Below is a line, divided into time segments, which you are asked to consider as representing various periods in  your life.

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Birth      10        15          20          25          30            35           40      45      50      55       60         65

Here are some questions that may help your meditation.

What moments on this line stand out in   sharpest detail to your memory?

What faces from your past can you see most clearly?

What voices can you hear most vividly? (From among your friends, your family, classmates, playmates , lovers, idols, rivals?)

Which of these did you trust the most?

Which of these did you want to be like the most?

Which were the events which molded or affected you the most deeply, positive or negatively?

Which were the experiences which molded or affected you most?

What were the scenes of your greatest sadness?

What were the scenes of your deepest joys?

What helped to preserve constancy in your life? (People who for example, lack of geographical movement, few deaths, crises, religions, faith,etc.)

SOURCE:  THE LIFE REVIEW. (c) The Three boxes of Life. Richard Bolles, Ten Speed Press. Berkeley CA  94707.

“Depressed Anonymous is a spiritual journey, which makes you go  back into your past, find the rubbish there, and let it go.  Without the Depressed Anonymous group or a group like it, I don’t think I would function in a world as I know it. I thank God for the people who have the courage to come to the group. They will grow and learn. Thee is no easy way out. You don’t change overnight. You have just got to keep working at it. I have been in the trenches with nowhere to go. I find this very common in humans. Change is very tough for us. We would rather bear so much pain before we are willing to change. This black hole is a terrible thing. I wish no one would ever feel it. It is painful and nasty.

This is my short story. I was dead and I was out. I really couldn’t care at one time if I lived or died. Now I do.”

SOURCE: Copyright(c) Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition. (2011) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. (Excerpt from Personal Stories: Bill has two degrees behind his name and he still got depressed. Pages 150-152.

This is just one of the many stories in Depressed Anonymous where persons depressed found what they were looking for in the fellowship–hope.

The ELEVENTH WAY to leave the prison of depression: An  excerpt from  Believing is seeing: 15 Ways to leave the prison of depression. Depressed Anonymous Publications. (2015) Louisville.

“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 the 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, we soon discover that our fears are  not as big as we thought. The expression of fear many times  decreases the size of the fear. Now that we are accepting ourselves we can begin to see that we possess strength and a persistence to tackle whatever obstacle lies ahead.”

ACTION PLAN: Take your pen and /or pencil and begin writing your  thoughts  down in response to the questions posed in THE DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS WORKBOOK. You can find questions that not only help you discover what your strengths are but also how to put these strengths to use in your own personal recovery.

SOURCES:   (c) Believing is seeing: 15 ways to leave the prison of depression. Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. Pages 57-58.

(c) The Depressed Anonymous Workbook. (2002) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville.

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

For information on ordering publications please VISIT THE STORE here at our site. You’ll be happy that you have found someone who writes about their own journey and struggles with depression.

” I know that with time and work that I will get better and out of my depression. I believe that though I might feel helpless, I am not hopeless. I will make a decision to get better today. ” The TENTH WAY to leave the prison of depression.

“One of the most heartening phenomenon of our 12 Step program for a person depressed is to see how quickly healing becomes apparent in those who keep coming back to meetings. The healing shows on the faces of all those who keep coming back to meetings. The healing definitely shows on the faces of all those who also commit themselves to getting better. The work that one has to engage in is the deep desire to quit sadding themselves. This means that a person depressed  really must make a commitment to themselves, so that with time and work they can leave the prison of their depression.”

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SOURCE:  (C) BELIEVING IS SEEING:15 WAYS TO LEAVE THE PRISON OF DEPRESSION,(2015) HUGH SMITH. DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS PUBLICATIONS. LOUISVILLE. Page 51.

(C) THE DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS WORKBOOK. (2002) DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS PUBLICATIONS. LOUISVILLE.

Following is a quote from a great book titled: The dark night of recovery: Conversations from the Bottom of the Bottle. Edward Bear. Health Communications. Deerfield Beach, FL. 1994, 199.

” … Here’s a poem that was found scratched on the wall of a Nazi Concentration camp:

I believe in the sun, even when it isn’t shining.

I believe in love, even when I don’t feel it.

I believe in God, even when he is silent.”

“Painful,” said Bob.

“Hopeful,” said Tyler.

“The person who wrote that probably died in the gas chamber.”

“Probably.”

“So what good did it do him? asked Bob. “Believing all that stuff?”

“Everybody leaves the planet someday, Bob. That’s not the point.”

“Well, what is?”

” I used to drink in a place  that had this big sign over the back bar: Free beer tomorrow. Every day I went back expecting free beer, but it was never tomorrow -it was always today.Took me years to figure that out.” (Pages 25-26).

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It is always today! I get it!

Coupled with the  12 spiritual principles (Steps)  of Depressed Anonymous  I have recently put together  15 ways which can provide  hope and inspiration.

These 15 ways are now grouped together in our latest work, published by Depressed Anonymous Publications,  appropriately titled,  Believing is seeing: 15 ways to leave the prison of depression.

For today and  days following,  I would like to share with you here,  excerpts  of   passages  from each of the 15 Ways contained in this work. So, let’s get started now with a short excerpt  from the 1st Way.

The 1st Way says  that “We accept and believe that however hopeless  everything appears right now, we will recover from our depression.”

“We know that this belief is one of the most important beliefs  that we can hang onto as we move through the painful experience of depression. I have spent decades working directly with depressed individuals and their families. Also, by my own active participation in the 12 Step recovery program of Depressed Anonymous,  I know that those persons who keep coming back to meeting after meeting , week after week, usually get better.

Often  persons depressed give up the hope of feeling different. They can’t believe that they have the hope of feeling different. They can’t believe that they have the power to change the way they feel. They don’t believe that they have a choice either to get well or remain locked in  the prison of their depression. This is why this belief coupled with the First Step of Depressed Anonymous, a Twelve Step mutual aid group, has a positive impact one’s personal belief about the recovery process. The First Step of Depressed Anonymous states “We admitted that we were powerless over depression and that our lives had become unmanageable.” Pages 1-2.

For eight more pages we begin to learn about how our beliefs and actions together can  chip away at the walls of the depression that imprison us.  This chapter, begins to give us the power, together  with the remaining 14 Ways   packed with hope,  providing us with that power to a life lived with purpose and meaning.  Our lives no longer are that which keep us struggling   through  day .after day, month after month.

If you would like to know more about this positive work  Believing is seeing and other  literature, helpful for the depressed,  check out our resources at VISIT THE STORE. Also, at the MENU located at the beginning of our site DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS, you are able to download  information about who we are and what we are about. This is especially helpful if you need handouts for your newly formed Depressed Anonymous group.

SOURCE: Believing is seeing: 15 ways to leave the prison of depression. (2014) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville.Pages 1-2.

Ok. Basically once you have discovered that you are in the grip of depression and are looking for a way out, I recommend that you begin to encounter the 12 Step recovery program of Depressed Anonymous. This is a recovery program, with all the  same spiritual principles as laid out for those wanting to recover from any other addictive substance, ( alcohol, heroin etc.) emotional or  relational problem. In other words, anything that has caused your life to hit the skids. Anything that has caused your living to be a daily walk in hell.  Our program depends on a power greater than any problem behavior, negative thinking, or physical addiction that would have us in its grip.

If our life is in LOCK DOWN we have the key that will release you from the prison of your own depression. But their is a catch. As we all know, in life there is no free lunch. There is “no easy or more comfortable way” to free ourselves from depression,  or  a life spinning out of control. It takes work, time, prayer and getting in touch with others who like ourselves, are looking for help. In our fellowship of Depressed Anonymous, we have all the elements together in one place where you can start to take control of your life and gradually free yourself from the pain and life threatening illness we call depression.

Our program based  on spiritual principles is not a one shot deal–it is a real deal  where our whole life is centered on this Power greater than ourselves.  And if you want to travel on this road, and join the rest of us who are walking in the free spirit of hope and serenity, then please join us. There are no fees or dues.  Just a simple willingness, an honesty of heart and openness to what we have to offer,. And please, don’t make up your mind before you at least give the process a chance. Don’t tell yourself, “well it won’t work for me, I’m a hard case, and I’ve tried everything under the sun. Well, that is except Depressed Anonymous and the freedom approach.”

Back to your question: what can you do?

We have written a book–actually lots of books-which describe and illustrate how thousands before us have, with work, time and with others like ourselves freed ourselves with a potential explosive and life threatening situation. Our program based on the spiritual 12 principles of recovery are to be found in our treatment of recovery  book, simply titled, DEPRESSED ANONYMOUS. Here you will find  personal stories on how the program works, plus a commentary on each of the 12 Steps and how they gradually, one after another, bring us to mental peace and physical renewal.

If you want to read about all the material (books) written by folks just like yourself, who have battled depression and won, then please VISIT THE STORE and find described there  what will be a source of how it works and how you can begin to apply it to your self and then put it into action TODAY!

Our works are now presently being published in Persian (Iran) , Russian(Ukraine)  and all are accessible in English and can be ordered online at our website (here).  You can keep coming back and read articles which will help guide you through your day.

Also, please see a description of our HOME STUDY KIT which is a great way to  discover your own way out of depression if there is no Depressed Anonymous group in your community. The HOME STUDY KIT may also prepare you for starting your own Depressed Anonymous group.

I can live only in today. Today is all I have.

“Try to work out which is your habitual response to change  which you see as dangerous so that  as you dare to explore you don’t suddenly find yourself running away to the safety of old ways, or resisting the new ideas with old prejudices.” Dorothy Rowe

“I  find that when I am depressed I find all my comfort in the predictable and the familiar.”

Source: Copyright(c) Higher Thoughts  for down days:365 daily thoughts and meditations for members of 12 Step fellowship groups. Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. p. 56.

How many times have we responded with this “just lookin'”  to a sales person while out shopping. This translates to  a fact that I probably won’t buy anything. At least that is the way that it works for me.

When I was trying to figure out why I was addicted to this or that and couldn’t get the monkey off my back I began to look for relief.  I would go here and there, read this and  that  finally realize  that my will power alone would not deliver me from  my problem. It would not deliver me from my addiction to alcohol. Finally, when my life fell totally apart, I was given a choice by my employer, go into treatment or go to the local 12 Step program of AA. I crawled into the local AA meeting. I had to go so I went with the attitude that I’m just lookin’. I have a problem, but nothing I really can’t handle. Well, I finally realized that I couldn’t handle my addiction without help. I finally admitted that I am an alcoholic. One drink was too many and a thousand wasn’t enough as the saying goes.  I learned that because of “my self-will run wild” that my life was in the shambles that it was.

Resultant of attending meetings week after week that I found my help and the solution to my alcoholism in the 12 Step program of recovery. I finally came to realize that  if I didn’t stop drinking I would either end up dead or continue a life filled with misery, lies and shame. I realized that I didn’t need to go lookin’ any further. I had found what I was looking for. I found a group of men and women who had also found what they were looking for, namely, sobriety  and serenity. We all found it  in living out the spiritual principles of recovery laid out for us in the 12 Steps of AA.

Now this brings me to Depressed Anonymous and how it can be the solution for those of us who are “lookin’ for help and deliverance from life threatening grip of depression. And it isn’t too strange to say that most persons who come to a Depressed Anonymous meeting for the first one or two times don’t come back. Why? I don’t really know. But I have a clue to the why. They are “just lookin’ and feel that they don’t need a group of other depressed persons who probably will make them more depressed. So, they don’t return.
Then there are others who come for a season and leave. They thought that they would be coming to a class and learn the ropes, and then move on and out no longer depressed. Well, in time, they learnt a different lesson. They learn that it takes time, work  and a daily program of recovery to leave their  prison of depression. It is the “miracle of the group” where they hear others tell of how attendance at meetings, plus the fellowship of persons who daily live out the spiritual power of the Steps in their own lives, who get well and begin to live with hope. These people also stay with the program and now believe they have a real solution to the pain and misery of depression. I am one of them. I have not been depressed for 30 years but I want to help anyone out there who, like me, is looking for hope and help.

And if you are a person who comes   “just lookin’ for help and hope, please read the many powerful stories who came and stayed. These wonderful stories of real people, with real problem s,  is found in our Personal Stories section of Depressed Anonymous,3rd edition.

If you go to VISIT THE STORE, here at our site,  you can order the Home Study Kit which will provide you with an in-depth Workbook plus the Depressed Anonymous Manual used at all our meetings around the world.  The Home Study Kit will help launch you into a DA group if and when you choose to start your own group, in your own community.

No more will you be “just lookin’ ” but now will have found what you’re lookin’ for. Check it out!

Hugh

SOURCES:

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

 The Depressed Anonymous  Workbook(2002) Depresses Anonymous Publications. Louisville.

Believing is seeing: 15 ways to leave the prison of depression. (2014)  Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville.

I’ll do it when I feel better. (2013) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville.

For more literature go to the website @ VIST THE STORE.

Bill W., tells us how to solve personal problems, in his own words.

“Man is supposed to think, and act. He wasn’t made in God’s image to be an automaton.

My own formula along this line runs as follows: First, think through every situation pro and con, praying meanwhile that I be not influenced by ego considerations. Affirm that I would like to do God’s will.

Then, having turned the problem over in this fashion and getting no conclusive or compelling answer, I wait for further guidance, which may come into the mind directly or through other people or through circumstances.

If I feel I can’t wait, and still get no definite direction, I repeat the first  measure several times, try to pick  out the best courser, and then proceed to act. I know if I am wrong, the heavens won’t fall. A lesson will be learned in any case.”

As Bill Sees It. page 55.

What do you think?