Category Archives: Supportive Actions

Fellowship, Mutual Aid

Depressed Anonymous is and has been my salvation

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Updated 29 Dec 2020: The US based ZOOM meetings are no longer being held.

I attend Depressed Anonymous meetings quite regularly. I have found that I can attend the meetings regularly.(Depressed Anonymous Meetings are on SKYPE everyday) I get the support of the members who I have found to have about the same kind of problems as I have-maybe not as bad as mine. But I guess each of us feels that our problems are worse than anyone else. I know mine are. But with the regular meetings and my friends support, I find that I am able to manage pretty well from week to week. I have more faith in myself since I work the Twelve Steps the best that I can and trust the Higher Power (God Almighty) with all my heart. I pray to the fullest extent that I will continue to have faith in myself and others. I have become a more whole being than I have ever been. I work a lot. I volunteer a lot and have a far better outlook on life that I have ever had. I attribute all of these good things to Depressed Anonymous.

…I cannot begin to explain sufficiently the support the meetings can give one who is depressed. Depressed Anonymous has been and is my salvation. I know the Twelve Step program is the only way to go to get one on the right track and it takes the meetings to keep you there. They are a “Godsend” for me and I know for a lot of others who are depressed.

I thank Depressed Anonymous and my Higher Power for a life worth living.

– Frances

Copyright © Depressed Anonymous, 3rd ed.(2011) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville, KY. (Personal Stories, page 116)

All literature can be ordered online at The Depressed Anonymous Bookstore.
Click onto VISIT THE STORE at our website www.depressedanon.com

Fellowship

“There is Hope—and we Do recover.” DA “ZOOM” MEETING

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Updated 29 Dec 2020: The US based ZOOM meetings are no longer being held.

There is hope…and we do recover!
This is the name of the ZOOM group now operating with three DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS ONLINE groups per week. What could be better than that.

I personally find the name of this mutual-aid 12 step group to be a “right on” description of what happens during it’s live online meetings. Those who come aboard soon learn that this is not only a safe place to share their “story” but is a place to discover others stories of how they are leaving the prison of their depression. And if you are one of those, like me who are looking to find hope and a plan to make it happen for your own life, you are in the right place.

Now in group meetings you won’t find people giving you a counterfeit hope, a hope that is not based on reality, but on their own personal experience. Those who are frequent group members of Depressed Anonymous, and who want to have a social contract with others on a personal basis, find that they have found a home with others like themselves. No strangers here. No counterfeit promises of sudden healing. You will be provided with a plan that has stood the test of time, for those who continue to be recipients of its power and enduring hope.

You will learn the strength of living life, not with grandiose sugar plum fairies dancing in your head, but with the hard work (yes, it takes work, time and prayer) of coming to meetings, reading the Depressed Anonymous literature, plus doing something. Yes, do something!

Start with the smallest thing, by clicking onto a DA meeting online or at Skype, and just listening in to the discussions of its members, new and old. No one has to talk. My own experience is this: those who come to their first meeting–yes, their first meeting will probably hear others share stories that are similar to their own.

Start small at first in things that need to be done for your own recovery. Move the body and the mind will follow. Get out of bed at a certain time every day. Water a plant that needs watering. Sweep the kitchen floor. Be creative. Commit to at least six meetings a week online. Skype is available everyday on line. Zoom is on three or four times a week.

And please, when that little voice inside your head says “I’ll do it when I feel better” ignore it and do what needs to be done now. Do it now. Not tomorrow. Yesterday is gone. All we have is NOW!

My vision is for all of us who were depressed or are depressed today, is to find the plan and the place where they can and do find hope and a great fellowship we call Depressed Anonymous.

Remember these powerful words – write them down. There is HOPE, and we Do Recover.
CONTACT: REBECCAIRENE8@GMAIL.COM

Hugh S

12 Step Meeting

DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS INTERNATIONAL SKYPE AND ZOOM MEETINGS

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NOTICE: Whenever a blog post mentions an online meeting be sure to consult the page Online Depressed Anonymous Meetings for the most up to date and correct information. If the blog post is more than a few days old there is a chance it could be incorrect.

Updated 29 Dec 2020: The US based ZOOM meetings are no longer being held, and that information has been removed from this post.

GET CONNECTED! YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE ALONE!!!!!!

ZOOM CONTACTS AUSTRALIA

ZOOM IN AUSTRALIA DEPRESSION ANONYMOUS

Go to Facebook and type in Depressed Anonymous.

MONDAYS 6:30-7:30 AEST

MEETING ID 966 940 7803

PASSWORD 497 871

INTERNATIONAL DA SKYPE MEETINGS

Meetings everyday of the week @

12:30 PM EST (NEW YORK TIME) 11:30 AM CST (CHICAGO TIME)

https://join.skype.com

A call will be sent out to those joining Depressed Anonymous 5 minutes before meeting. Click onto the JOIN CALL button. And there you are.

Belief, Believing Is Seeing, Fear, Fellowship, Mindfulness, Purpose, Step 04, Step 10, The 12 Steps

I will make a daily inventory of all my strengths

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Believing Is Seeing: 15 Ways To Leave The Prison Of Depression – Eleven

I will make a daily inventory of all my positive strengths. I tended to magnify the worst in everything in my life and make mountains out of molehills. I will focus on my stars and not my scars.

“One of the problems of being depressed is that every circumstance and situation is filled with potential hurt and disappointment. The depressed person has a tendency to think in patterns of despair, hurt, and disappointment. It appears to be a proven fact that the more a person keeps their fears and anxious thoughts to themselves, this can cause the mountain to grow larger. But by sharing these fears and thoughts with others, either by writing them out, as in a daily journal, or group discussion (like on SKYPE and ZOOM) we soon discover that our fears are not as big as we thought. The expression of fear many times decreased the size of their fear. Now that we are accepting ourselves we can begin to see that we possess the strength and persistence to tackle whatever obstacle lies ahead.

One of the features that stands out in our lives when depressed is we see everything in dark colors. Nothing looks hopeful. There does not appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel – except that it might be an oncoming freight train. We feel that we do not have a friend in the world. We feel that we’ll never feel good again. The list goes on and on.

What may be of some help is to take out pen and pencil and begin writing down your good points that you feel are your strengths. We have already done this, but it still remains an excellent exercise no matter how often you do it.

What do you remember as strengths before being aware that you are depressed? Going to Depressed Anonymous meetings has the potential to restore your sense of proportion about your strong points. At the meetings your friends in the fellowship will begin to tell you are showing improvement the more you are participating in the meetings. To listen to those who themselves are working the program and who share their lives week after week, you begin to realize that you too can begin to feel differently. Today can be a new start and yes, you do have it within yourself to be that person who is reversing old negative patterns of thinking and replacing them with thoughts of hope and optimism. You now believe that there is hope for yourself. Right now your strength seems to be that of maintaining a habitual way of thinking thoughts of hope. By the fact that you are reading this, takes the strength to want to feel good and continue to maintain a positive recovery. Begin now and reflect on your strengths. Believe that you have a way to maintain a personal persistence and desire to continue with gratitude for this new feeling of hope.”

NOTE: Take your pen and/or pencil and begin writing your thoughts down in response to the questions posed in the DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS WORKBOOK. Depressed Anonymous Publications.

Resources

Copyright © Believing is seeing: 15 ways to leave the prison of depression. (2020) Hugh Smith. Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. KY. Pages 57-59.

Copyright © The Depressed Anonymous Workbook. (2002) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. KY.

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

These basic books of the Depressed Anonymous Fellowship can be ordered online.

See: www.depressedanon.com

Literature Available

To receive a mailing of Depressed Anonymous literature, send a Self addressed stamped envelope to: DAP, Box 465, Pewee Valley, Kentucky. 40056.

The material can be used as “handouts” at your local Depressed Anonymous meetings.

Fellowship, Hope, Service

What is your middle name?

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No one ever calls me by my middle name. How about you? The only person that used my middle name, which happens to be Louis, was my Dad. And when my Dad used all three of my names, with emphasis upon Louis I knew I was in trouble. Big trouble. Well, that is another story. I haven’t the time nor the wish to go into that at this time. It really has nothing to do with depression. You’re right.

What I want to share today with you is something about who we are as a 12 Step program of recovery. As you may know, people and their families have coat of arms with some fancy pictures of shields, words etc. Here at Depressed Anonymous we too have our coat of arms, let’s for simple sake call them Logo’s. It’s our brand name if you will. Our logo shows footsteps. At the bottom are the words

  • HOPE
  • SERVICE
  • FELLOWSHIP

These words are our mission statement. They tell others who we are and what we are do. First of all we provide hope for those still suffering from depression. That’s what we do. Secondly, we provide service as members of our fellowship. We sponsor ZOOM and SKYPE meetings everyday. When someone calls and is hurting we respond. We have sponsors who help others with their Step Program. We have books and literature for those who are seeking more information on how to help themselves. We provide an email address where we can also be connected with anyone night and day. And finally, we are a fellowship, united in an effort to help others who are depressed and want an online and f2f program of recovery for their own recovery. We are here and we all in the fellowship and are no longer alone. Depression? We get it! We know. We’ve been there and done that. No more. With all of the services that we provide there are no fees or charge. We are all serving others because we ourselves have been served. Served with the opportunity to have HOPE.

