Wow...when I posted my piece on depression yesterday, I had a pretty strong idea that itd stir the pot, but Im rather surprised at just how much it stirred the pot. Im also rather surprised at how much of a flurry of activity has happened since I went for my workout. Honestly, there is too much to get to at the moment, as I need to get to some other things I had planned and scheduled before this blew up, but I promise Ill get back to you guys over the rest of the day and into tomorrow. In the meantime, heres two bits that are presently occupying my top-of-mind awareness. The first is a quote by Ludwig Wittgenstein, which was inspired by a comment made by my buddy William. A man will be imprisoned in a room with a door thats unlocked and opens inwards; as long as it does not occur to him to pull rather than push. I took that quote from a talk that was given by my mentor Michael Neill, who talks about his own experience with depression, suicidal ideation, psychotic breaks from reality, and the impact that this understanding has had on him. Heres the talk if youd like to hear it for yourself: https://youtube/watch?v=xr6VawX2nr4 Again, I want to make it as clear as can come across through written word- I am most certainly not taking the concept of depression lightly, just as I wouldnt take rage, mania, or other severe emotional state lightly. That also doesnt mean that Ive had a very different stance on this since far before I ever knew there were such things as coaching, NLP, hypnosis, zen, or the three principles. I can still remember clearly sitting in my abnormal psych class in the Fall of 2010 hearing about these illnesses and thinking that the explanations and theories that psychology is presenting are about as solid as a screen door. They just didnt add up and pass the sniff test, even to a beginner with an open mind- something that has only gotten more and more true the more Ive examined the nature of human experience. It is one of the primary reasons I turned my back to a safe PsyD clinical psychology program and started exploring mind-body medicine and other methods of changework- they seemed to be hitting far more closely to the mark than anything the most recently, cutting-edge science was. I also still stand by the statement I made toward the end of my piece, IF YOU NEED HELP, GO GET AND DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO KEEP YOU IN THE GAME. I couldnt give less of a shit as to what that is, do whatever it takes to keep your eyes open, your heart beating, your mind thinking, and your feet on the ground. Call a hotline, see a trained professional, get into a support group, take some prescribed psychopharmaceuticals, get ECT, go workout and exercise! (Again, I get this is about volition, and Im not sure that I can speak to that as eloquently as Id like to through the written word, so Ill pass on making any other comments about that portion of this issue at the moment, but there are counterpoints to that as well.) I also think that, once the storm has passed, it is important to get back to the task of questioning and examining everything about the nature of your experience- because if you are like 99% of people that have ever existed, it almost certainly isnt what you are thinking it is. You cannot remove yourself from a trap that you dont know exists and that you cant see, and this examination, especially when done by a trained professional who has the grounding to see it for themselves, will help you to see it- and that will change everything. One last thing- for anyone who values a good read on the subject, check out Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression by Dr. James Gordon. Ive had the privilege of learning directly from Dr. Gordon, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, who created the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, was the impetus behind the creation of the pioneering mind-body medicine program Im finishing, and (from the CMBM website) served as Chairman of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. He also served as the first Chair of the Program Advisory Council of the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Alternative Medicine. I also served as his representative in the colleges Student Academic Review Committee, and have no program in saying that he is more than equipped to offer a very educated and professional outlook on the condition, which is grounded in a very similar philosophy to my own outlook. Heres the link to that: amazon/Unstuck-Guide-Seven-Stage-Journey-Depression/dp/0143115510/
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 17:57:23 +0000
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