The link between Buried Emotions and Dealing with Depression depicted with an image of a couple with one giving the other a shoulder to lean on.

I listened to a wonderfully inspirational video by Foster Gamble, created for the Thrive documentary. In his blog “Upbeat Evolutionary Perspective Thriving” at around 37 minutes he answers a question about how he deals with his inner conflicts. His reply is so clear, simple and enlightened, it is obvious he has done a lot of work on himself. I believe it also offers a profound insight into dealing with depression.

WOMAN OVERCOMING DEPRESSION

The numerous symptoms of depression range from relatively mild; where life has become dreary and joyless; to very severe where it’s an effort just to face the next day. In the first case, the person may not even know they’re depressed, while in the second they may even consider suicide as a way out of their suffering. Whatever the level of depression it affects all areas of life; mood, energy levels, sleep, appetite, libido and of course, relationships.

Person Walking in Rain

Often people suffering from depression feel that there’s nothing they can do to lift themselves out of their state. However, there are several steps to overcome depression that can be practised straight away to counteract its effects. Beginning to introduce the varied approaches of Mindfulness into one’s life can be very empowering: One such thought filtering approach is called: The Three Gateways Most people who are depressed suffer a constant stream of self-negating thoughts streaming through their mind all day long. By using this “Three Gateways” technique –…

A beautiful garden representing a safe place to heal

Deep down you already know the solutions to your problems, but it’s very difficult to find the time and space to access these solutions. When you feel overwhelmed by the challenges and demands of life, knowing there IS a way forward and a space where it’s safe to be vulnerable can be a great help. Ongoing support and guidance can transform long standing fears and phobias; can heal and resolve relationship issues, opening up a whole new life experience. What can Psychotherapy do for me? People come to…

what is this?

The damage inflicted by negative beliefs Sometimes in our lives, we find ourselves tormented by cruel, self defeating thoughts.  We believe: “I’m not good enough”, “I’m a failure”  “I’ll never be as good as John/Sue”, “I’m fat, ugly” etc. These destructive thoughts/emotions always seem to appear when we’re at our most vulnerable; when we’re tired, sick or stressed. Having a life of their own, they can run in an endless repetitive loop at the back of our minds draining us of so much energy.  Often the very time…

Tall trees in forest

In Healing our Inner Demons, we gain priceless Self Awareness However when we push away and disown our unwanted behaviours many things happen. Disowning our anger, jealousy, fears, hatreds means that these emotions have nowhere to go. We then, unintentionally create these “demons” that come back to haunt us when we’re feeling low, tired or ill. Negative Conditioning from Childhood Say I have had many ongoing childhood experiences of being found “wrong”, “not good enough”, or labelled “stupid” by either parents or teachers. Years later I leave home/school,…

Train tracks between fields

The loss of a loved partner, child, friend or even a beloved animal can leave us feeling bereft, angry and even depressed. We embark on a future without our loved one while surrounded by numerous reminders of their absence. Our everyday lifestyle and actions are seriously affected. Grieving is a PROCESS that we need to go through – it doesn’t just pass away with time nor can it be rationalised away by the intellect.