recurring mood swings. 

She writes, “To assume, then, that such diseases usually promote artistic talent wrongly reinforces simplistic notions of the ‘mad genius.’ 

“Worse yet, such a generalization trivializes a very serious medical condition and, to some degree, discredits individuality in the arts as well… All the same, recent studies indicate that a high number of established artists – far more than could be expected by chance – meet the diagnostic criteria for manic-depression or major depression… 

“In fact, it seems that these diseases can sometimes enhance or otherwise contribute to creativity in some people… Biographical studies of earlier generations of artists and writers also show consistently high rates of suicide, depression and manic-depression.” 

> Continued: Depression and Creativity.

~~

I cringed at these things my friends said to me these few years. For those of you who don’t really get us, I’ve decided to let you know 10 things not to say to a depressed person from my own experience.

And be forewarned, for if you ever dare to even start uttering the below to me, I will hang you by your legs upside down, skin you alive and then deep fry you before publicly disowning you and denying your pitiful existence.

I had never thought people would write to me for advice and suggestions.

A few weeks back, a friend wrote to me and said she just found out that a family member of a friend has depression.

But her friend did not know what to say or how to encourage the depression sufferer.

She asked me if I had any recommendations. It got me thinking.

However, as I’m not a doctor, I can’t give medical advice.

Moreover, what to say is very dependent on the personality and situation of the oppressed.

But what I can offer is my take on what NOT to say to someone in depression. Hopefully this can help you empathize where we weirdos are coming from, and for you to be more sensitive to our plight.

And on that note, may I solemnly remind you again: please don’t ever ever EVER again say the below in bold type to me in whatever circumstances if you consider me a friend. Otherwise I’m throwing a tantrum in your face.

Do NOT say:

1. “Remain Positive”

I think: Duh! I know – but how? To me, my reality is that the world has alreadycaved in.

What is irrational to you makes utmost sense to me.

I’m so angry / upset / sad / lonely / devastated / hopeless / in despair… Why can’t you understand me?

I feel: Recoil further into my shell to avoid future contact and meaningless advice because you never told me how to remain positive.

2. “Don’t think like that”

I think: Why not? What’s wrong with thinking like I do?

It’s an honest opinion. I really think this. It’s negative all right, but that’s what I think, so what’s wrong?

So how should I think instead? Like you? But I don’t agree with you, and then I become you if I think like you…? 

I feel: I did something wrong for thinking a certain way, and you reprimanded me for thinking so. Thus, I withdraw, and berate myself for thinking the way I do, and spiral further down into depression due to self-criticism.

3. “Pull yourself together” / “Snap out of it” and the likes

I think: How? Snap out of what? I don’t want to be like this either, you think it’s fun?

I feel: Feel completely useless and hopeless that I’m incapable of holding myself together and getting better. Depression snowballs with this sense of incompetence.

4. “Why do you need to be depressed?”

I think: Umm… I don’t know, I wish I knew.

Doctors said it’s because of some imbalance in serotonin in me.

I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I DON’T KNOW!!!!!!!

I feel: Accused of committing a heinous crime to be depressed.

Confused because I don’t know what happened to make me depressed and how it all happened.

Lost since I don’t know how to get out of depression. Feel inferior and worse about myself, so I hide from you as well because I don’t want to feel inadequate.

> Continued: 10 things not to say to a depressed person (and please don’t ever say to me either)

