|
|
| Depression Information |
|
|
|
|
I?m Not Depressed; I've Just Been Having A Lousy Conversation With Myself
Not long ago, I attended a mastermind group. During the meeting, one of the women went into a litany about how terrible things had been in the past few weeks and how depressed she felt as a result. Inspired, I rose from my seat and told her, "You're not depressed, you've just been having a lousy conversation with yourself." She looked at me as if I had just arrived from Mars. LIMITING WORDS CREATE A LIMITED LIFE Most people have no idea that the words they use affect their feelings, experiences and behavior. The majority of people in our lives use very limiting language. If you were to listen to most of the people around you, you would be shocked to find out how negative their speech is. They complain, gossip, talk about how difficult things are now and how they probably won't get much better. Then they wonder why their lives are not filled with joy and success. While it might seem like a good idea to regularly talk about things that bother you, you pay a huge price for doing so. When you use negative words, whether knowingly or unknowingly, it impacts your feelings and behavior. When my friend talked about how depressed she felt, it actually contributed to her feeling sad and, as a result, she began to act as if she had no choices. Notice the sequence words create feelings and feelings impact behavior. It is almost impossible to act positively when you use negative words. (Note The phrase depressed as it is used above is NOT describing clinical depression. Prolonged feelings of sadness and hopelessness can be symptoms of a serious condition that needs the attention of a mental health professional.) Your words impact your present experience and also your future. If you use limiting words, you will act in a corresponding manner because we always act the way we describe ourselves. I am a motivational and high content speaker. For years, I yearned to be more humorous and entertaining in my talks. However, using humor was a very big challenge for me. Why? Because I always described myself as motivational, not funny. So what happened? My audience members would comment about how motivational and inspirational I was. They never told me that I was funny. I finally decided that if I was going to be able to add humor to my talks, I had to stop saying that I wasn't funny. I decided to be open to being more entertaining. The result? Over time I easily incorporated one liners and humorous content into my talks. People began to describe my style as motivational and highly entertaining. Amazingly, a number of audience members told me that I missed my calling and should have been a stand-up comic instead of a speaker. What happened; did I suddenly discover a funny bone? No. By stopping my negative words, I was able to let my natural wit emerge. (I still don't have them rolling in the aisles, but at least my audiences and I have more fun.) NOTICE YOUR 'YUK' FEELINGS The first step in discontinuing your negative words (whether you say them to yourself or others) is to recognize when you are doing this. Here's a clue. It's what I call my 'yuk' feeling. Whenever I say something negative or limiting, I feel a negative sensation in my body. For me, it can be a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach or stress down my spine. When I feel that awful feeling in my body, it is a clue that I am engaging in negative language. Why does this happen? Most people know that the mind and body are inextricably linked. One affects the other. The words that we use also register in our bodies. If we use positive, upbeat words it allows our bodies to feel empowered, energetic, and ready to take action. If we use negative words, it causes stress or a "yuk' feeling somewhere in our bodies. Determine where your 'yuk' feeling is. When you are experiencing a challenging situation, notice where you feel it in your body. Does your 'yuk' feeling express as a clenched jaw, tight muscles at the back of your neck, pressure at your temples or somewhere else? DARE TO DEFY YOUR INNER CRITIC Once you've determined that you are in a 'yuk' state, then pay attention to your language. You might be shocked at the negative things you have been saying to yourself and others. No wonder you've been feeling so stressed! However, just noticing these words is not enough. Remember, negative words affect your feelings and behavior so you must start to challenge them. Instead of telling yourself that you are overloaded and can't possibly do all the work you have to do say, "Stop it!" You must quiet the inner critic. Tell yourself that, of course you will get everything done, because you always complete whatever you need to do. When you do this, pay attention to the 'yuk' feeling and notice that it has disappeared. DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO BE One of the reasons that highly successful people are so outstanding at what they do is because they consistently use positive language. Again, optimistic words create positive feelings and actions. These accomplished individuals describe their lives and experiences in affirmative terms which causes them to behave in ways that lead to success. The good news is that it is not that difficult to transform your words and behavior. Recently, I was having lunch at a professional meeting. I began talking to one of my table companions about exercising and having the motivation to continue a regular program. She told me that she used to be a regular fitness enthusiast, but she let it slide and now she could not get motivated to work out on a regular schedule. After speaking with her for a while, I told her that if she did not stop saying that she wasn't motivated to exercise, she never would be motivated to start and maintain a fitness program. I told her that if she wanted to make a change, she had to get rid of the negative way she was describing herself with regard to exercising. I also told her that awareness is the first step to making a positive change. Being aware of the negative language that we use, challenging it, and describing what we want instead, will allow us to take control of our feelings and behavior. A week later, my associate sent me a note and told me that I 'motivated' her so much, she got up at 5 AM to go to the gym and had been doing it several days in a row. She also told me that it was easy and she did not know why she hadn't done it before. The reason it became so easy for her to change her behavior and do what she wanted to do was because she changed her negative language. When she used positive words, she did not need me to motivate her, she motivated herself. So the next time you catch yourself saying something like, "I'm so depressed" or "I'm sick and tired of this," stop it. Your words no longer have to mess up your life. Choose words that describe what you want to experience and watch what happens. About The Author Della Menechella is a speaker, author, and trainer who inspires people to achieve greater success from the inside out. She is a contributing author to Thriving in the Midst of Change and the author of the videotape The Twelve Commandments of Goal Setting. She can be reached at della@dellamenechella.com. Subscribe to free Peak Performance Pointers e-zine - send blank e-mail to mailto:subscribe@dellamenechella.com.
