Depression

[Leaf]

"My outlook on life and myself are the cause of my stress"

This is my starting point - my 'depression' or whatever it is, is my fault. If I could think differently I'd probably cope much better. But despite many attempts from different angles I haven't managed it yet. Besides which, it's not just the way I think, or what I think about - it's that overwhelming sense of failure, futility and deep weariness with life. It goes beyond mere 'thinking'.

[Wheeze]

This is my starting point - my 'depression' or whatever it is, is my fault. '.

Leaf, thats such a simple sentence but very telling. The use of the label 'fault' is such a block to improvement. By calling your perceptual uniqueness a fault is key to your problem. Its not a fault. As Mr B explains, its the result of your way of processing the world and creating your own 'reality'. And that is unique to you. But, just as we can all be trained to use our physically individual bodies into a harmonious group, so can all our unique mental identities be trained to be harmonious and happy. This, I guess, is the foundation of Therapy.

So, perhaps by not calling it a fault but your unique mental identity, you can begin to accept the help of others to lift you to a more harmonious place?

[mr brightside]

This is my starting point - my 'depression' or whatever it is, is my fault. If I could think differently I'd probably cope much better. But despite many attempts from different angles I haven't managed it yet. Besides which, it's not just the way I think, or what I think about - it's that overwhelming sense of failure, futility and deep weariness with life. It goes beyond mere 'thinking'.

Hello again! I was chatting to someone with a far better insight than me earlier, you should probably start by congratulating yourself for identifying that you have an issue requiring of resolution. You've correctly identified that your depression needs fixing, not everyone gets this far btw. As far as blaming yourself goes, it may be a result of the realisation that the origin of the dysfunction is in you not out there. This point should be noted and you can sort of chalk it up as a win, it may be the result of intuition beyond your conscious awareness.

The above is basically the process of fostering the positive and not attacking the negative, this alone may be enough for you to progress to a position of understanding. I work with myself slightly differently; i would carry out a full post-mortem on the idea that 'i am to blame for my depression', and allow my mind to come to the understanding that the thought is hurting me and is therefore untrue. The Work facilitates this kind of transformation very well.