Also see more articles by Noch Noch / Enoch Li.

~~~

Thanks to Noch Noch for her stimulating post.

Photos added by Douglas Eby (author of this site):

Upper two images are of ‘Cecilia’ in The Virgin Suicides (1999, written and directed by Sofia Coppola, from the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides) – after her suicide attempt by slitting her wrists, a doctor in the hospital asks her, “What are you doing here, honey? You’re not even old enough to know how bad life gets.” Cecilia replies: “Obviously, Doctor, you’ve never been a 13-year-old girl.” Her sisters apparently gave her about a dozen bracelets to wear on each wrist to help cover her bandages. Later on, they all died of suicide.

Lower image from book: I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression.

The kinds of reactions from others (including health professionals such as physicians) that Noch Noch writes about can help keep many depressed people shut off and unwilling to talk openly. Even reactions you expect or anticipate, and whether they happen or not. That was part of my experience earlier in my life, with depression and dysthymia.

~~

Some five hundred years ago, mood disorders were considered to be based on an imbalance in four body “humors” or  fluids – yellow bile, black bile, blood, and phlegm.

Too much black bile was thought to cause ‘melancholy’ and ‘madness.’ [For more, see the Wikipedia page on Melancholia.]

In her article “Clinical Depression Then and Now,” Patricia Waldron, M.D. noted that art historian Erwin Panofsky referred to this famous artwork, Melencolia I (from 1514) as Albrecht Dürer’s “spiritual self-portrait.”

She added, “We know, indeed, that Dürer thought of himself as melancholic and frequently experienced dejection and a sense of ‘powerlessness’ in the face of the staggering intellectual and technical demands he placed on himself.

“But Dürer’s energy and talent clearly turned periods of depression into an exploration of the inner self, which combined with his careful observation of the external world, resulted in works such as this splendid engraving.”

She also noted, “Because it involved cogitation and introspection, the state of melancholy became associated with the creative person. The philosopher Plato first postulated the notion that melancholy often followed ‘the Divine Frenzy’ of creativity.”

[Unfortunately, this fascinating article, which I found years ago, is apparently no longer on the Web, at least under that name.]

But many of us have also found that creative expression can help deal with depressive feelings.

“I equated creativity with artists, innovators, entrepreneurs, designers, fashion… I was none of that – until I sunk into depression.”

Writer Enoch Li says she never thought she had any creative talent, but in dealing with depression “rediscovered my creativity, which spurred my recovery.”

From the post: Depressed Creativity.

Questioning the mood – creativity link

A number of writers and psychologists are questioning the validity of the long history of associating depression with creativity.

In her post Depression, Creativity, and a New Pair of Shoes, Shelley H. Carson, Ph.D. writes, “After reading a newspaper article about some of the current research linking depressive disorders to creativity, an artist friend of mine commented, ‘Well, I guess now all I have to do is get depressed and my work will improve.’

Carson adds, “Since the time of Aristotle, creativity in the arts has been linked to melancholia…but depression itself doesn’t necessarily enhance creativity. Quite the opposite: most poets, artists, and composers have reported over the years that they are decidedly unable to work during episodes of severe depression. In fact, many have found their inability to create while depressed to be an impetus for ending it all.”

Carson is author of the book Your Creative Brain: Seven Steps to Maximize Imagination, Productivity, and Innovation in Your Life.

In her article Creativity, the Arts, and Madness, Maureen Neihart, Psy.D. gives a quote attributed to Aristotle: “No great genius was without a mixture of insanity.”

But is that really true?

Judith Schlesinger, PhD, author of the book The Insanity Hoax: Exposing the Myth of the Mad Genius, says “The fact is that, despite the efforts of numerous investigators and decades of confident pronouncements by a few, there’s still no concrete, empirical proof that highly creative people are any more likely to be mood-disordered than any other group.”

She thinks “A careful look at the so-called ‘landmark’ studies in the field — the work by psychiatrists Nancy Andreasen and Arnold Ludwig, and psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison — reveals gaping holes in their design, methodologies, and conclusions.”

From my post Madness and creativity: do we need to be crazy?

But there continue to be studies that raise questions about potential links between mood and creativity.

For example, “The Dark Side of Creativity: Biological Vulnerability and Negative Emotions Lead to Greater Artistic Creativity” is a research study from Harvard University that “examined how vulnerability to experiencing negative affect, measured with biological products, and intense negative emotions influenced artistic creativity… Although some evidence suggests that positive mood can enhance creativity… many other studies have demonstrated that negative affect can have a facilitative effect on creativity.”

[Thanks to a member of a Facebook group: The Brain Cafe for pointing out this study. This group often reports on fascinating literature and research related to neuroscience, gifted adults and creativity.]

Rethinking Depression

