One of the major mental health disorders in the world is depression.
Every year in the United States, about 40,000 people tragically die by suicide due to depression. Experts believe that roughly one in every six adults in the U.S. will experience depression at some stage in their lives. However, these numbers could be even higher because many individuals do not seek help for their depression symptoms or receive a correct diagnosis.
Feeling sad, grieving, or occasionally experiencing hopelessness is normal for everyone at some point. These emotions usually get better with time or as circumstances change. However, major depression is different: it involves a prolonged period of feeling consistently low or sad for at least two weeks.
The exact cause of depression is not fully understood, but challenging life events often contribute significantly. Events such as losing a loved one, going through trauma, experiencing divorce, feeling alone, having a history of childhood abuse, or lacking support can trigger depression. Without support or intervention, depression can escalate and lead to self-harm or even thoughts of suicide.
The feelings of anxiousness, worthlessness, being stuck, shame, and loneliness can really disrupt everyday life. These emotions create such a heavy burden that many people prefer not to confront them. Instead, they push these feelings down and pretend everything is okay, all the while suffering internally.
The Root Cause of Depression
Depression often stems from constantly dwelling on the negative aspects of life, whether consciously or unconsciously. Depression is closely tied to how someone sees themselves: their self-esteem and self-image. When someone is depressed, they struggle to have a positive image of themselves.
Let's consider the barrage of negative information we encounter daily: economic crises, inflation, wars, societal issues, addiction, crime, and more. We often spend hours discussing and worrying about these topics with our loved ones, sometimes without realizing the toll it takes on our mental well-being. Take a moment to reflect on how you feel emotionally after immersing yourself in all this negativity. Does it leave you feeling positive or negative? It seems like we're naturally drawn to bad news, and the media keeps bombarding us with it, which isn't great for our mental health. Our emotions influence our actions; if we feel bad, we're more likely to act in negative ways towards ourselves or others. It's no wonder that depression is so common.
In this article, drawing inspiration from the teachings of the German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, and the teachings of a certain doctor, doctor Thurman Fleet, who was very involved in holistic health, we are going to learn how to transform our mental health and live a purposeful fulfilling life.
Whatever condition one has gone through or is going through in life, it does not pay to ruminate or dwell on regrets and fears, mistakes you believe you have made, dark thoughts, or the malicious actions of others. Sometimes, we realize that these thoughts are doing us no good, so we try to stop them, but they keep cropping up on their own, and before you can catch yourself, you’ve already spent a long time ruminating on them, dragging you back to the abyss of depression: stay tuned as I will be revealing to you how you can prevent this.
Learn to Accept All The Events That Have Happened to You
Firstly, we must learn to accept all the events that have happened to us. A choice available to us is to embrace Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of "amor fati" or "love of fate”. “My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be other than it is, not in the future, not in the past, not in all eternity. Not merely to endure that which happens of necessity, but to love it.” Often, we go through life resisting and wishing for things to be different. We desire better partners, children, jobs, or a perfect world with no problems or worries. However, Nietzsche sees this resistance as being against life itself, as life is not ideal. Life consists of a series of facts and circumstances beyond our control. That is our fate, and life is simply what it is. By resisting it, we only foster resentment towards life. Instead, we should strive to love life and fully embrace our fate. Our task is to accept these moments and even welcome them, not for the pain they bring, but for the opportunities they offer for growth and learning. Through this perspective, we affirm life, embracing all its possibilities. This mindset holds great power.
To put this into practice, we must continually view events as fateful, believing that everything happens for a reason, and it is our responsibility to extract the lessons from them. When we encounter emotional suffering, we see it as an opportunity to understand ourselves, understand our flaws, and learn from them:
"People who cannot suffer can never grow up or discover who they are".
Being stuck and feeling depressed often go hand in hand with doubts and lack of belief, while having faith and a sense of purpose can greatly improve your mental health. Many people fail to realize this crucial difference.
Every moment spent dwelling on doubts, fears, and worries, or being consumed by disbelief, creates a negative pull away from positivity. The promises of improvement are for those who believe, so it's vital to guard your thoughts and focus on positive beliefs. What you observe and think about shapes your beliefs, so choose wisely where you direct your attention: If you want to have a better self-image, you must not make a study of depression. Things are not brought into being by thinking about their opposites. Health is never to be attained by studying disease and thinking about disease. What concerns you is the cure.
People are continuously treating symptoms of a mental illness, putting little focus on the root cause. In 1934, Dr. Thurman Fleet was very involved in the healing arts and holistic health. He stated, “The mind is an activity, not a thing. No one has ever seen the mind. To gain clarity and eliminate confusion, I will create an image we can work with.”
That is the image he created:
When we were born, our genetic programming was in place, but our ability to think independently had yet to develop. Our conscious mind was still forming. During this early stage, our self-image began to take shape based on the influence of those around us. Our subconscious mind, open and absorbing, is soaked in everything: beliefs, values, and concepts from our environment, especially from our parents and caregivers. This included anxieties, fears, criticisms, judgments, guilt, and feelings of inferiority.
As we grew, our conscious mind started to mature, allowing us to think for ourselves. However, by this time, our self-image had already been deeply rooted. We naturally lean towards thoughts and ideas that fit with this preexisting self-image, even though those ideas are mentally harmful. Essentially, we adopted a perception of ourselves that had been programmed by our early environment, often without realizing it. Our mindset tends to mirror that of the people around us.
Growing up in an environment full of negative conversations about despair, fear, scarcity, and abuse can deeply influence your mindset. These ideas become ingrained in your mind, shaping how you view yourself and the world as an adult. If you're wondering why you behave a certain way, look at how you were raised. If your upbringing was filled with negativity, it's important to consciously work on changing those patterns.
