Depression is rampant. I have formulated some ways to overcome it, permanently. To me, medication is not a long term answer. It is a pushing away of the symptoms.. It is like throwing away the fire alarm, as the house burns down. Natural medicine looks at the symptoms as signals that something deeper is wrong. Cutting off the symptom will not remedy the root issue.
My yoga teacher said that depression is caused by a person not being able to express his true self. In other words, a person wears a mask and the mask is pushes his identity down so far, that he despairs of ever being able to express it, again. The person may not be able to express this reasoning, in words.. However, if he thinks about it , it may ring true. When I heard it, it rang true to me and I never forgot it.
There are specific ways to overcome depression. One is to find one person with whom you can be totally honest. This person must not be an advice giver or a fixer, but a listener, ONLY. Alice Miller calls it an Enlightened Witness. This person must not judge! That is crucial. You must open all parts of yourself to this person. Of course, a relationship like this takes time. It is rare to find such a person but if you do, it will be a treasure and one important step out of depression.
I don’t think you can, truly, get over depression if you don’t cry. Tears are God’s way of relieving pain. Studies have shown that tears take out chemicals which are harmful the body. God made the body to be self healing. This includes emotional issues, as well as physical. As such, tears are God’s way to heal pain. Pain is at the root of emotional problems. Depression is no exception. Please, open up your ability to cry. Many people cannot or will not because they are afraid if they start crying, they will never stop. Men have told me this, more than woman, but many woman are afraid of tears, too.
A crucial step in overcoming depression is to become radically real. Dennis Rodman talks about this in his autobiography. He was going to kill himself. He was sitting in his truck with a loaded gun. Then, he realized that he could kill his fake self and he became radically real. I do not follow sports, so don’t know much about him beyond his book. I do not endorse the little I know of hs lifestyle, as I am a Christian, obviously. However, he was on to something very true about curing depression . One must shine with one’s unique light. If God made you funny, laugh and joke. If God made you artistic, draw or paint. If God made you kind, show your kindness. FIND who you are. Force yourself to go against the crowd and proclaim your uniqueness. This is so powerful that it, alone, can cure depression, imo.
Nutrition is important in overcoming depression, too. If one has low energy, one will be depressed because everything will seem like a chore. One will not be able to give to others, which is a source of joy. One will be preoccupied with trying to feel better. Raw foods are marvels of nature. God made the way for us to have an abundant life and that includes happiness and freedom from depression. Raw foods give you wonderful energy. With this energy, you can do things that feel good. That will provide a basis for you to implement other proactive strategies for ridding yourself of depression.