Susan Jennifer Polese, a counselor in training, a personal coach and a freelance writer, notes in her article A Catalyst to Change – Rethinking Depression, “perhaps we can, for the moment, rethink depression much the way William Glasser, the founder of Reality Therapy does. Glasser maintains that we need to take responsibility for what we are and what we are experiencing. He states that being depressed, being anxious, even having a headache are expressions which avoid our responsibility in behaving in these ways.

“We choose to be depressed and hence, when depressed, we are depressing. We choose to have a headache, and hence, when we have a headache, we are headaching. He uses verbs to describe these conditions because we are choosing to experience this. This viewpoint does not support treatment with a medication.”

[Related book: Take Charge of your Life: How to Get What you Need With Choice Theory Psychology, by William Glasser, MD.]

Polese continues, “Depression through the lens of Dr. Martin Seligman, the developer of positive psychology, changes the focus from what’s wrong to what’s strong. This ideology views the fight against depression as a journey through which the client accesses creativity and strength to endure and overcome deep unhappiness. Through these actions meaning can be found.”

[Related book: Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, by Martin E. P. Seligman.]

She notes that creativity coach Eric Maisel, PhD has written a book ‘Rethinking Depression’ that explores this topic: “Like Glasser, Maisel takes a nonclinical look at depression and goes as far to declare that there really is no disorder of ‘depression’ and that unhappiness, chronic or otherwise, need not be looked at from a medical model of pathology.”

In his series of podcasts Overcoming Obstacles to Creating, Maisel has an episode titled “Minding Your Emotions” in which he says, “It is necessary that a creative person have and express her emotions, but that is a very different thing from being led around by the nose by her fear, anger, envy, or sadness. What can we do to break free of the grip of our emotions?”

Pathologizing everyday life

In a new post of his, Rethinking Depression, Dr. Maisel writes, “There is something profoundly wrong with the way that we currently name and treat certain human phenomena. When we call something a ‘mental disease’ or a ‘mental disorder’ we imply a great deal about its origins, its treatment, its intractability, and its locus of control.

“The mental health industry has its reasons for calling life’s challenges ‘disorders’ but we have few good reasons to collude with them.”

He thinks this sort of labeling can be very dangerous: “As soon as you employ the interesting linguistic tactic of calling every unwanted aspect of life abnormal, you are on the road to pathologizing everyday life. By making every unwanted experience a piece of pathology, it becomes possible to knit together disorders that have the look but not the reality of medical illness. This is what has happened in our ‘medicalize everything’ culture.”

Ed Harris as Jackson Pollock

Referring specifically to depression, he thinks the term “has virtually replaced unhappiness in our internal vocabularies.

“We feel sad but we call ourselves depressed. Having unconsciously made this linguistic switch, when we look for help we naturally turn to a ‘depression expert.’

“We look to a pill, a therapist, a social worker, or a pastoral counselor – even if we’re sad because we’re having trouble paying the bills, because our career is not taking off, or because our relationship is on the skids.

“That is, even if our sadness is rooted in our circumstances, social forces cause us to name that sadness ‘depression’ and to look for ‘help with our depression.’ People have been trained to call their sadness ‘depression’ by the many forces acting upon them, from the mental health industry to mass culture to advertising.

Eric Maisel’s related book is Rethinking Depression: How to Shed Mental Health Labels and Create Personal Meaning.

Psychotherapist and author Jed Diamond notes in his review: “I was fortunate to get an advance copy of Eric Maisel’s new book. I’ve been a psychotherapist for more than 40 years and treat depression every day. I’ve long come to see that our old way of looking at ‘mental illness’ is totally inadequate. We put more and more people on drugs while ignoring the underlying problems that feed our feelings of despair and hopelessness.”

Bipolar and Bipolar Advantage

In his Psych Central article At The Mercy Of Our Moods, Tom Wootton notes that “At the mercy of her moods” was “a very 19th century expression” but is still an undercurrent in both popular and professional attitudes about mental health.

He declares that based on his experience, “and that of many others…intensity has much less to do with it than understanding and training. When we seek understanding instead of just trying to make it go away, we find that we can separate the experience of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual intensity from our reactions.”

From my Creative Mind post Creativity Higher with Bipolar?

Tom Wootton is author of the books:

The Depression Advantage

Bipolar In Order: Looking At Depression, Mania, Hallucination, and Delusion From The Other Side

Wootton is also President of Bipolar Advantage: Outcome-Based Education for Bipolar and Depression.

Maureen Duffy Ph.D., Professor and Chairperson, The Counseling Program, Barry University says, “Tom is doing something no one else is really doing. He is turning a serious mental illness on its head and suggesting that by accepting rather than fighting the disorder, people with bipolar can identify and access their strengths and lead lives that are not only satisfying but productive beyond their wildest imaginings.”

John D. Gartner, PhD (author of The Hypomanic Edge) says, “Bipolar Advantage offers a comprehensive program for bipolars to find their own type of balance — to be themselves and in control at the same time.”

Follow the link to Bipolar Advantage to get started with the program for free.