So, now you know what middle names are important. They reall give an added dimension to who we are as people. You can call me by my middle Louis if you choose. That will make me feel like family. 🙂

M. Louis S.

Fellowship

Today I met some good people doing good things

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Updated 29 Dec 2020: The US based ZOOM meetings are no longer being held.

Today was another good day for me.  I was inspired.  I happened to find a group of people, like me, who were sharing feelings   about depression and how it is affecting their lives.. And if you are depressed, so many of us are, you might want to check into this discussion group–all centered on the Twelve Steps and recovery. We can’t do ourselves any good  by living our lives in isolation away from others. Our DNA makes us seek others. We are  social creatures.

A strange thing happens,  when we are depressed. We want to isolate. Our energy level is nil. Our hope is no longer an option. Everything looks bleak and hopeless. We gradually end up missing in action.  Our thinking, feelings, motivation, psychosocial life and behaviors each and everyone   becomes  a symptom  of our sadness. Together they become a syndrome.  Many symptoms  together form  a cyclical  interconnectedness, which being of a negative nature, can cause our whole being  to spiral  downward and  stay helpless.

This group today,  Depressed Anonymous were sharing positives as well as negatives about their individual lives. And by doing so, found  others like themselves who were  feeling animated and energized by sharing parts of their life story with others. It’s a freeing moment. This is what makes it work.  Members of this  fellowship found  themselves a home. It’s  secure and stable home base,  giving each of  us courage to   tell our stories, These good people are doing good things for themselves and the fellow members of this peer led group.

If you are wondering where to find this group, the same one that I attended today, sign in at https://join.skype.com at 12:30 pm CST and or 1:30 EST. A member of the fellowship will invite you in to be part of the group. This group meets everyday of the week. No fees or dues. All one needs is that desire to stop saddening themselves. Simple enough!

If you have questions you can contact us by email at depanon@netpenny.net. I hope that you will be a good person doing good things for those who are still suffering from depression. We need each other. We are no longer alone.

Hugh

Fellowship, Purpose

Spoon feeding is no use to you. You have to feed yourself. – D. Rowe

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AFFIRMATION

I  will build up my self-esteem and self-respect by learning a hobby or skill that will bring me pleasure. “Dorothy Rowe says that “Spoon feeding is no use to you. You have to feed yourself.”

REFLECTION

I believe that feeding oneself is really the idea that grabs hold of most people who have a genuine desire to stop  saddening themselves. It appears to me that once I make a commitment to myself to begin to learn how to feel better, I really do begin feeling much better. I imagine that even though my passive depressed behavior had some benefits – like not having to risk changing the  way I lived my life.   I believe that since there is a way out of my depression that I do want to move  into a different way of  living my life. I want to live with hope and I am going to do something about it to make it happen.

I feed myself junk thoughts when I think that there is no hope for me in my life. This is  the stuff that depression is made of. If I want  to get well  and out of the prison that I call depression, I need to begin feeding myself with such hopeful thoughts, that my sadness won’t last forever, whatever I believe and expect to happen, just the way I want it to happen.

MEDITATION

We are thankful that we can feed ourselves healthy thoughts and that we can change our diet by discovering what has been junk food in our past life, substituting healthy food (thoughts) for the present.  God will show us a way to live in a healthy and serene way. (Personal  comment).

SOURCE: (C)  Higher Thoughts for down days: 365  daily thoughts and meditations for  members of 12 step fellowship groups. Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville, Kentucky.  Page 89. May 29.

Visit the Store  to order this book online.

Fellowship, Journaling, Purpose, The 12 Steps

Recovery people delight in how they are becoming more assertive

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“Responsibility is the name of the game in recovery and it is here that we need to focus our attention. As we get into a discussion with other people who are depressed – much like ourselves – we see that they talk about feeling better while at the same time acting on their own behalf. These people who are doing better are also taking responsibility on their own behalf. Those   who are doing better are also talking about taking charge of their lives and doing things for  themselves   instead of constantly trying to please others.  In fact at DA meetings the  recovering people often delight at how assertive they are becoming now that they have gained a sense of recovery  over their lives. They are now committed to their own recovery.  People who want to change begin to swallow their pride and ask for help. They begin to   get in touch with their feelings and feel!  This is truth and this is getting in touch with one’s own best self.”

COPYRIGHT(c) Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition. (2011) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville, KY 40241. (Page 91. Step Ten)