One Remedy For Depression

A 1988 article in Psychology Today reported on an experiment involving 1700 women under stress. The women participated in various projects that involved helping other people. Within 30 days, 85 percent of the women reported that they had been relieved of stress symptoms that included "stress-related disorders such as headaches, voice loss and even pain accompanying lupus and multiple sclerosis."

I suspect many people could save thousands of dollars on antidepressants if they would just take time to serve others. The best way to get beyond our pain is to get outside of it. I discovered this in my own journey through a particular dark time. I decided to serve others even though I was in great emotional pain. This had a remarkable positive effect on my emotional state.

When we refocus our attention on the needs of others when we ourselves are in turmoil, it allows the burden of our circumstance to be removed from us. The more one focuses on their own problem the more likely you are to become depressed.

Isaiah understood a principle that is still valid today. If you find yourself depressed because of a circumstance in your life, take Isaiah's advice-begin to praise the Lord in spite of the circumstances you see. Then you will see the spirit of heaviness begin to be lifted.

Winter Time Blues

For years now, I have watched people suffer from what I term the winter time blues. Instead of making life more relaxing and less stressful, they just add more stress.

One client recently told me, "Last year I started a new job the day before Thanksgiving. The whole rest of November and December were terrible. Partly because of the circumstances of the job itself and partly because it was that time of the year. I made it through and still have the same job, now love it and am doing great. This year I adopted a Lab pup from my daughter who bought it for my grandson and they then decided it was too much trouble. It is a sweetheart, but of course trying to train it is a challenge. I think it too, like the job, will be fine by the time my winter funk runs its course, so I'm not going to give up on it. However, next year I will be keeping my life as stress free as possible from November to February, if at all possible. I hate this feeling of fatigue and nervous stomach all the time and the blah feeling. I am just looking for some advice, support, and encouragement."

If you are experiencing the winter time blues, make an appointment at the Relationship Clinic for therapy.