Could this work?

For the most part, I enjoy my email subscription with Tiny Buddha.  When I got the post titled "Understanding and Lifting Depression: 5 Healthy Attitudes," I was eager to read it.  And I did. 

In the beginning, I found myself nodding my head in agreement.  But then, I found that I was getting bit angry.  This is what caused me to get angry:

But after a year things started to change—and I don’t remember why I started doing this; maybe I read it somewhere—but I stopped taking antidepressants, and whenever a “flat” period would come I’d watch it with as much distance as I could summon.

I started to notice that if I just let the “flatness” be and stopped worrying about it, my perception about something would shift, and as it did, the depression would lift.

The more times this happened the more I began to trust that it was going to happen. And always, there standing on the other side of the flatness, was an understanding that made my life richer, less stressful, and more pleasant, well worth the ticket of entry.

Hmph.  The thoughts rolling through my head ranged from disgust: "Oh, if it was only that easy" to questioning: "Just who are you?" to an emotion somewhere between jealousy and resentment: "Why did that work for you?"

Could getting past a depressive episode be that simple?  Is it all just a mindset?

My answer is no.  At least, it was no for me.

I tried this but I stayed on my medication because I have vowed as much to myself.  I tried just letting it be.  I tried to just learn from the depression.  I tried to take a step back and watch it with detachment.  I didn't worry about it.  I didn't obsess or over-analyze it.

And it didn't work.

I'm not saying that this doesn't work.  It didn't work for me at the time.  Perhaps it can work for me in the future.  Maybe it will work for someone else.  I'm all about trying to find the best and least invasive method to live with my mental illness.  I would love to be drug-free.  I would adore finding a simple method.

Someday I might find that.  And that is exactly why I keep blogging, and reading information from others about their struggles and achievements.  There is a strong chance that I will never find the right combo of methods that allow me to be free of my depression and anxiety.  But I will keep trying.

There were a lot of great things in the email.  I really loved these two statements that described depression:

• "When you’re depressed, your perception of pretty much everything changes."
• "And if that’s not enough, the world seems more abrasive—as if someone’s turned up the volume and taken off your sunglasses." 

The five helpful attitudes also vibed with me.

If you’re going through a depressed period, it may help to adopt these attitudes:
Non-Judging. It is what it is, and it will pass, so there’s no point in judging it.
Live Kindly. Eat well, exercise where you can, and continue to live. Be gentle with yourself.  It can sometimes be helpful to talk to someone.
Mind your Mind. Try and stand back from your mind and know that much of what your mind is telling you is incorrect. Know that your mind is operating alone while you heart takes a little rest—which is why you feel so bad and why you can’t feel as much love for yourself or others.
Silence. Add a little “down time” to your life. Instead of watching TV or trawling Facebook, take some time out and try just sitting. The thing you’re looking for is not outside of you, but within you. Meditation can be helpful too.
Be Safe. Often depression comes with morbid thoughts. Monitor these. They’re just thoughts, and they will pass as the flatness lifts, but at any stage if you feel unsafe, ask someone for help.