At the top of this post, I referred to my “depressive feelings” – for many years of my life, I struggled with depression and dysthymia, and have experienced benefit from psychotherapy and the use of antidepressants (years ago).

I still daily use the herbal supplements SAM-e (S-Adenosyl Methionine, derived from the amino acid methionine), and St. John’s Wort for mood control. (A good source of information and of research-grade tablets is HBC Protocols.)

Considering how many artists (such as Jackson Pollock, played in a movie by Ed Harris – photo) have reportedly suffered from depression and anxiety, and thinking about the kinds of perspectives mentioned in this post, it seems to me it is vital to deal with our emotional and mental health challenges, to better access our creativity.

But it is also vital to consider how we label and respond to those challenges.

For more perspectives, see these articles:

Giftedness, sensitivity and psychiatric drugs: why do we take them and why do we quit? by Cat Robson.

Affect Regulation and the Creative Artist, by Cheryl Arutt, Psy.D.

Also see Mental Health posts.

~ ~

“I said to Mom the other day, ‘Do you remember that girl? She has now gone, gone to sleep. She has said her piece and is gone.’ But then I thought, I so remember her, only she is no longer part of me.

“I am so sorry she was hurting for so long. It’s all so negatively narcissistic to be so consumed with self.” [Reported by Yahoo News]

Many people might take issue with thinking of depression as “consumed with self” – it is a provocative idea. But with my own past experience with depression, I think there is some validity to it.

Not that being “narcissistic” brings on depression, but that when you are suffering from it, your perspectives on life tend to get restricted to your dark moods, and your darkened self having to deal with those moods.

Following her acclaimed acting in “Brokeback Mountain,” one of Hathaway’s next roles will be as novelist Jane Austen, who also reportedly experienced some depression.

According to the website Famous (Living) People Who Have Experienced Depression, women in the arts who have declared publicly they have had some form of the mood disorder include Sheryl Crow; Ellen DeGeneres; Patty Duke; Connie Francis; Mariette Hartley; Margot Kidder; Kristy McNichol; Kate Millett; Sinead O’Connor; Marie Osmond; Dolly Parton; Bonnie Raitt; Jeannie C. Riley; Roseanne, and Lili Taylor.

In my article Creativity and Depression, I note that development of a mood disorder may start early in life. C. Diane Ealy, Ph.D., in her book “The Woman’s Book of Creativity” writes: “Many studies have shown us that a young girl’s ideas are frequently discounted by her peers and teachers. In response, she stifles her creativity. The adult who isn’t expressing her creativity is falling short of her potential.”

Related Talent Development Resources pages:
depression : teen/young adult
depression : teen/young adult 2 articles books
depression articles
depression relief : products / programs
~~

“I think most human beings go through some sort of depression in their life. And if they don’t, that’s weird.” Kirsten Dunst

From an article by Josh Patner in Flare magazine, which continues:

Dunst speaks from experience: In 2008, she checked into a rehab center in Utah to be treated for crippling depression.

Things started unraveling in 2006 when critics tore apart Marie Antoinette, which starred Dunst as the French queen.

“The movie was so personal to me, and it was like everyone was stomping on my heart.”

More flops followed, as did a breakup with her boyfriend. But she found herself unable to talk about her pain.

“And because of what I do for a living, I had to keep giving. It can dissolve you.”

She also thought that suffering would make her a better actress. “I would hold on to insecurities, because I thought it would help me. You see in people’s eyes what they’ve been through.”

Dunst is more confident now, and no longer believes that misery is essential to her craft. “I know that I perform best when I’m happy, because you can access those [painful] things and be okay at the end of the day.”

[Source: "Kirsten Dunst’s battle with depression", theweek.com, Nov. 4 2011]

~ ~ ~

Related articles:

Dealing with Depression to Access Our Creativity
Many prominent artists experience depression… One of the myths of creativity is that you need to be depressed to be creatively successful. You don’t. But many creative people may be particularly susceptible to mood disorders.

Madness and creativity: do we need to be crazy?
The mythology of the mad artist continues in various forms, supported to some extent by research – for example, studies indicating writers are more susceptible to depression.

~ ~

Diet

Many biochemical theories of depression centre around deficiencies of one nutrient or another, and vitamins and minerals are an obvious first place to look, as we need so many of them – usually in tiny daily amounts, but they are vital.

And the truth is, many depressed people do not care enough about themselves to buy and cook fresh healthy food.

Obviously in an ideal world, you would get all your nutritional needs from food, but whilst you work towards that ideal a broad-spectrum multivitamin and mineral supplement can help set you on the right track. …

As well as trace nutrients your diet must contain enough basic building blocks, such as fats.

Fats have a bad press because they are calorifically dense, but the truth is they are an essential part of your diet, as they are an essential part of your body.

Getting enough healthy unsaturated essential fatty acids in your diet is vital for brain health, and it is an EFA called Omega-3 that we are most likely to be deficient in.

This can be taken as a supplement in capsule form, or oils such as flax seed or fish oil. DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, is a good supplement to look out for.   [Continued]

Herbal Remedies

There are a great many herbal remedies available to help you tackle depression.

It’s good to talk to an qualified herbalist or naturopath about these if you are unsure where to start.

Remember that most commercial pharmaceuticals in use today are derived from or modelled upon natural herbs and substances – folk remedies tend to develop their reputation because they work in some way, and the big pharma companies exploit that effect when they can!

So, if you are taking prescription antidepressants, you must NOT mix them with certain herbal remedies, as their actions on brain chemistry are too similar.

A good example is St Johns Wart (Hypericum perforatum) [available from HBC Protocols], which has been demonstrated to have similar effects to many current SSRIs, and clinically proven as an effective remedy for dysthymia and mild to moderate depression.     [Continued]

[Also see related page: Supplements]

Exercise And Activity

When you are suffering from depression, it might feel like the last thing you are capable of doing is taking exercise.

Lack of energy, interrupted sleep, confusion, hopelessness and lack of motivation, all conspire to make getting started on any kind of program incredibly difficult… but the results are so great, you really owe it to yourself to check it out.

Benefits Of Exercise

Exercising regularly brings so many benefits to your health and wellbeing. If you can get over the motivational obstacles, you will…

•    Release endorphins into your bloodstream and directly lift your mood
•    Lose weight, and speed up your metabolism
•    Burn fat and build muscle, so you look fitter and healthier
•    Improve your lymphatic drainage and the removal of toxins from your body
•    Be more resistant to viruses and infections
•    Raise your energy levels  [Continued]

More topics in the ebook:

Sunlight And Melatonin
Realistic Expectations
Social Activities And Support Groups
Bodywork And Treatments

Download the free ebook (PDF) by Cecil Ellis, Psychologist and Nutrition Specialist. “Depression is a challenging condition to overcome, but you will learn that there is much you can do to improve your situation and regain control – over your depression and over your life.”

Tips To Treat Depression

~ ~

Writer nochnoch (Enoch Li) admits that she never thought she “had any creativity” – but rediscovered her talents in dealing with depression. Here are some excerpts from her article Depressed Creativity

I equated creativity with artists, innovators, entrepreneurs, designers, fashion… I was none of that – until I sunk into depression last year.

And over the course of a few months, I rediscovered my creativity, which spurred my recovery.

I had always classified myself as ‘not creative’ till I met my fiancé.

He could visualize colours, designs, and spaces. He made little crafts and redecorated the home. He had innovative ideas for businesses.

Equally, his friend, a graffiti artist and graphic designer, is what I call creative – all the scribbling and sketches that magically appeared on the canvas. I was in awe.

But it was a limiting belief that I was not creative myself.

Out of many disguised blessings from the period of illness, one is rediscovering my creativity. I say ‘rediscovering’ because in fact I was creative when I was younger – I constructed mumble-jumble poems, short stories, drawings, even a book about Mr Caterpillar having too many feet when I was just 5 years old. I made bookmarks, and ‘laminated’ them with my special tape, I made clothes for Barbie, and I made up stories for my bears.

This is all creativity at play. It’s in the heart somewhere.

Continued in her article Depressed Creativity.

Also see her article Regaining Control Over Depression.

~ ~ ~

Related book: The Van Gogh Blues: The Creative Person’s Path Through Depression, by Eric Maisel, PhD

Related pages and sections:

Healing & Art

Also see Depression Relief Products / Programs and Depression relief resources

I’m a lot like you… I was depressed for a LONG time and I didn’t like it.

As a matter of fact I’ve personally experienced 30+ years of chronic depression with at least two episodes of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

Here are some of the things I’ve encountered during my life’s journey:

* sexual abuse…
* abandonment issues…
* becoming a mother at age 17…
* 2 bankruptcies (one personal and one corporate)…
* loss of home that was a primary residence…
* diagnosed with rheumatoid and osteoarthritis at age 34…
* 2 divorces…
* abusive spouse who was an alcoholic…

Things got so bad, I almost couldn’t get out of bed, didn’t want to see anyone and wanted to pull the covers over my head and hide from the world.

Fast-forward to today and I now live a life FREE of depression, and have been depression free for more than 5 years, because… I had a burning desire to feel better.

My perseverance led me to the answers I had been searching for.  What I discovered helped me to put all the pieces of the puzzle together into a coherent structure.

In the beginning I learned techniques which I applied in my daily life that brought a feeling of relief, but would last only a short time.  Then I would feel discouraged and get depressed again.

But, I refused to give up.  I continued to try new and different techniques… I studied NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), took the Silva Method of Mind Development course, studied with Native American Indians, and even became a certified hypnotherapist.

These studies did not give me all the answers, but I learned something and gained benefits from each one.

From her article: Finding a method that works to relieve depression.

> Order her book You Can Heal Your Depression Now.

non-drug depression relief, dealing with depression, treating depression, drug-free relief for depression, alternative healing for depression