Depression is a mental health cloud over America. Depression causes millions to harm relationships and even destroy their lives through substance abuse, unexpected killings, suicide as well as numerous other health, economic and social issues. It doesn’t care about social status, if you are rich or poor, young or old – it’s an epidemic that doesn’t discriminate.
We live in a constant state of trying to please others or trying to be what they want. We beat ourselves up over our past mistakes. We measure ourselves against the successes of others. We often believe that a relationship, job or some other material thing makes us who we are. We often value ourselves based on what we think that others think of us. We don’t praise ourselves enough. We don’t let ourselves feel happiness because it somehow feels wrong that XYZ isn’t happening or that if we feel happy, we may jinx it and something bad will happen. There are all sorts of reasons that we won’t let ourselves be happy or to achieve the success we deserve. It’s often said that we are our own worst enemy and, in many cases, this is true.
When you experience things going wrong in your life, what emotions do you feel at the time? Do you feeling frustration, anger, hate, guilt, worry or anxiety? Each of these emotions can cause feelings of depression.
Here are five false concepts that cause us to feel bad emotionally and can lead to depression:
- I do things that I don’t want to do, but I must do them.
- My basic need is to have situations, events and other people’s behavior conform to my values and expectations.
- Other people and unwanted situations and events have the power to make me feel bad.
- I don’t deserve to feel good because of my mistakes, failures and shortcomings.
- My future is largely determined by circumstances beyond my control.
If you would like to have a rational framework for reprogramming yourself and feeling positive emotionally, check out these realities of human behavior:
- I am my own authority and am in complete charge of my own life.
- My basic need is to feel good emotionally, mentally and physically.
- I have the power to choose to feel good or to feel bad – always.
- It is always my birthright to feel good, my past does not dictate my future.
- I create my future by my present thinking.
If you want to eliminate a depressive episode, you must drop false concepts and integrate the realities of human behavior in your present (and future) thinking. By telling yourself these concepts and strongly believing in them over a period, you will notice a change. Replacing negativity is they key to happiness. You must believe you have the authority to choose whether you want to feel good or bad in each situation in your life. Only you can decide what to feel – will it be negative or positive?
