Depression and the Mind

Depression is one of the most devastating mental illnesses. Unlike other physical ailments, depression deprives an individual of identify:  the individual can go on for years without getting anything done, or having any idea what want to do with life; drifting from one thing to another, and not knowing what to want from life.  Spiraling down into a bottomless pit of despair, the individual simply loses the capability to live well.

If you are suffering from mental depression, you are not alone. There are millions of people all over the world who have this disorder.  In depression, you tend to see things with your brain, instead of with your eyes; similarly, you hear with your brain and not with your ears. Perception is all in the mind. But, unfortunately, these deceptive perceptions become so "real" to you that you begin to "believe" in them, especially when they continually talk to you as internal dialogues.

People with mental depression usually have muddled thinking: there are too many thoughts filtering through their minds. As a result, they have a tendency to analyze or to explain their perceptions so as to make some sense of or to draw some conclusions from what is going through their mind. Unfortunately, analyzing or thinking through what is in the mind will only create more mental blockages that only perpetuate the inertness and sense of loss, which are characteristic of a depressive mind.

Instead of explaining or striving to explain any given situation or event, you just learn to let go. The ability to let go of what you are holding on to holds the key to recovery. Many individuals suffering from mental depression turn to the use of medications as a miracle cure. Medications may lift their moods through the enhancement of neurotransmitters, but they do not get to the root of the problem— which is the mind. It is always mind over matter.

To sum up, do not analyze or explain whatever that happens in your life. Just learn to let go. Yes, letting go is the answer to the confusion of a depressive mind. Those suffering from mental depression must have undergone some traumatic experiences that triggered their mental depression. Depression does not just happen to any individual without a reason. It is the inability to let go of the past that perpetuates the recurrence of depressive thoughts. Medications can suppress these symptoms, but they do not remove them for good.

Now, the burning question: how to let go?

Letting go is easier said than done. Your conscious mind might have relinquished all depressive thoughts of past experiences, but your subconscious mind may still be clinging on to them like leech. The only way to access your subconscious mind is through meditation, which can give not only clarity of mind, but also the perception of priorities in life. Once your mind is clear, and you see the top priorities in your life, you will begin to look at everything in perspective. Knowing what is the most important and the least important may help you let go. Through meditation, you can conduct internal dialogues, which are affirmations, with your subconscious mind, thereby instrumental in changing your conscious mind. Your subconscious mind can influence your conscious mind to let go.

Once the mind becomes uncluttered, depressive thoughts may dissipate. If you wish to heal your depression, you need to heal your mind first. It is always mind over matter.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau