Category Archives: Helpful Thinking

Purpose

Get the body moving and the mind will follow!

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Sue, tells us how working at a local Zoo got her out of the house and focused on a new volunteer position at the zoo. She found that she loved it. It gave her a purpose and a self dignity that her depressed lifestyle had taken from her. The following is her own account of what this volunteer position brought into her life.

“Action does precede motivation and I began working at a local zoo. It is a beautiful place (and safe from muggers too). I began talking with people and learned about classed there to become a docent (a volunteer teacher). I enrolled and graduated. This gave me a new purpose in life. I get great joy from working there doing outreaches to schools, nursing homes and hospitals. I have made friends with both animals and humans. There isn’t a day that I go  there to talk that I don’t get thanked by someone, a visitor, or employee (or sometimes an animal).

My family hasn’t changed ( although my mother commented on the change in my face), but I have. In this the Serenity  Prayer really helps.  I know that I can’t change them but I have new friends and a real support system so this doesn’t matter so much now.

Whoever you are, you who are reading this. Believe! The first Three Steps are the most important. Walking or other exercise is important. Staying with it is also important. Going to the meetings and participating is important, but above all else, faith is important. Faith will truly move mountains.”

SOURCE: Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition. (2011) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. Pages 142-145. Personal Stories: Sues story: Faith does move mountains.

 

Acceptance, Mutual Aid

For those who never experienced love growing up

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“Depressed Anonymous provides a secure base (love and acceptance) for those who never experienced love or support while growing up.”

After ten years of repeated meetings with the depressed of Depressed Anonymous meetings, it’s clear that the meetings create a secure base for those who in their childhood had neither kindness nor the life giving warmth and affection of family life.

People who keep coming back to Depressed Anonynmous continue to grow and become aware of the inner change taking place week after week as they find not only attention to their story, but find that they are loved and cared for at the same time. Possibly for the first time, they find that they look forward to each weekly meeting and become attached to the positive feelings that emerge inside themselves as they continue to share the story of their pain . In time, they share how their week is suddenly being filled with more good days than bad. It also becomes obvious to the participant that childhood behavior and experiences are carried right on into adult life. Trusting is such a hazard for the depressed because every person is different. You can’t trust your environment because it could suddenly shift and you would be without a certainty that you were bad and worthless. The meetings gradually present to you an opportunity to be someone worthwhile and valued. Your sharing and risking information about yourself begins the construction of a new and secure you. The Depressed Anonymous group becomes for possibly the first time in your life, a very secure and stable enviornmment where you can share, trust and grow.“

RESOURCE: Depressed Anonynmous, 3rd edition. (2011) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. Personal Stories. Pages 139-140.

Choice

Made a decision

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I made a decision years ago, albeit an unconscious one, that the horrible negative thoughts and painful feelings which afflicted me on an ongoing basis  would never change. I am referring to my inability to climb out of bed a morning, the jittery  deadly hollowness that filled my stomach, plus the anxiety of waiting for the “other shoe to drop” which I believed would bring  on some  catastrophic event  to make matters worse in my life.

But, here is  the kicker, I discovered Depressed Anonymous, at the point of personal despair, and found hope in a fellowship of men and women who likewise had made a decision to give up–some even attempting suicide.  But by the grace of God, my surrender to this power greater than myself, brought me into a way out of depression and one that has lasted these many years. I now follow the program of the Twelve Steps where I believe their Promises that if I am serious about following this path, my life will gradually get better and peace will be restored to one’s life. And guess what, that is exactly what happened to me. The same can happen to you as well.

“Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand God.” Step Three of Depressed Anonymous.

Source: Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition. (2011)  Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville.

Belief

I came to believe

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This is one of those major statements from the 12 Step program of recovery. ” I came to believe that a power greater than myself could restore me to sanity.” In our own lives we sometimes came to believe in other matters which didn’t do much for our self respect or our dignity. In other words it didn’t touch us at the core of our own humanity. Our beliefs determine our  future and how we respond to what continually impacts upon our daily lives.

Now let’s talk about the experience we may be having or have had with depression. What did that do to our self-respect and identity as a human being? Did I it loosen our bonds with persons with whom we once shared our lives and dreams? Did it cause us to  throw in the towel of living,   because we had no  peace and a total loss of a sense of regularity about our lives. Could it possibly be all of the above?

And this is where the “I came to believe ” comes into my life. I first admitted that my life was out of control, and that I was powerless  over my depression, that I had to surrender myself to something  bigger than me,  so I drug myself into the Fellowship of Depressed Anonymous and have been in this haven of sanity for the last 30 years. I am still there after all these years, not because I am still depressed. No, it’s because of my desire to share what I know about depression and how to help those still  suffering from this illness of mind, body and spirit.

Read more personal stories by those of us who have recovered, thanks to the Fellowship of Depressed Anonymous.

Read : Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition. Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville.

Spirituality

Spiritual awakening? What is that?

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In the last Step  (Twelve) of our recovery program we read the following:
“Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all of our affairs.”

In the Twelve and Twelve, a work which speaks directly to each Step and Tradition of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. And now, these same Steps have been used by millions of people around the world for their recovery from whatever addiction/behavior which might be keeping them from living a life of peace and hope. In the case of the Depressed Anonymous fellowship, we too found that it was in our own personal “spiritual awakening” that brought us more deeply into that life of peace and  hope as promised.

But first, let’s read what the author of this work  spells out for us, defining for  us what  a “spiritual awakening” is.

“Maybe there are as many  definitions of spiritual awakening as there are people who have had them. But certainly each genuine one has something in common with all the others.  And these things which they have in common are not too hard to understand. When a man or a woman has a spiritual awakening, the most important meaning of it is that he has now become able to do, feel, and believe that which he could not do before on his unaided strength and resources alone. He has been granted a gift which amounts to a new state of consciousness and being. He has been set on a path which tells him he is really going somewhere, that life is not a dead end, not something to be endured or mastered. In a very real sense he has been transformed, because he has laid hold of a source of strength which, in one way or another, he had hitherto denied himself. He finds himself in possession of a degree of honesty, tolerance, unselfishness, peace of mind, and love of which he had thought himself quite incapable. What he has received is a free gift, and yet usually, at least in some small part, he has made himself ready to receive it.”

For each of us I believe this is a good starting point for understanding what the recovery program understands by a “spiritual awakening.”

_____________________

Tomorrow we  will continue our discussion about a “spiritual awakening” and take a deeper look at how Depressed Anonymous and those of us who are part of  it,  are experiencing  this ongoing  “spiritual awakening” in our  individual lives.  And because of this spiritual awakening we have this passion to try and “carry this message” to all those many others who are depressed and looking for help.

 

RESOURCES:  (c) Twelve Steps and Twelve traditions.  Alcoholics Anonymous’ World Services. Twenty-Ninth printing. NY. Pages 106-107..

(c) Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition. (2011) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. Pages 104-109;161-163.

12 Step Meeting, Belief, DA Literature, Depressed Anonymous, Fellowship, Focus, Higher Power, Spiritual Heroes, Spirituality

Our basic antidote for fear is a spiritual awakening!

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Antidote: “A remedy to counteract a poison.” This is the definition as given by Webster’s dictionary. Fear is truly a poison in some ways and in others it is a gift. We need to fear only that which will keep us locked in the prison of depression. Sometimes our fears are of what tomorrow might bring or might be the fears from the past. One of the better antidotes to fear is trying to live, just for today. Today is all I have.

So often I hear others say that they have been depressed all their lives until – let me repeat- until they hear other stories as to how with work, time and belief in a power greater than  themselves that they did and are feeling better now.  I need to trust that once I have made my conscious decision to turn my life and will over to the care of God as I understand him, that my life will indeed begin to change.

“I am no longer alone in my suffering depression. I believe that by getting more active in my recovery that my life will begin to brighten up.”

“We of (AA) and  Depressed Anonymous find that our basic antidote for fear is a spiritual awakening.” Bill W.

SOURCES:
Copyright (c) Higher Thoughts for down days: 365 daily thoughts and meditations for members of 12 Step fellowship groups. Depressed  Anonymous Publications. Louisville. May  10. Page 95.
Copyright (c) Believing is seeing: 15 ways to leave the prison of depression. (2015 ) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville.
Copyright (c) I’ll do it when I feel better. (2013) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville.

Belief

I came to believe…

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In the 12 Step program of Depressed Anonymous I am learning to march to a different drummer and whistle a different tune. In fact, the road that I am now traveling down is a road that will gradually lead me out of the dead ends of depression, guilt, listlessness  and the old familiar atrophy of my spirit to a new vision of who I am to be and to become.

WRITE:  What is it that you want to begin to believe different from your self when depressed? Please list the four ways that you are gradually  going to change the negative and hopeless way you believe about yourself. Print this exercise out and write out your responses if you would like.

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

Now name and list the people, places, situations, and things that have exerted the greatest power over you and your life now and  in the past? These  places, persons, and situations can have a positive or negative POWER OVER YOU AND YOUR LIFE?

2.6 Persons

2.7 Places

2.8 Situations

2.9 Things

CLARIFICATION OF THOUGHT

Now stop and think upon the persons, places, situations that you either gave power over you or who had power over you. These four categories are power full influences in the past which even today may still exert  their influence over you. Try and write down how this is perceived by you today. In other words, are these persons, situations, places still causing your life to feel out of control and unmanageable today? If so why? And if not, why not?

NOTE  The above exercise is taken directly from  The Depressed Anonymous Workbook.(2002) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. Page 11.

Each of the 12 Steps has their own series of questions for the participant to answer.  We continue to clarify for ourselves  the avenues which we can take,  one step at a time,  overcoming our experience with sadness.

The Promises

We have thrown off the shackles of the past

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”  Losses may produce a variety of very intense and painful feelings. Fear can cripple the best of us. Why fear people and economic insecurity?  In Steps 4,5,6,7,8, 9 we have examined our lives, piece by piece, ending up with a good conscience, while fearing neither guilt nor shame for things of our past. We have thrown off the shackles of the past.”

SOURCE:  I’ll do it when I feel better. (2014) Smith, Hugh.  Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. #10 of the 13 Promises of  the Depressed Anonymous Recovery Program. FEAR OF PEOPLE AND ECONOMIC INSECURITY WILL LEAVE US.

”  Bill, in his personal testimony in the DA book (Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition) relates that you don’t get better overnight, but you do get  much better. I was down in the muck as far as I could go.  I had to go and open the door for the first time because there was no other place to go. I had already used up all the hiding places in my life. I still have many problems like anyone else, but when I need sleep very badly, I turn this problem over to the Higher Power and go to sleep.  I can always pick life up the next morning. Somehow it all gets done. Every few days the world dumps on you and beats you down. That’s just life.”

SOURCE: Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition. (2011) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville.

NOTE: For more information regarding these two publications, please VISIT THE STORE to discover more literature  which  is especially suited to  persons depressed.

The Promises

Promise # 12 of Depressed Anonymous

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“WE WOULD SUDDENLY REALIZE THAT GOD IS DOING FOR US WHAT WE COULD NOT DO FOR OURSELVES.” PROMISE  # 12 of 13 PROMISES  of THE DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS FELLOWSHIP.

We must be willing to let go of all thoughts that tell us that we will never get well. These are the same thoughts that have imprisoned us over the years. We now listen to the god of our understanding and proceed with the belief that what we hold about the world on the outside of us is determined and governed by the world that is lived within us.

We are in a brand new way, on a new path and find ourselves committed to a fresh belief that something powerful is starting to blossom within me. A peace that surpasses all understanding is beginning to be born as we learn  to relax and wait and listen for that still small voice. We let go, we surrender, and we relax and let it speak. We pray that the God of our understanding make a way out of this desert of misery just as it has already created a way for those of us who live in the fellowship. Our thoughts move inside us with light and peace.”

SOURCE: (c) I’ll do it when I feel better.(2014)   Hugh Smith. Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. Pages 52-53.

12 Step Meeting, Belief, Depressed Anonymous, Hope

I can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel

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“I believe that by working the 12 Steps of Depressed Anonymous, the more my Higher Power can release in me the serenity that I seek.  While not giving up hope – I can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”  The FOURTEENTH WAY out of the prison of depression.

The following is an excerpt from Believing is  seeing: 15 ways to leave the prison of depression. (2015) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville.

 

“As long as I have a belief that somehow, someway, I will begin to feel differently and I can believe that Depressed Anonymous was developed to bring the ‘sufferer’s  of depression together. By this gathering of like-minded folks, it resulted in individuals being empowered to find a support which slowly leads them out of the hole.  I have always believed in the power and the uinfluence of the group — either serving as a power for good or a power designed for destructive ends. But as for our group Depressed Anonynmous, I know that it truly builds, enhances and strengthens anyone who gets involved with it on a regular and consistent basis.  Those who do interact with our fellowship eventually come out of the pit of their depression and start feeling hopeful about their lives.  They are feeling hope instead of despair. This is actually happening all the time as those involved in the fellowship begin to see personal changes occurring in their lives.”   Pages 65-66.