We all enjoy taking part in quizzes and surveys. At least I do. It’s pretty much a challenge to see how much we know or don’t know. By doing the quiz we possibly learn just a little bit more about whatever the subject may be, even though we might not answer all the questions correctly. In a certain fashion we have clarified a bit of our thinking about a certain subject.
Clarification of thought is a most difficult process when It comes to a mind swallowed up by depression, is confused, darkened with fog and just extremely exhausted. Many of us wanted to think our way out of depression, as if our will power could push open that prison door which continued to keep us locked up. Will power is useless initially. What we do need is a fairly straight forward and simple approach to getting at the genesis of our sadness. Along the way of the clarification process we find out and discover more of who we are, how we got to be where we are and what to do now that we know what we got and how we got here. For one, I don’t believe that that paralyzing feeling of melancholia just drops out of the sky and hits me on the head and knocks me down. So, I start with where I believe it all gets started. The pain is inside of me so I have to start there!
After getting some physical stamina back into my life I began to ask myself some questions–each as it pertains to the 12 Steps of Depressed Anonymous. I used a process which I called the clarification of thought process. How I was thinking about myself and speaking to myself needed to be examined to see how much of my thinking got me to where I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning.
Today, if you would like to join with me, I will, pose a few questions about your own experience with depression and then you can evaluate how that affects your life today.
1. When you feel depressed what do you say to yourself?
2. What action or behavior do you do when you feel this way?
3. Does it promote more isolation or being more connected?
We are using the Depressed Anonymous Workbook to help us work through the questions that will help us all clarify our thinking and thus gradually free us from the mystery of what keeps us in bondage. Continue your program of recovery using the Clarification of thought process and you will find a key that will present to you the ” courage to change what you can.”
I would like to find meetings in Manhattan, Brooklyn. For that matter any where in the 5 boroughs of N.Y. I would love to get the workbooks. I belong to another fellowship, and strongly believe in 12 Step recovery methods. I need help. Thank you in advance for any.information you can give me. Grant Us Peace. John Wurzler
Hi John
Thank you for the message. We do not have meetings in the NY boroughs area. Sorry about that. Our Publisher has the Workbook for those persons who want to work on themselves, step by step in a group or by themselves. I would think that a workbook would help any of us in our own recovery from depression. In fact we are using it now for our own clarification of thought. The workbook is a great tool for taking the steps one at a time and giving us insights into our strengths and character issues. Please keep in touch John and let me know how you are doing. If you can find one other person who wants help–then you have a group. Small but helpful– and you are not alone!
All the best to you
Hugh
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