Google News |
|
|
|
Alternative Medicine Are the Benefits Worth the Costs? Schizophrenia suffers around the world have benefitted greatly with the discoveries of modern medicine. Certain medications have been found to regulate and balance brain chemistry giving an individual suffering from schizophrenia a seemingly normal life. If an individual is taking Zyprexa to control their schizophrenia, they should be alerted that many dangerous side effects are showing up with this drug. These Zyprexa side effects have caught the watchful eye of the FDA. In recent years the FDA asked the maker of Zyprexa to start issuing warnings about their medication. This was done in an attempt to alert all consumers of this drug to the potential dangerous Zyprexa side effects. These include but are not limited to the following: Hyperglycemia, Hyperglycemic Coma, Diabetes, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, and Pancreatitis. Mental Health Stigma What Can We Do About It? What is Stigma? Reclaiming Your Life From Anxiety Symptoms Only somebody who has lived with anxiety as either a sufferer or a carer knows how devastating it can be. The affect can be seen and felt across every aspect of your life for years and years. Fighting Depression by Restoring Your Routines When we have depression, one of the things we drop from our lives is a routine. Most humans need routine as it adds structure to our lives. During bouts of depression we find it hard to go about our daily lives with a sense of purpose and direction. Restoring your routines will help to counteract this problem. Psychiatrist Begin Training About Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Depression The manufacturer of the vagus nerve stimulator has begun face-to face meetings with psychiatrists nationwide to educate them about vagus nerve stimulation therapy, how it works and for whom this treatment is indicated. It is very important that both you and your psychiatrist fully understand vagus nerve stimulation therapy so that you can make an informed decision together about this ninety-minute out-patient implant procedure. St Johns Wort and Depression The bright yellow flower of the St Johns Wort (hypericum perforatum) with it's ray-like petals, represents the power of the sun that forces away the darkness. This already points to the anti-depressant effects of the St Johns Wort which are highly respected, even in conventional medicine. How to Overcome Anxiety and Take Repossession of Your Life! Katie came as close as is possible to having it all. Great job, loving family, boyfriend, social life? That was until she developed anxiety? Depression Many of us feel depressed at one time or another, but for some, depression may be chronic and even debilitating. What Is God Thinking? What can you say to a parent who loses a child to cancer? Whatever words we offer are inadequate to lessen their sorrow. We have no answers to questions like, "Why this child?" or "Why now?" and "What do I do now?" New Treatment for Chronic Depression Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Treatment-Resistant Depression What About Drugs for Anxiety and Depression? As a counselor, I am often asked, "Can drugs be helpful for anxiety and depression?" The answer I give is "Yes" and "No." New Treatment for Depression to be FDA Approved by Late June With the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to issue its final approval of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent depression. The approval of vagus nerve stimulation will be the first ever FDA approved long-term treatment option for the four million desperate Americans( and their families) who have not had an adequate response to traditional anti-depressants. Surviving the Storms of Life August in Florida has a daily ritual that Floridians take with a grain of salt. It's the daily storms that pass by and that are filled with more electricity than in a 4th of July fire works display. It's no wonder they call Florida the "Lightening Capital of the World". Because rain clouds can be literally feet away from you and dump a huge storm on the people across the street and meanwhile your side of the street remains dry. It just depends on where you are located at the moment to the degree you get rained upon. Do Natural Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Supplements Really Work? Unfortunately, millions of Americans currently suffer from the debilitating effects of stress, anxiety, and depression. In the pharmaceutical industry, anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants are among the best-selling medications on the market. Depression: What It Is and What You Can Do About It There are three basic ways to treat depression: psychotherapy, self-help, and medication. Many people respond best to a combination of two or more methods. The Patients Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression FDA Deems Vagus Nerve Therapy Approvable as a Treatment for Depression On February 3, 2005 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified the manufacturer of the vagus nerve stimulator (Cyberonics, Inc.) that it had deemed its VNS Therapy System approvable as a long-term adjunctive treatment for patients over the age of 18 with chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression in a major depressive episode that has not responded to at least four adequate antidepressant treatments. In the approvable letter received today by Cyberonics, FDA indicated that final approval was conditional on final labeling, final protocols for a post-approval dosing optimization study and patient registry. Use Alternative Medicine to Ease Depression Depression is a problem that faces many of us, young or old; baby boomers or generation X. We have a fast lifestyle, we're working between sixty and eighty hours a week and we have long commutes into the office keeping us away from our families. Pressures, stress and anxiety can gang up on us to cause an uncontrolled depression. Depression can be a symptom of this stress, or it can have a physiological cause as well. If you have cancer, heart disease or chronic pain, you might know all about depression and how debilitating it can be in your life. If you are one of the millions of people suffering from depression, what can you do about it? Are you ready to jump into the world of antidepressants that your doctor so quickly prescribes? We all want the magic bullet, the answer to just make the pain go away. Depression is Underdiagnosed in College Students Everyone feels down or blue once in awhile. Especially during difficult times, it's normal to feel sad or discouraged. But when those feelings persist for two weeks or longer, it could be depression. It's a common illness that affects an estimated 19 million Americans-that's nearly one in ten! It's also one of the most under-diagnosed illnesses on college campuses. The symptoms can come on so slowly that one day, a person realizes that he can't remember the last time he felt good. Here are some warning signs for depression: What's Causing My Depression and Fatigue? Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Depression are absolutely systemic in our society today. Recent studies done by the AMA and CMA purport one in four people in North America are suffering from some form of chronic fatigue or depression and it's expected eight out of ten of us will experience similar afflictions in our lifetime. But numbers like these don't speak to the cause and only tell half the story.
|
|
|
|
© 2009 www.elearn-university.org |
