Category Archives: DA Literature

Depressed Anonymous, Fellowship, Journaling

All it takes is one good person to restore hope – Pope Francis

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This statement is so true. All it takes is one good person to restore hope. This is a reality that I personally experience each day of my life. I find these individuals every day – carrying the message of hope to those others who are looking for a way out of their pain and suffering. These good people who lead are sharing their own hope, strength and experience with those who still suffer alone, and without hope. These good people take it upon themselves to communicate to others how they found hope and now want to share their recovery with others. They are using the fellowship of hope by the electronic systems such as ZOOM, SKYPE, FACEBOOK and the many face to face groups outside of the virtual world. These various communication tools enable us to reach around the world bringing fellowship to those seeking hope.

Recently, individuals in Poland decided to set up their own SKYPE meetings. Just recently in America two ZOOM group are operating, with one more about to get up and running. There is also a phone – in meeting operating. in America.

We are here at depressedanon.com (Depressed Anonymous) offering hope to those who come to our website. A Blog is offered a number of times a week. There are those good people who are not members of Depressed Anonymous who use their resources and talents to keep our websites, our ZOOM and SKYPE online programs operating with a myriad of technical skills. All in all, good persons continue to find hope and share what they have with others. so that they too can experience the hope that is real and offered freely to them.

Depressed Anonymous website at depressedanon.com will lead you to the places where you can go and join up with others at a 12 Step Depressed Anonymous meeting.

Like Francis tells us “All it takes is for one good person to restore hope.”

Won’t you be the next “one good person?” Will you join with us on this great journey where we all discover the hope of recovery and personal serenity?

The Fellowship of Depressed Anonymous

Depressed Anonymous, Depressed Anonymous Workbook

How to grow your inner security. (During Covid-19 purchase and download two DA Ebooks – each $1)

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“It is by becoming part of the group that you will experience that miracle of the group. You will find that power greater than   yourself is about to restore you to a feeling of serenity and personal hope.” Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition. Pg. 51.

“As faith grows, so does inner security, The vast underlying fear of nothingness  commences to subside.  We of AA find that our basic antidote  for fear is a spiritual awakening.” Bill W., in As Bill Sees it. Pg. 196.

(Depressed Anonymous is modeled on the 12 Steps of AA.)

Resource

(c) Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition. (2001) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. KY.

ALERT!!!!

YOU CAN NOW ORDER TWO OF DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS eBOOKS, EACH  $1.  (Basic text AND  Workbook. ORDER EXPIRES ON MAY 1ST. GO TO THE DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS   BOOKSTORE AND CHECK OUT OTHER FINE LITERATURE.

Depressed Anonymous

The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it!

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The spiritual life is a life that one chooses.  We make a decision as it says in Step Three of Depressed Anonymous, and our lives are changed for ever.

 “Made a decision to turn  our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.”

This decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God is one o f the most important we will ever make in our lives. The more we surrender to God’s peace the more we will   find our way. It is the paradox of our existence in that it is in the letting go that we receive, and  it is only living  in God’s will as we understand God that we can have real life and joy…”  Depressed Anonymous Pg. 46.

“One of the major areas of our lives that we have a difficult time with is getting in touch with our feelings. many of us who are depressed now that one of our great defenses is the denial of our feelings – our ability to feel  is diminished as we continually choose numbness over vitality and spontaneity.”  Depressed Anonymous. Pg.50.

(c) Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition (2011)Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. KY.

DA Literature

Hope is contagious!

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Yes, hope is definitely contagious,

When I attend a Depressed Anonymous meeting I hear hope spoken. My own mood is elevated  listening  to how others are feeling better because of using the Twelve Steps of Recovery  for their   lives. Now,  because of  online  Depressed  Anonymous  groups on SKYPE and ZOOM,  the depressed have the opportunity to feel and find hope. And  once they move through the most painful experience of their lives,they come back and share  with the group how their life once was and how it is now.

Persons  find hope. They will find a fellowship that  speaks their language.

Yes, hope is definitely contagious.

In the very helpful book The Depths: The evolutionary origins of the depression epidemic, the author Jonathon Rottenberg shares with the reader how our deep moods can lead to  depression. He calls his study  a mood science.

“…The mood science perspective tells us that depression, deep or shallow, is a natural product of the mood system. However a person gets there, facing deep depression is a supremely difficult trial. Rather than assuming weakness or defectiveness . We should acknowledge that getting through depression requires considerable   strength .Rather than assuming permanent debility, we should recognize that some depressions are followed by thriving. Writing these words fourteen years after  my episode, I recognize that I am not broken. Getting beyond the disease model will require us to honor the strengths of formerly depressed and the ways that, once reborn , they can help others build enduring recovery from depression.

It is possible.”

Yes, hope is contagious!

(c) The Depths: The  Evolutionary Origins of the Depression Epidemic. Jonathon Rottenberg  (2014) Basic  Books, New York, NY. Pages 199-200.

DA Literature

A Therapist’s view of Depressed Anonymous

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“The spiritual program of Depressed Anonymous is its greatest strength. People come together and hear from one another how their higher power is  healing and guiding  their lives. They realize that in being part of the group  they are not alone, and also encourage true healing.  Depressed Anonymous has been a wonderful healing tool in the lives of many depressed persons I’ve worked with. It will always be one of the greatest resources I use in my work. It is true that “it works if you work it.”

Denise List    M.Ed  Louisville, KY

Depressed Anonymous Workbook

My ship was sinking…and then I found a lifeboat. (Three excuses not to get Into the boat.)

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I remember this well. I knew that my ship (life) was sinking. I was feeling that I was going under. My feeling was physical and real. I was losing control. There was no hope. And at this time of personal despairing, when I was at my lowest point, a lifeboat showed up. I know this is a metaphor. In reality the boat was a solution that gave me hope. And to my surprise, others had also found this life boat. And as we shared stories with each other about our troubled lives and our feelings of hopelessness, something amazing happened. The solutions appeared. We each grabbed an oar and began rowing to shore.

So, you can stand there on the ship’s deck and feel it sinking or you can get into the lifeboat. We are talking about being compassionate to yourself, because everything else springs from that.

It is not selfish to love yourself.

If you can’t find compassion for yourself, you’ll never be truly generous for yourself, you’ll never find it for anyone else. You won’t know how. You will never be truly generous to anyone while depriving yourself.

The reason we don’t tell anyone they should do this, is that a person won’t do this until they are ready.

MOST PEOPLE WILL NEVER DO THIS.

All we are saying is that when you’re ready here’s the way you can do it. This is definitely not another stick to beat yourself with.

When you’ve suffered enough, you’ll remember that you know how to do it. It doesn’t really matter what you thought or have believed, felt or done before. This is a new day.

“But I I’ve always done it this way.” But I’ve always been this way.” Or “This is just the way I am.”

These are three of the world’s worst excuses. Don’t make excuses. Have a life!

 

SOURCE: (C) The Depressed Anonymous Workbook. Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. KY.

All DAP books can be ordered online.

12 Step Meeting, Higher Thoughts for Down Days

My frequent contact with friends in recovery…

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AFFIRMATION  FOR TODAY

“My frequent contact with friends in recovery enables me to speak the language of hope to myself and to others.”

“We have shared our problems and experiences, our thoughts, feelings and sorrows, our hopes and fears, our laughter and tears. Being in a group has offered us security. It has given us a sense of belonging and the feelings of a new beginning. It is comforting to know that the journey will never have to be traveled alone. Someone will always be there, if you are ever set to fall,  to encourage and support you along the way.

CLARIFICATION OF OUR THINKING

My depression thickens in the darkness of solitude; it  withers gradually in the light of open and frank discussion. By my ongoing and frequent participation in Depressed Anonymous (face to face or Online DA Skype Groups) and the other Twelve Step programs of recovery, I feel that I am no longer alone and vulnerable. I know now that there are other persons out there who understand what I am feeling. I won’t hear any “snap out of  it” nonsense. Usually said to us by folks who have never experienced the pain  of depression. I know  that the progress out of the desert of  depression  is slow and methodical. One Step at a time. I am willing to work on myself and I will be able to win over my depression!

But as I have been wounded by a group or individual ,  or my own family of origin, and those who comprised it, can now find a “surrogate” family and make a decision to choose new members of my family.

MEDITATION

God, help us to learn how to gradually express ourselves with other members of our group. We know that in helping others, we always help ourselves.”

RESOURCES

Depressed Anonymous Daily Online Skype meetings.

(c)Higher Thoughts for down days. 365 daily thoughts and meditations for members of Twelve Step fellowship groups. Depressed Anonymous Publications,. Louisville, KY. Pages 51-52.  March 27.

DA Literature

Ordering our eBooks hit a glitch. Help!

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Two days ago (3/25)  we indicated that we were going to have persons that were interested in downloading eBooks from our Bookstore   that they could down load for free for a three week period of time.  I thought with so much heartache, loss of jobs and the  depression that goes with these losses, that this would be a good time to make as many copies available as possible. Our tech agreed initially, thinking that it would be a good  idea. Then after a bit, he got back to me and said that he wasn’t able to reset our online payment process. Not so easy.   I thought that we could just press a few buttons and we were ready to go.    So,  now we are back to square one.

If anyone   has a suggestion, please let us know.  You can send a message here at our website  depressedanon.com or to us at depanon@netpenny.net. I apologize for this foul-up. There must be a way to make this happen , that would allow someone to download free. Our tech  indicated that we will continue to try other routes. We will think of other ways to meet this challenge. Hoping to hear suggestions from you, the fellowship of Depressed Anonymous,.

Hugh (Admin) for the Fellowship

Higher Thoughts for Down Days

Nothing is so simple that it has a single cause.

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 I know that millions of pieces of sand make up the seashore. I know that many drops of water make the ocean. I also know that many days make up the years of any one’s life. Many pieces and patches make up the quilt. I also know that today is that one piece of my life that I will  do all in my power to grow and work myself out of  sadness. I have only my one  day, this twenty-four hour period to be strong,  to  study and   talk to others in the program as to how I am recovering, by working my Twelve Step Program  of recovery. I am excited about the good things that are possible for me   when “I let go” of my need to sadden myself.

I am thankful that today I am finding a way out of my depression.  First of all, admitting that I am depressed. Secondly, Feeling  better knowing that just as there is a cause for my depression, with time and effort, I   will gradually the source of my sadness. Day by day, I am finding pieces of the solution due to  my recovery efforts.

I am alert to all knowledge that can  help free me from my sadness. I do know  now that what has happened to me in the past, continues to operate in me now. I am learning how to be aware of these unconscious motivators, which   suddenly and  inexplicably pop up out of nowhere saddening my self and lowering  my mood.  These bad actors will gradually be faced and examined as I work  through  the steps, at my DA discussion  meetings, the reading of Depressed Anonymous literature, and my ongoing   help from my sponsor. This is a promise.

RESOURCE

(C) Higher Thoughts for Down Days: 365 daily thoughts and meditations for members of Twelve Step fellowship groups. Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. KY.

Depressed Anonymous, Depressed Anonymous Workbook

To be honest, open and willing to look at ourselves gets us the hope we are looking for!

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We notice in Step Seven  (Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings) we don’t tell  God how we want God to remove our shortcomings – we leave that up to God.  This of course takes time just as it took time to develop our shortcomings and our defects of character. Sometimes, we hear some professionals say that people who are depressing themselves shouldn’t spend time taking an inventory of their faults or shortcomings because that is what got them  here in the first place – namely dissecting and bashing ourselves for all the bad things we have done and become. Why would those depressed want to make themselves sadder? The answer to this is that you will not make yourself sadder, you will make yourself healthier as you admit how you have kept yourself locked up in the prison of your depression by any or all of the following: your perfectionism, your anger, anxiety, indecisiveness, feeling always overwhelmed, self-doubts, all or nothing thinking, your passivity and avoidance of getting in touch with your feelings, people pleasing, pessimism toward yourself, lack of feeling competent, loss of identity, feeling unconnected to the world, and finally feeling socially isolated. These are some of the shortcomings that each of us has to look at if we are to live with any amount of freedom.  Some of the above are sure to be part of the depressed person’s life and thinking.”

Quoting  Dorothy Rowe,  tells us that

“People won’t change until they have some assurance that when they do change they will be completely happy. They want to have someone promise them that if they decide to change, they will have no more problems and will be happy.

This request is based on two assumptions, namely: 1) Anyone who hasn’t got my problems has no problems at all (therefore when my present problems disappear I shall have no problems); 2) Happiness is total certainty  (therefore unless I know exactly what is going to happen I cannot be happy).

Change is always difficult. I need to examine in my own life and check out to see if I always expect my actions to produce perfectly happy results or I won’t pursue them.”

Ordering can be done online (depressedanon.com) The two works listed here make up our HOME STUDY RECOVERY KIT. It is a long distance approach for learning more about the power of the  Twelve Steps and how to apply them to oneself.

RESOURCES:  (C) Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition (2011) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville, KY  Pg. 72.

(C) The  Depressed Anonymous Workbook, (2002)  Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville, KY . Pg. 59.