Our compulsive retreat from life

“Depression is so often a refuge from having to live out our life. And it is only when we feel that we can live with a fair degree of unpredictableness in our lives that we move out of our isolation into the real world. So often our depression hides behind a mask of superficial friendliness — with people never aware of the deep pain that we feel inside. The risk is in moving out of isolation into contact with other depressed people. We know now that it is the expression of our feelings that gets us free. It is in the telling and the admission of our powerlessness over our depression that makes us move ever so slowly out of the deep pit of darkness and sadness. So often when we are able to make amends, we feel that part of the prison wall begins to crumble and we begin to see the light of day. We discover a way out! We find that our forgiveness of others frees and brings us more into step into the peace of serenity. Getting free is in saying that we alone are responsible for our compulsive retreat from life when we run up against some stressful situation. And the more we study and hear about the addictive personalities and behavior. the more we learn about ourselves and how we have anaesthetized ourselves against any possible feeling of pain, hurt or anger by our sadness and keeping to ourselves.”

SOURCE: Copyright (c) Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition (2011) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. Pages 85-86.

A COMMENT:

Yesterday I talked about the three pillars of the depression experience. I believe that the analogy of the tripod with its three legs can serve the purpose of this discussion. Besides personal factors and the biological factors there is the environmental factor. If we want to embrace an ecological perspective in reference to depression then it is best to look at each of the aforementioned legs that support an understanding of one’s depression. With these three pillars and an understanding of each, and with a fleshing out of the effect depression has upon our personal being, our physical reality and our relationship with our unique environment, we are able to determine what are the causes and what solutions are needed to restore a balance to these inter related systems of the human person.

An author, shares with us the environmental factors that may cause a person to succumb to a deep melancholy. He notes that a “greater probability of depressive disturbances has been described when adverse external factors exist, such as a history of traumatic events, recent stressing events, the premature death of a family relative, an inadequate upbringing provided by parents, poverty, malnutrition, medical illnesses, a family or personal history of negative emotional episodes, and insufficient social support. All those environmental factors which form a part of the biography of the individual, have an effect on him or her by creating a vulnerability to stress. In the same way it has been demonstrated that the appearance of depressive episodes occur when there is an increase in stressing events.” (Dr. Salvador Cervera- Enguix. )

No surprise here. It is important to know that what happens to us, has a direct impact on our personality and our biological self.

So, when we become a member of the fellowship of Depressed Anonymous we begin by looking at these three areas of our lives mentioned above and by use of the Steps begin to live with serenity and hope. Without a doubt this process of dealing with our depression and all the issues that surround it, gradually provide a growth for uas like a well watered garden.

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