Coming full circle.

“When it first came to me that persons depressed might possibly profit from a 12 Step group approach to overcoming depression, not in my wildest dreams could it have prepared me for what had been unfolding these past thirty years.

While experiencing the Hanbedeceya or the Dakota (Sioux) people’s version of the Vision Quest I experienced the seed of a vision that is now gently and gradually beginning to unfold around the world.

On that South Dakota hilltop in April of 1977 I saw a large circle in the sky – the beginning of a vision that was beginning to unfold. This day was preceded by two days of total fast and without as  much as a sip of water. The days spent without food and drink –days spent in prayer and waiting – gave me a vision that there was something for me to do with my life,. I felt deeply for those suffering  isolation and who felt they were all alone in their personal agony, those alone in nursing homes and those incarcerated in their own feelings of hopelessness  and despair.

Somehow, fortuitously for me – grace happens – my direction would be that of helping others get connected with those still suffering from the same isolation as themselves. I realize that many times we can best determine God’s will by looking back over the events of our lives and see how God has led us to our present life work.  It was this personal joy to me,  that a person’s depression would be greatly diminished if they shared their story with people who much like themselves would come together and begin to learn to work  the spiritual 12 Step program of Depressed Anonymous.

This is the amazing power of Depressed Anonymous. It is a program that is available 24 hours a day and not just during business hours. It is a program that is based on the  suggested 12 step spiritual principles of Alcoholics Anonymous.

What is apparent is that our program is beginning to catch on and provide real lasting hope as  more persons who are depressed are discovering that to be connected to a Depressed Anonymous group is tantamount in connecting to hope itself.

I now see that this personal vision of the circle those many years ago is gradually unfolding and forming more circles of loving fellowship and can provide the hope that eventually will lead us out of the despair of our depression.

“We made a decision to turn our wills and our minds over to the care of God as we understood him.”  Step #3 of Depressed Anonymous.

Hugh

SOURCE: The Antidepressant Tablet.  Volume 6.  Number 2.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.