Think yourself out of depression
By Miriam Drugan
‘Think yourself out of Depression’
Rethink, a leading mental health charity launched a successful campaign in
Norwich in 2006 to stamp out the stigma attached to people with mental
health problems.
Norwich was chosen as the first site for an anti-stigma pilot in March 2006.
Levels of mental health problems in Norwich are high. Rethink states that
more anti-depressants are prescribed in Norwich than anywhere else in
Central or Eastern England. Norwich traditionally has had a higher suicide
rate than the national average and has the “unenviable position as a centre of
high rates of self harm”.
How many people in Britain experience mental health problems? The Office
for National Statistics or ONS currently puts the figure at one in six adults at
any one time.
I am very interested in this area of mental health as I have worked extensively
with organisations such as MIND, Waveney Women’s Health, Julian Housing
and Norfolk ACRO. Teaching people in this region that are suffering from
depression self awareness techniques has allowed them how to take greater
control of their lives. I have found that one of the most effective tools in
treating depression is through using affirmations and positive self-talk.
This article is written to provide some practical information about the use of
affirmations and positive self-talk, aimed at people that are depressed, their
carers and family.
Depression and mood disorders are now common illnesses in our society with
as many as 30% of the adult population suffering depression at some stage in
their life.
Self-talk is the kind of internal dialogue we have with ourselves and is very
important to our overall mental health. Most people are not even aware of
their negative mental dialogue as it becomes habitual. We need to be taught
awareness of our thoughts before we can actually change them.
I have noticed that people who suffer from depression usually have very
negative self talk and this needs to be addressed in order to increase ones
self esteem and allow a person to begin making a recovery. The saying, “As
you think, you become” is very true.
Our thoughts create our future. Many people who suffer depression have
persistent negative thoughts for a majority of the time, sometimes from when
they waken up in the morning until they go to bed. If we think negative
thoughts often enough they will become our belief. It has been proven that
our thoughts affect us at a cellular level and continuous negative thoughts
have a detrimental affect on the cell structure which can leave us with a
weakened immune system and more susceptible to disease.
Affirmations are positive phrases that are to be repeated as many times as
possible throughout the day. They work by replacing negative thoughts
logged in the subconscious mind with positive, nurturing thoughts. It is
impossible to have negative thoughts at the same time as positive thoughts.
Our subconscious mind believes what it is told and if it is fed positive
messages it will eventually believe them. Positive words or thoughts have a
huge impact on how we feel and our feelings affects our behaviour and
therefore what we do or don’t take on in life.
The best results come from those who are open minded and willing to put in
the work doing the affirmations on a daily basis.
Affirmations have to be present tense, positive and personal.
Saying these affirmations may feel strange, even silly at first but after a while
you won’t feel this way and the subconscious mind will begin through
repetition to believe what it is being told. Don’t give up!
Examples of positive affirmations to help with depression are:
I am at one with myself
I love and approve of myself exactly as I am
I am calm and relaxed
I handle whatever happens
I am confident, assertive and decisive in every situation
My body and mind are healthy
I am full of energy and enthusiasm
When we repeat these affirmations over and over again the subconscious
mind believes these messages and tries to make it our reality.
I have noticed that when a depressed person is really working with
affirmations they are able to make some really big positive changes in their
life. Some of my students have been able to return to work or college
because the depression has lifted and they have a new, fresher more positive
outlook on life. They handle stress and upsets better. They find that they
handle relationships better and life in general is much improved.
Affirmations are a fantastic tool to aid recovery and it is understated how
effective they are in alleviating depression. When we are repeating positive
affirmations daily we begin to feel better about ourselves which in turn boosts
our self esteem.
It is clear that using affirmations alongside visualizations and taking a holistic
approach to treating depression can dramatically ease the symptoms of
depression and often eliminate depression entirely.
Affirmations can be practiced any time of the day. Before you get out of bed
in the morning repeat your affirmations. This is a good start to the day. The
key to long lasting change is daily repetition of affirmations. You will soon
notice the difference in your mood.
Tel: Miriam on 01603 811486 www.aromahealthcare.net © Aroma HealthCare 2009
Miriam Drugan is the proprietor of Aroma HealthCare. She is a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists. Miriam has over 10 years teaching experience in the field of self development. She is available to give talks and workshops.
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