I came across an interesting article today, reviewing a book called ‘Listening to Depression’. The premise of the book is to not treat Depression as a problem in your life, but as reaction to problems in your life. The article uses the analogy of a warning light coming on when a plane drifts off course, to let the pilot know to make some changes to get back on course. So the experience of  depression is our brain’s way of letting us know that something is not right.

The analogy of a warning light is good, as it reminds us what to focus on. Sometimes we focus so much on the symptoms of depression, and forget about dealing with the underlying issues. It can be worthwhile to take a step back and stop focusing on the ‘warning light’, and look at what is setting the ‘warning light’ off in the first place.

The article has an exercise you can go through to try and explore what has set off your ‘warning light’, which I’ve copied here so you can try it:

  • Write on a sheet of paper: “What is stopping me from healing my depression?” (Examples: “I’m too tired to help myself; my problems are too big; I don’t have the energy to break out of this rut; I don’t have the resources to get the right help.”)
  • Now write how you might be wrong about what’s stopping you from healing your depression. (Examples: “Maybe I do have energy sometimes; maybe I could solve some of my problems; what if I did have some answers to my problems, what would they be?”
  • One of the symptoms of depression is that it keeps you focused on the bad things in your life and it often prevents you from seeing the positive things. You may be depressed, but that is not all that you are. What else are you? What strengths do you have that the depression has not overshadowed?
  • Complete the following sentences by listing as many answers as you can: “I am depressed, but one resource for helping me through the depression is …. One quality about myself that will help me through this depression is … Even though I am depressed, I will not fall back on the self-destructive habit of … to cope with this depression. The family members, friends and professionals that will be most helpful in helping me cope with this depression are … The things I can do that will help me cope with this depression are ….
  • Write “The Gifts of Depression” at the top of a blank page. Give yourself a half hour to reflect and write about how your depression could be a gift; how it could be meaningful in your life. (Example: The depression may force you to let go of a job, a career or a relationship that you are unhappy with and unfulfilled in. It may slow you down, or assist you in reevaluating the direction your life is heading, or force you to deal with memories or feelings you’ve been trying to avoid.)
  • Then write: “I don’t like this depression, but if it were serving a purpose in my life, it might be…. This depression has forced me to…. If it were not for this depression, one thing in my life that would be different is…. Although I hate to admit it, one good thing about my depression is …”
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