{"id":32696,"date":"2015-05-04T19:55:38","date_gmt":"2015-05-05T03:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=32696"},"modified":"2015-05-07T20:08:06","modified_gmt":"2015-05-08T04:08:06","slug":"ditch-depression-get-life-8-ways-deal-black-dog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/ditch-depression-get-life-8-ways-deal-black-dog\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Ditch Depression and Get a Life: 8 Ways to Deal with the Black Dog"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/p>\n

There were mirrors in the house but I did not look into them. I did not want to see that version of myself looking back at me.<\/p>\n

But in the cold light of day, in the shopping mall mirrors, I couldn\u2019t miss my reflection staring back.<\/p>\n

Who was that sad, lonely, young woman with eyes like a dead, black river?<\/p>\n

That was me many years ago, a young mother isolated in suburbia with two young children and only a house for company. No job or future prospects. And a husband who clearly had no understanding about my suffering.<\/p>\n

Was it any wonder that I was depressed?<\/a><\/p>\n

Depression is an unconscious cry for help.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To ignore the cry is to push down the pain into your soul so it can lurk there ready to pop back up when you least expect it.<\/p>\n

Do you feel that somewhere there is a vital part of you that wants to live again, that wants to recover?<\/p>\n

Or maybe you are just waiting for your<\/p>\n

depression to lift and go away as it has before?<\/p>\n

Depression is caused by unfinished psychological business.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And it is only until you deal with this business that you can ditch depression and get your life back.<\/p>\n

Your depressed human psyche cannot see a future.\u00a0 You have no hope. You feel helpless. You have no personal power. You may be contemplating suicide.<\/p>\n

But there is a way forward without having to end your life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>When you are suffering from depression nothing is as it seems. Yesterday you were feeling ok, not great but ok, and today the whole world is against you.<\/p>\n

Everything is dark and bad. Your perception has changed over night but that is all that has changed. Everything and everyone else around you is just the same.<\/p>\n

No matter what your depressed psyche believes, know that it is not real.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Understanding your depression.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>1) Your depression is unique to you.<\/p>\n

2) Depression has many causes.<\/p>\n

3) Underlying emotions of depression are complex, powerful, primal and elusive.<\/p>\n

4) There is no quick fix for depression.<\/p>\n

5) All emotions are parts of a jigsaw puzzle of depression.<\/p>\n

6) Each piece of the puzzle needs to be located and released before healing can begin.<\/p>\n

7) Healing depression is hard emotional work and piecing together your past emotional experiences can be confronting.<\/p>\n

8)\u00a0 Releasing painful feelings is a step towards unlearning\u00a0and releasing the past\u00a0to make way for\u00a0renewal.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

8 Ways to deal with the black dog.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1) Find a capable psychotherapist<\/a> to help you piece together your puzzle of depression.<\/p>\n

2) Therapy is team work. In between sessions try to become more aware of what is happening in your psyche.<\/p>\n

3) Keep a diary to record your thoughts, feelings and dreams, which will be preparation for your next session.<\/p>\n

4) Exercise daily, a short brisk walk or jog.<\/p>\n

5) Practice meditation or deep breathing to release stress.<\/p>\n

6)\u00a0Treat yourself to a weekly massage.<\/p>\n

7) Buy a dog or a cat but only if you like animals and are prepared to put the time in to look after it. You could borrow a dog to walk.<\/p>\n

8)\u00a0\u00a0 Consider therapy as an investment in yourself and your future happiness.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0The black dog is a rare visitor to me now. But if I should face him on a lonely road, I cross over on the other side.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

———–<\/p>\n

Carole Lyden is a writer and psychodynamic psychotherapist specializing in depression therapy at Teddy Bear Therapy Centre in Perth Western Australia.<\/a> She is passionate about the power of psychotherapy and its ability to change lives.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Depression is an unconscious cry for help.<\/p>\n

To ignore the cry is to push down the pain into your soul so it can lurk there ready to pop back up when you least expect it. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":32880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[33,32,24,21,6],"tags":[1743,3590,4300,4641,51,66,4629],"yoast_head":"\nHow To Ditch Depression and Get a Life: 8 Ways to Deal with the Black Dog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An 8 part guide to overcoming and dealing with depression for good.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/ditch-depression-get-life-8-ways-deal-black-dog\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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