Find the source of your depression

I haven't posted here for a month already and I'll tell you why: I was dealing with things that disturbed me.

Although it can be hard, but trying to shift daily routine to think what actually worries you may be the start of yor self-therapy. You see: depression usually starts with: "I feel bad because of ". Later on it converts into "I feel bad because I feel bad because I feel bad...." - reasons - true and imaginary mix and multiply in your mind so that you kind of forget of the original reasons of your sad state.

Once you have uncovered some moment or event, from which everything started to go wrong - chances are you will find the cure too. The main mistake is to fight symptomes instead of eliminating the source.

Here are some steps I designed and used:

1. Relax and start untwisting the events of the latest days. Find those triggers that worsened your mood recently. Someone who told you things which made you feel bad, something that happened in a wrong way etc.

The key here is to prescind the facts from your emotions or the circle will start going round and round and instead of analyzing the facts you will continue going through bad emotions over and over again.

Relax. Think what made you feel bad today, yesterday, this week. Write it down - it'll help your analysis later. Now don't pause to think over the events. The goal now is to collect information.

2. Practice #1 for as much as it is needed to collect enough facts. It must take from a week to a month to do so. Now it is time for a deep analysis. Ask your notes: what places\people\events make you feel bad. Go further: what colors\sounds\smells\objects are the most annoying. Which words, phrases, tones you don't like.

Here the main thing is again to shift your depressed emotions away. It is them who whispers in your ears: "I want to be left along in a dark room with noone to disturb me, with some saddening music around or no sounds at all". I'll try to explain you why these thoughts are a disaster for anyone depressed.

Make a list of those things that disturb you and make you feel bad. Step by step, answer, what exactly do you hate about your work, what are the most annoying things at home, what do your friends/relatives do wrong.

As you have a roll of reasons on why to kill your neigbors, sell your house, quit job, and commit suicide in front of you - proceed to my next post. There's an alternative to-do list!