Go Natural To Avoid Risk of Suicide
Posted by Sylvia on December 13th, 2006
Being depressed makes it terribly difficult to “snap out of it” as many people think is possible to do. Yet anyone with depression will tell you it’s not that easy.
In my experience, depression was directly linked to my lack of self confidence and self esteem. My thoughts always focused on what others thought of me and how useless I felt around them and in anything I tried. This was especially prominent when I tried something and failed. Without the self esteem to support me, I was a prime target for depression – and bullying, but that’s another topic.
How can a person not be depressed when you don’t seem to fit into the world the way others do? The thing is, we often don’t even know we are thinking this way. My therapist had to tell me that I was depressed.
He soon had me on anti-depressants, and that lasted about 4 years. It was only 4 of the 25 or so years that I suffered because I was not diagnosed for the longest time and therefore didn’t seek treatment.
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about people being at higher risk of suicide while on anti-depressants. That’s why I want to give you all the help I can to find non-drug treatments.
I’ll never forget the time it happened to me. My doctor had just changed my medication, so I was taking 2 different ones at once. After a few weeks, I was frantic. I had a powerful obsession that I was going to throw myself off the balcony of our 6th floor apartment. I called his office while huddled in the corner of my sofa afraid to move or look at the window. He told me to take one more of the blue pill, and that seemed to resolve it. On my next visit, however, he switched me to something else.
At that time, I didn’t track what medications I was on. I just did as I was told, so unfortunately I can’t tell you what worked and what didn’t. I do remember asking him to put me back on a yellow pill that looked like a Smartie because they made me feel wonderful.
I didn’t rely solely on therapy and medications, however. I studied a great deal and found one tremendous book that made a huge difference in my recovery. It’s an old book that I purchased back in the mid-70s so I’m not sure if it’s even available today, but I do highly recommend it if you can find it.
It’s called “Cultivate Confidence & Promote Personality” by E. Gilbert Oakley. By reading, highlighting and practicing what it teaches, I was soon able to begin moving away from low self esteem and depression and toward confidence. Although I haven’t needed that book for many years, I keep it around like an old friend that it has become.