Depression and Self-Suggestions

Depression is one of the most devastating mental illnesses. Unlike other physical ailments, depression deprives an individual of an identify:  the individual can go on for years without getting anything done, or having any idea what to do with life; drifting from one thing to another, and not knowing what to want from life. Spiraling down into a black bottomless pit of despair, the individual simply loses the capability to live well.

If you are suffering from mental depression, you are not alone. There are millions of people all over the world who have this disorder.  

In depression, you tend to see things with your brain, instead of with your eyes; similarly, you hear with your brain and not with your ears. Perception is all in the mind. But, unfortunately, these deceptive perceptions become so "real" to you that you begin to "believe" in them, especially when they continually talk to you as internal dialogues.

People with mental depression usually more succumb to muddled thinking: there are too many thoughts filtering through their minds. As a result, they have a tendency to analyze or to explain their perceptions so as to make some sense of or to draw some conclusions from what is going through their minds. Unfortunately, analyzing or thinking through what is in the mind will only create more mental blockages or internal dialogues that only perpetuate the inertness and aggravate the sense of loss, which are the characteristics of a depressive mind. Getting rid of your internal dialogues may help your depressive mind. 

Alternatively, you can use your internal dialogues as self-suggestions to your advantage. Self-suggestions are powerful mind power tools that can alter your thoughts to achieve your personal goals in life, to enhance your well-being, to promote your physical wellness—most notably, to change your mind about depression. Self-suggestions are internal dialogues that you deliver to yourself: you are in fact talking to yourself or your subconscious or unconscious mind in the form of self-talk or self-persuasion in order to create a "reality" to bring about some action from the conscious mind. In other words, self-suggestions are ideas or notions that elicit a response in thought or behavior to counteract the depression.

Those suffering from mental depression must have undergone some traumatic life experiences that triggered their depression. Depression does not just happen to any individual without a reason. Letting go is the answer: Instead of explaining or striving to explain any given situation or event, just learn to let go. The ability to let go of what you are desperately holding on to holds the key to recovery from depression.  Unfortunately, letting go is easier said than done. The good news is that you can use self-suggestions to change your subconscious mind, thereby changing your conscious mind to let go of any negative emotions and thoughts you may have. Your conscious mind might have relinquished all depressive thoughts of past experiences, but your subconscious mind may still be clinging on to them like leech. 

The only way to access your subconscious mind is through meditation, which can give not only clarity of mind, but also the perception of priorities in life. Once your mind is clear, and you see the top priorities in your life, you will begin to look at everything in perspective. Knowing what is the most important and the least important may help you let go. Through meditation, you can conduct internal dialogues, which are affirmations, with your subconscious mind, thereby instrumental in changing your conscious mind. Your subconscious mind can influence your conscious mind to let go.

Once the mind becomes uncluttered, depressive thoughts may dissipate. If you wish to heal your depression, you need to heal your mind first. It is always mind over matter.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau