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Suffering from depression means more than just dealing with a bad week or even a bad month. Depression is a weakening condition that can make it impossible for you to enjoy your daily existence. If you are plagued with feelings of overwhelming sadness, loneliness, worthlessness, and cannot imagine that things will get any better, then you may be suffering from depression. If you want to know how to overcome your depression and enjoy your life again, follow these steps.
1. Consult with a doctor. Only after a thorough evaluation with a psychiatrist or psychologist can you be diagnosed with depression. Many illnesses and medications may contribute to depressive feelings. Therefore, your doctor will administer a variety of tests, conduct a physical examination, and an interview to get to the bottom of your symptoms.
2. Recognize that you're suffering from depression. To overcome your depression, you have to first determine if what you're feeling are the symptoms of depression. Though depression is different for every person, there are a few signs that are hallmarks of the illness. You may have depression, if:
You feel worthless, helpless, or guilty without knowing why.
You're feeling hopeless about most aspects of your life and can't imagine that anything will improve for you.
You feel a decrease in your energy levels and are tired no matter what you do.
You feel restless at night and have trouble sleeping and/or waking up in the morning.
You've stopped feeling pleasure doing the activities that used to make you happy, such as spending time with friends, pursuing your hobbies, or being intimate.
There has been a dramatic change in your sleeping habits, such as insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping.
You have lost your appetite or are overeating, but cannot stop.
It is much easier for you to be alone than to put the effort into interacting with others.
You constantly feel irritable for no reason.
You have had thoughts of suicide. If you are thinking suicidal thoughts, seek help immediately.
3. Learn about the possible causes of depression. Although doctors have not narrowed down one clear-cut reason people experience depression, they tend to see this disorder arise in people with common genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Your doctor might determine any of the following as being a cause of your depression:
Addiction to drugs or alcohol. If you have a drug or alcohol addiction, then this may be a cause for your depression. A doctor can help you see if you have an addiction and can tell you the next steps.
Genetic causes. If depression runs in your family, you are more likely to be depressed. You can discuss whether other people in your family have suffered from depression, even if they were never diagnosed; you can also talk to your parents or other family members to see if people in your family had depression without you knowing.
A hormonal imbalance. If you have a thyroid problem or other hormonal imbalance, it may be causing your depression.
Another illness. A doctor can help you see if you're suffering from another illness that can cause or precede your depression, such as an anxiety disorder such as OCD, or even a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia.
A side effect of a medication you are taking. If you're taking a medication for another problem, a doctor can tell you if depression is one of the side effects and may be able to switch you to an equally effective medication without this side effect.
A seasonal disturbance. Some people experience depression as a result of seasonal changes. For example, symptoms might last throughout the winter each year. This form of depression is referred to as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
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Many people use the terms “religious” and “spiritual” interchangeably, but studies show that they affect our wellness in markedly different ways. There is a difference between managing your outward behavior and managing your inward emotions, and both affect your soul.
Interestingly, the whole country seems to be following a health regimen of some sort—gluten-free, low carb, high protein, vegan, or sugar elimination. In our endless march toward physical fitness, we try exercise, supplements, vitamin shakes, and nutritionist-endorsed meal plans. Plenty of diets admonish us not to eat certain foods, but what kind of diet are we feeding our souls?
I was raised as a Methodist minister’s daughter and later attended various churches: Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopal… I attended vacation Bible school, made crayon drawings of crosses and doves, memorized Bible verses, and went on church retreats twice a year. Still, I wasn’t sure what I believed, deep down.
By the time I got to college, I defined myself as a seeker. I went to youth fellowship meetings, read about Buddhism, took a World Religion course, and even thought seriously about joining the Baha’i faith. Nothing fit, but I remember knowing that the search was important. I was 19, and I said out loud, “If God exists, then learning more about God is the most meaningful thing I’ll ever do.”
My search turned up all kinds of answers, some of which were in direct conflict with each other or with what felt true to me. I decided to keep searching, while adhering to the Golden Rule of treating others the way I would want to be treated. Now, in my mid-40s, my conscience still feels pierced when I fail to treat others with kindness. I also make time for active meditation, the only kind I can stand: I give my mind time to slow down, making room for contemplation and silence while doing something physical like walking, folding laundry, or emptying the dishwasher.
I found that the Golden Rule structured my behavior in the world, while active meditation offered space for my mind to enrich itself through introspection, self-examination, and appreciation. For me, that combination worked, and it felt right.
Recently, I began to understand more clearly why that combination worked. It tackles soul health from two important angles: behavior and emotions.
New research from Oregon State University explores the impact of religion and spirituality on human health.
The study puts forth a new theoretical model: Religion provides a set of rules and beliefs guiding behavior, while spirituality offers methods for managing emotions internally and regulating the experience and expression of those emotions.
Religion helps followers engage in healthier lifestyle practices on a daily basis. Religious people tend to drink less alcohol, smoke less, and have healthier habits overall. Spirituality helps followers examine their feelings and mindfully witness their own fleeting emotions. Ultimately it helps us have a calmer outlook, lower blood pressure, and a more even-handed approach to dealing with life’s stresses.
Those who combine routine religious practice with a committed spiritual practice are more likely to achieve both healthy outward behavior and healthy inward experience.
My mom credits religious writer Dennis Bennett with offering her a way to think about how her spiritual life has been strengthened by religious practice. She told me, “I have been an Episcopalian for over 20 years, after being reared Methodist, finding faith and joy in the Pentecostal Holiness Churches, and finally settling in a charismatic Episcopal Church. I love liturgy because it provides the banks of the river through which the Holy Spirit flows.”
My mom gets it, and now so do researchers: Religion and spirituality offer differing and complementary avenues toward health, which can be achieved through structured behavior and emotional regulation. Religion and spirituality can work together to create healthier individuals in mind, body, and spirit.
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solved by spiritual solutions. Specifically, regarding world hunger, Food for Life maintains that when the people of the world recognize the spiritual equality of all beings, they will learn to share equally in the bounty of the earth, and only then will they experience genuine peace and prosperity.
Equal vision
In its efforts to eradicate world hunger, Food for Life trains its volunteers to be selfless, humble, compassionate, equipoised, and broad-minded enough to understand the needs and concerns of the world they live in.
In fact, Food for Life volunteers often risks their own lives to help those in need. Throughout the fighting in Grozny, Chechnya, for example, Food for Life volunteers cooked and served hot vegan meals to desperate civilians in the war-torn city. More than one million meals were served during the 20-month conflict. New York Times correspondent Michael Specter visited the Krishna devotees at their kitchen in Chechnya and wrote of them:
“…here they have a reputation like the one Mother Teresa has in Calcutta: it’s not hard finding someone to swear they are saints.”
These volunteers showed tolerance and compassion above and beyond the call of duty, demonstrating true equanimity and a deep understanding of their human responsibility. The jewel of India’s spiritual wisdom, the Bhagavad-gita describes equanimity as a natural expression of one’s spiritual wisdom. The Sanskrit term Sama darshinah is used, which translates as “equal vision”, and the Gita describes it as that which separates the truly wise person from the fool.
Food for Life believes that food, so central to the survival of every culture on earth, holds the key to real peace and prosperity. What better way to express that understanding than by educating people on the value of spiritual equality and the selfless sharing of karma-free pure food?
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