Disclaimer: If you are clinically diagnosed with depression, DO NOT stop taking your medication! Following the advice offered in this post will help you immensely, but I am not a doctor. Sometimes coupling medication with spiritual healing is the best road to success. That said, I personally was diagnosed with depression, bi-polar disorder, and anxiety. I no longer take medication. There is an intrinsic connection between the spiritual and physical. Science will admit as much, but again, DO NOT stop taking any prescribed medication until you have consulted your physician.
I just wanted to take a moment and extend a blessing to all who would take the time to read this post. I, like most Americans, am a very busy person. We scurry around in a frenzy of activity, most of us are constantly dealing with a full schedule, and almost every family deals with deadlines, school schedules, work schedules, and commitments. But I just wanted to put this out into the electronic, techno-world. If you suffer from depression, anxiety or stress, here is a guaranteed 100%-of-the-time cure for what ails most of us.
First I want my readers to know something: I started this blog as a cathartic therapy for myself, I began to write to decompress, I used writing to unload some of the heavy burdens of a life out of control. This blog has entered new territory and taken on a life of its own. It became apparent after about 3-4 months that people were responding to my posts as a point of contact for healing, for inspiration, and as a safe place to share their own pain with someone who has admittedly “been there”. I now realize that the important point here is to bless, to lift up, to be part of a solution…and NOT to be part of the problem! All of us are well familiarized with the plethora of problems we face in today’s world, we love to complain about the problems, but what about being part of the solution? We have way too many media platforms that point out the issues, too many writers that want to show their “genius”, too many folk who want to “wow” you with their writing prowess. I realize now that it is all about promoting hope, faith, and most of all love.
So with that said, let me share what I know to be the solution to depression and anxiety:
- Life Isn’t About YOU. The natural tendency in life is to focus on ourselves. The problem with this is that the problem IS you! I can assure you that the focus on self is…well…selfish! Pride is not only thinking well of yourself, but also thinking badly of yourself. Self-centered thinking and living will always leave one empty. The world wants to tell you that it is all about YOU! You may find some temporary happiness in trying to please yourself, but in the end it WILL leave you hollow and lost. True joy is found in living outward. The real and lasting value in life is how your life can positively affect others.
- Life Is About OTHERS. There is a flow to life and living. Situating yourself in the “flow” is paramount to having joy, peace, and hope. When the impetus is transferred to another’s well-being, you place yourself in the transfer of good will. This method is fool-proof and crosses over religious boundaries, racial barriers, and demographic delineations. God (whether you believe in Him or not) has built within us the capacity to grow spiritually as we allow ourselves to be the conduit for His love, and love is NOT a feeling. Love is a verb, an action, and a lifestyle. If we focus only on ourselves, we will eventually implode! Most think that the enemies in life are out to get us, that our circumstances dictate our happiness, and that our situations write the stories of our lives…this is a flat-out lie! This principle is not exclusive to Christian doctrine, although it is the founding principle upon which Christ builds His people. The laws of God cannot be broken, and this is one of those laws. Whoever you are and regardless of your beliefs, if you put the focus on others in a real and tangible way, then the blessings will flow.
- It Takes an Effort to Change the Paradigm. Just thinking good thoughts about others will not solve the problem of depression and anxiety. Putting your good intentions into action will be the veracious proof of the truth I am trying to impart. There is effort involved. If we ever take the time to get personal with identifying need in our communities, we will find the power to put our intentions into play. One cannot help becoming “burdened” in their spirit when placed face-to-face with people in dire need; you now can associate need with a face and a name! Most of us are in such a hurry all of the time, we probably drive past 100’s of apparent needs that go into the “someone should do something about that” category. The problem is that if everyone assumes that others will lift these heavy burdens, then the need goes largely unaddressed! There are non-profits all over the place that lack human workforce more than they lack funds…I know, that surprised me too! But it is true, there are many well-intentioned non-profits that are fine on the balance sheet but lack the “bodies” to implement the cause.
So here is the bottom line. In order to conquer depression and/or anxiety, one has to recognize that the problem is focus on self. If you take the time and initiative to “do unto others”, I can personally guarantee you that your depression will vanish so quickly that you will forget that you were depressed in the first place! Anxiety over one’s life is kicked in the teeth when you place yourself in someone else’s shoes. This is not about a guilt-trip or me saying to you, “Hey, stop being so selfish, get off your arse and help others!” This is about a real solution that puts us in the beautiful scenario of “win-win”.
The person(s) that you help are the beneficiary, but you also get the spiritual blessing of being free from the nasty bondage of mental suicide! You will learn more about yourself serving others than 1000 hours of therapy, you will be on a journey of self-discovery by discovering others, and you will ultimately help yourself by helping others. So instead of medicating ourselves with drugs, we should explore the medication of the spirit. It works! If you don’t believe me, give it a shot. 
Find “you” in your neighbor, and your healing will spring forth like the rising sun invading the darkness. It works every single time; and if by chance you take me seriously, then a lifestyle of serving others will prove to be your saving grace! What do you have to lose…I mean, besides YOURSELF?!
Go in peace my friends,
Gideon
disciplegideon 