I’ve mentioned, at least in passing that I suffer from depression. Depression has been a constant companion of sorts as I’ve traversed my journey. Of course it was probably there from the start and barring some amazing advance in the healing arts at the end too.
Some years ago my therapist suggested pushing back on negative thoughts. So whenever I thought something negative about myself I would try and add a positive and deny the negative. (unless it really was an issue)
That actually worked fairly well for me. I don’t think I’m telling you something when I say we speak with our words. We literally do, and will think differently in French then in Spanish then in English.
The same is true for Depression it seems to me. Depression seems to have it’s own language layered onto our tongue. Self-sabotage, self-abrogation, self-pity and more break down our sense of worth. A constant stream of talk that denies the positives and accentuates the negatives.
I didn’t understand this properly until I was watching an episode of the you tube series “Cracked: People Watching.” At one point at the end depression is just reciting his playbook for my brain more or less word for work.
Another way to look at this. I just recovered from a two day nosedive from a single depressive thought about the nature of the end of the universe. I couldn’t tear my mind away from an event trillions of years in the future.
So I’m going to try something. The next time I self sabotage by diminishing someone else’s praise, I’m going to say thank you and feel good about it. Remember, we believe the negatives!
My Gifted Life 