Introduction

Do you feel blue this time of year?  Christmas time and through the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere tends to be when we have the least amount of good sunlight, we eat lots of sugar, drink alcohol, eat processed foods, stress over numerous things.  All of these things gives us a recipe for depression.  You may be asking is there a solution?  Yes! Not only is there a solution but also a natural one as well, and the good news it works!  Here is what you need to do.

Considerations

First let’s consider what are some of the causes of depression.  I listed above some of the factors that can contribute to depression but do not necessarily lead to depression they simply tip the bucket over so to speak.  Some of the causes of depression can involve family heritage issues such as ancestors with darker pigmented skin need more sunlight therefore a lack of it can trigger depression because of a lack of vitamin D.  Other family heritage issues can include dispositions to weaker functioning liver, nervous system, digestive system, and possibly kidneys.

Other issues can include past trauma, lack of emotional and physical support growing up where there may have not been parents that were emotionally supportive or present for you, this can even go back as far as infancy or even in utero!

Depression is defined by WordNet as sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy. Very simplistic but it gets the point across. I would simply put it, pervasive and persistent ongoing sad feelings of hopelessness, powerlessness, along with gloom and inadequacy.

Depression in simplest terms is when anxiety, fears, phobias have been piling up and not resolved, where a person has repressed their emotions, and for a prolonged period of time they have not been able to move forward then hopelessness can take hold, which then forms depression.  There are numerous forms of depression but all in all this would in a general way sum it up.

Symptoms of Depression – Quiz

Using a scale from 0-5 (zero not at all to 5 the most intense) rate how you fair

1. My future looks hopeless
2. It’s difficult for me to focus on things.
3. Pleasure and joy have gone out of my life.
4. Things that used to be important to me I have lost interest in.
5. I feel blue, sad, or unhappy.
6. I feel like a failure or worthless.
7. I feel like I’m more dead than alive.
8. I think a lot about death and dying.
9. I do things slowly.
10. I have difficulty in making decisions.
11. I’m agitated and have to keep moving around.
12. I feel like have no energy, I feel fatigued.
13. I feel I deserve to be punished.
14. I’m getting too much or not enough restful sleep.
15. I feel trapped.
16. Without trying to diet I lose weight.
17. Even when good things happen to me I feel depressed.

If 8 or more of the questions you answered were a 3 or higher than more than likely you have some form of depression.  Good news there is a cure!  Here is a list of things you can do to increase your ability to recover and begin enjoying life again.

Things to do to help alleviate depression:

1. See a qualified therapist for fast track recovery, especially one that has training in both psychology and natural remedies.
2. Avoid eating sugar, especially processed and artificial sweeteners.
3. Eat more living foods such as vegetables and fruits. Be sure half of your plate is living food and the other half protein based food.
4. Supplement with a high quality Omega 3 EFA.
5. Take high quality vitamin D supplement.
6. Daily take a high quality human microflora probiotic for best results.
7. Eat naturally fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi, kombucha (a fermented drink), as well as fiber-rich prebiotic foods like jicama (Mexican yam).
8. Sleep in a room where there is white-noise, total black out in the room, turn off all electronic devices including wifi.
9. Use a qualified LED light source that is therapeutically to reduce depression in winter months known as the SAD Effect, for about 20 minutes a day during winter months.
10. Get fresh air for at least 20 minutes daily.
11. Move your body for at least 30 minutes a day (better known as exercise).
12. Involved yourself with family and friends that give good healthy positive support at least once daily for a few minutes.
13. Meditate and pray daily on things that offer hope, such as scripture.
14. Use personal type therapies such as EFT, here is a link for a demonstration:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrY-HI0Nt_
15. Laugh daily even if it’s fake!

Conclusion

In conclusion depression has always existed but in modern times it has escalated due to our industrial and technological comforts and the time we use to strive for them.  A total person, natural approach will give lasting results versus just possible temporary relief.  Reach out for help that is your first step to getting better.  I understand that when you are depressed you don’t feel like reaching out but the question is do you want to feel better?  Do you want to have a life and one abundantly?  If not, then consider those you love and do it for them!

For more information check out my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/newhopecounsellingcentr/ .  I also offer a free 15 minute telephone consultation if you would like one just call (905) 633-7410.

In life we all face the question, ‘Why do bad things happen to good or innocent people?’ This question can be answered in a lengthy philosophical and theological explanation but generally will not provide the emotional resolution we need. After some form of loss (be it death, loss of health, loss of a job, loss of a friend, a betrayal, or the loss of an expectation) we all grieve and can be filled with deep sadness that leads to hopelessness and anger. Loss also involves a great disappointment of our expectations.

In this life we all face irresolvable issues that evoke hopelessness. Besides having the understanding of the 5 stages of grief we need to also understand how to let go of expectations that have been lost. The Serenity Prayer (modified from the original version by Reinhold Niebuhr) that is posted on the Alcoholics’ Anonymous website, gives us simple but concise insight on letting go!

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

courage to change the things I can,

and (the) wisdom to know the difference.”

Four points can be taken from this prayer that will help enable us to have a life filled with gratitude, rather than grief; then hopefully circumstances will make us better rather than bitter.

God grant me…

This prayer gives us an understanding that we need to first and foremost have a spiritual relationship with the Creator and ask for His help. Without divine help we will always wrestle with loss and its injustices.

Accepting the things that I cannot change…

Acceptance of things that we cannot change is very important for our healing process though sometimes difficult. This statement shows us that at times we feel powerless, and powerless to change things. Powerlessness is a feeling that we dislike because it leads to hopelessness and fear. Only through trusting in the Creator is there any consolation of hope, even concerning things of the afterlife. One key statement helped me in my own healing process was this, “Let go of all hope for a better past.” In our grief of loss we are hoping for a better past, which is futile if you really think of it, but it is an inner decision that we need to make in order to heal. Also, it is just as important to be at peace, trusting in the Creator in the journey of life.

Courage to change… 

Within our grasp are things that we can change but too often, because we are afraid, we feel powerless and helpless to make the necessary changes. We fear failure in our efforts and therefore we shutdown and avoid doing what is necessary.

I remember a time when I was approached with an opportunity to host a spiritual conference. I made excuses as to why I couldn’t do it. This became a huge challenge for me. Instead of pursuing it I became busy doing a lot of other things in order to avoid the very thing I needed to do. I needed courage. Thank God for my wife who confronted me with my avoidance and who encouraged me to do what I needed to do. The outcome was rewarding but the journey wasn’t easy. So are many things in life that we need to do but often we avoid them because we are afraid. Mark Twain once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting in spite of it.”

Wisdom to know… 

…the wisdom to know the difference. This statement shows us that we need sound understanding and discernment to know what we can and what we cannot do in life. Wisdom goes beyond knowledge because knowledge gives us information but wisdom gives us understanding, insight, discernment, and the ‘how-to’. Wisdom gives us choices. One of the greatest gifts we have given by the Creator is the power of choice.

People are often not aware that they have the power to choose and this is usually because of their past experiences in life. This can be because as children they were neglected or abused by their primary care givers. When children experience neglect or abuse they develop beliefs that they don’t have choices or they believe they are weak, powerless, or helpless. This is then carried into adulthood and often debilitates them on some level, and when faced with loss they often fare the worst.

The Serenity Prayer teaches us some very important things on how to handle our life’s experiences and expectations, and by doing so we will then be empowered through the gift of choice.