It's unrealistic to believe that you wouldn't inherit the negative influences from your upbringing. So, don't make the mistake of assuming otherwise. Recognize the impact of your environment and actively strive to create a more positive outlook for yourself.
"The children whom evil is done to shall do evil in return".
The Subconscious Mind
Improvement at a physical activity requires practice and repetition, a fact we all recognize. Even though practice can sometimes feel boring and tiring, it's essential for honing our skills and mastering the moves. However, when it comes to our mental well-being and shaping how we see ourselves, we often overlook the importance of repetition.
We might say, "We've already learned this, why do I need to repeat it?" Yet, just like with physical activities, repeating ideas to ourselves is crucial for them to take root in our minds. This repetition is key to transforming our mental health. By consistently reinforcing a positive idea, it gradually replaces the old, negative ones will diminish due to lack of nourishment. This is the approach to take in your journey of transforming your self-image - repeating positive ideas to yourself until they become your new reality.
The ideas we regularly focus on and impress upon our conscious mind become deeply rooted in our subconscious. These ideas then shape our habits, which we often carry out automatically without consciously thinking about them. Our emotions play a crucial role in forming these habits and driving our actions. When we expose ourselves to negative ideas, it puts us in a negative emotional state, leading to unfavorable thoughts and ultimately creating unfavorable habits. It's the patterns of thought, rather than external circumstances, that have molded who you are.
Your subconscious mind operates primarily on emotions, lacking the ability to discern between reality and imagination. It's like an open vessel that accepts whatever you fill it with. The thoughts or images you emotionally engage with will shape your mental state and, consequently, your actions and habits.
The Conscious Mind
Our conscious mind is where we think and reason, where we store the knowledge we gain from education. However, it's not where our self-image is formed, that happens in our subconscious mind.
Many ideas we encounter don't benefit us in the long run. So, the key is learning to filter out negative thoughts and actively focus on the positive ones that align with our goals and desires. It's about envisioning ourselves as we want to be, regardless of the negative influences around us.
Controlling our thoughts is something everyone can do, but it's much harder to align those thoughts with the self-image we truly desire, especially when we are in an environment that might suggest otherwise. It's natural to base our thoughts on what we see, but it's a challenge to think according to our deeper desires, regardless of the current situation.
Many people shy away from the effort required for sustained and focused thinking, especially when their desires seem at odds with their immediate reality. Everything we observe triggers thoughts in our minds, and the only way to steer these thoughts is by intentionally focusing on ideas that reflect our ideal self: how we truly want to be.
Our conscious mind is where our thinking and reasoning abilities reside, along with our free will. We can choose which ideas to accept or reject based on whether they align with our best interests. Through our imagination, another aspect of our conscious mind, we can visualize the best version of ourselves.
The following are strategies for transforming your self-image and overcoming depression:
Probe Your Emotions to Their Origin: The emotional self tends to thrive in ignorance. Once you become aware of how it operates and influences you, its grip weakens and you can begin to manage it. This means your first step toward changing your mindset starts with introspection. You need to catch negative emotions in action. Reflect on how you react under stress. Do you tend to please others, become aggressive, or struggle with deep distrust? Look closely at your decisions, especially those that haven't worked out. Can you identify a pattern or an underlying insecurity driving them?
For example, when you feel angry, take a moment to let that feeling settle and think about its root cause. Was it triggered by something minor, hinting at a deeper issue? Perhaps there's a more uncomfortable emotion hiding beneath the surface. It's important to face these emotions directly and understand where they stem from. Keeping a journal can be helpful, allowing you to record your self-assessments objectively. Be wary of your ego, which might tempt you to blame others for your pain: it's a temporary comfort but hinders your growth in the long run.
Try to observe your actions from a neutral standpoint, with some detachment and even a bit of humor. With practice, this approach will become second nature. When negative emotions arise, you'll recognize them as they happen and be able to step back, gaining a clearer perspective.
Visualize Your Ideal Self-image: Regularly visualizing your desired self-image is crucial. It helps embed this image deep within your subconscious mind.
When an idea is firmly held in your subconscious, it starts to take form and becomes real, even if it's not yet visible in the physical world. It becomes a genuine entity, ready to manifest itself: Imagine yourself exactly as you want to be, striving for perfection as your imagination allows. Find a quiet time each day, dedicate about 20 uninterrupted minutes for 30, 60, or 90 days. Make sure you're comfortable and relaxed, then begin visualizing yourself as you want to be, as you want to feel, and as you want to act. This practice will gradually transform how you feel about yourself. By consistently visualizing this new self-image, it gradually replaces the old one which will fade away due to lack of reinforcement.
During this exercise, you may encounter moments where the old self-image resurfaces. This is where your willpower comes in. Observe the old image neutrally, accept it, and then refocus your attention on what you desire. Use your willpower to guide your thoughts and actions toward aligning with your new self-image.
Visualization is a mental workout that involves repetitively thinking specific thoughts. The phrases we repeatedly hear become our beliefs, and the thoughts we frequently entertain become our habits, ultimately shaping our identity. The goal of visualization is to develop the habit of consistently thinking certain thoughts until they become deeply ingrained in our thought patterns, becoming a constant part of our mental landscape. Aim to practice visualization once or twice daily, but the key is to sustain these thoughts throughout the day, not confining them to specific sessions. The aim is to imprint the image for continuous contemplation and reflection in your mind.
As you persist in this mental exercise and take action aligned with your new self-image, you'll start noticing small positive changes. These are signs that your end goal is gradually becoming a reality.
Comments
Post a Comment