A Simple Cure For Anxiety And Depression

By:Saleem Rana

Our innate desire is to be happy, and when we move away from it, we experience fear.

This fear is actually millions of years old, for it arises from the biological programming of our species.

While we may not have to contend with a sabre-toothed tiger on any given day, we still use those very reactions to deal with events looming ahead.

We think, “Will I be fired for making that mistake at work?” or “Will I be able to meet the mortgage after I fix the car?” or “Will my health continue to decline?” or “Will my relationship fall apart after that argument we just fell into?”

Running questions with this type of urgency and helplessness trains our brains to prepare now for future danger by loading our bodies up with the stress hormone cortisol.

Anxiety is our anticipation of a dangerous future. We imagine having even less of the little that we have today.

This anxiety does not help us in any way to meet the future any better. In fact, it weakens and exhausts us. We usually worry most about things that we can't even control. Worrying about your dental visit, for example, will not make the visit better.

Anxiety, in fact, is a silent killer. It is enervating, and it drains you of purpose and hope, faith and initiative. It fogs up your thinking. And it makes the body susceptible to illness.

When anxiety--a fear of an event in the future--is high enough then you feel a deep sense of helplessness. This, in turn, translates into depression. You even begin to view the past as disappointing.

Caught between a miserable past and a frightening future you create a pattern of emotions that can lead to a variety of mood disorders, including manic-depression.

How do we escape from this vicious cycle?

Here is what I did 20 years ago and I have never since suffered from any serious mood disorder.

I started to cultivate my awareness of my mood swings--from elation to black despair.

I did this by basically watching myself when I was manic, and watching myself when I was depressed, and watching what I did to turn on these states. For example to get depressed, I used my love of literature to focus on dark, morbid, and unhappy stories about life. And to get elated, I would talk a lot, move very quickly, and do things in a dramatic way.

An interesting thing happened when I made my unconscious behavior conscious. I could not take my mood shifts seriously.

This is what I learned from that experience: when you are able to observe yourself over the course of a few weeks, you develop a curious detachment.

A paradoxical situation developed for me: I found it difficult to stay anxious and depressed when I was observing myself feeling anxious and depressed.

Ultimately, anxiety and depression are culturally-induced patterns of thinking that can be overcome through a deliberate cultivation of awareness. When you become your own observer, you weed out the unconscious habits that afflict you.

Despite the billions of dollars spent to heal anxiety and depression, and all the mood disorders and behavioral anomalies that arise from them, the cure is simple, quick, and free.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: anxiety, depression, manic-depression, fear, psychological, spiritual, NLP, heal, awareness, brain

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Saleem Rana got his masters in psychotherapy from California Lutheran University. His articles on the internet have inspired over ten thousand people from around the world. Discover how to create a remarkable life. Free information.
http://theempoweredsoul.com/enter.html
Copyright 2005 Saleem Rana. Please feel free to pass this
article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or
newsletter. It's a shareware article.

Top Depression Articles
1). Teenage Depression By : Hak Ty Many people believe today that teenagers lack respect for authority, lack respect for school, and even lack respect for family. For the most part they are looked down on by society as being disobedient trouble-makers. Being a teenager isn’t an easy task. They’re constantly being exposed to new, scary situations, and it’s hard for any teenager to overcome one of these obstacles because of how they are looked at by other people, and one of the biggest problems a teenager has to face is depression.
2). How To Identify And Treat Clinical Depression By : Jim Johnson Whether it is you or someone you love, knowing the facts about clinical depression symptoms can save lives. Today, more than 1/3 of people will face some type of depression episode in their lives.
3). Feeling Depressed? Eat more Protein By : lunart On January 5th 2006 researchers annouced their studies, they learned that protein p11 plays a key role in depression. Protein p11 appears to regulate signaling of the brain chemical Serotonin. In so many studies done before Serotonin has been linked with depression and also anxiety disorders. The funny thing is Serotinon is what nearly every anti-depressant is made to regulate, including Prozac.
4). My Battle with Bipolar Disorder By : Kingston Amadan Since my early twenties, I have suffered from bipolar disorder. I am now in my mid-forties and have managed to keep it under control through the use of medications as well as the support of my friends, family and my wonderful and compassionate husband. Unfortunately, it took a long time to get to the point I am at now. For many years, I suffered through the challenges of trying to lead a productive and functional life despite being plagued by the imbalances brought on by my condition.
5). 10 Common Symptoms Of Depression By : paul wilson1 Every year approximately 9.5 per cent of the American population suffers from depression. Depression is a grave illness that affects day to day life and destroys families. It is a disorder that controls the mind and its functions causing loss of appetite, sleeplessness, mood swings, and a deep sense of despair. The symptoms of depression are varied and the severity changes with time.
6). Depression: SAD Because Of Winter By : Hector Milla Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a kind of depression caused by the effect of the change of seasons as early as August or September in men and women and may be recognized by things as simple as eating or sleeping more during winter than the rest of the year. The National Institute of Health realized about this disorder during the 1970s although it has existed for centuries.
7). The Anxiety of Everyday Life By : Kingston Amadan Many people I know claim that life stresses them out, and for all I know, they're probably telling the truth. Some, however, often say they feel anxiety over the major issues in their lives. When I hear this, I can't help but smile. You see, I suffered from generalized anxiety disorder for most of my life. While they may experience brief episodes of worry over life altering events that anyone would worry about, I would often find myself anxiously worried about everything.
8). Bring An End To Depression By : Rene Graeber Everybody gets the blues once in a while. It’s normal to feel sad on a rainy day, get sentimental over a lost love, or feel so terribly lonely during really low moments of your life. But once depression gets out of hand, it can wreak havoc on your mental state and drive you to such emotional lows - to the point that you might seriously choose ending your life.
9). Understanding Mood Disorders By : Jay Miller Its shocking to note that mood disorders these days are not uncommon. In the United States alone it is estimated that between 15 and 20 million people suffer from depressive disorders. Most symptoms of depression would be characterized as overwhelming sadness and loss of joy and pleasure in daily activities. Depression has been called the "common cold of mental illness," not indicating that symptoms of depression are mild, but because they are widespread.
10). OCD - CRYING on the Inside By : kacycarr The cry of pain and agony from a cut finger/broken arm is healed with a bandaid plaster cast and sling. Our headache pains are relieved after a pill popping session. But where is the cure for the blind pain suffered by an OCD victim when all the crying is done on the inside. Coping with OCD symptoms is a struggle for most sufferers who painlessly battle against the disease.

New Depression Articles
1). Luvox: The Unpopular Antidepressant By : Sean Cash A Report on Luvox
2). Clinical Depression - What is It? By : Paul Winter Depression,is a mental affliction that is often characterized by prolonged periods of sadness and gloom, experts from the field of psychiatry say.
3). Depression Treatment: Pick Yoga over Medications for Anti-depression By : Foras Aje I have been practicing Yoga for close to 5 years now. Prior to this time, my life had been a day-to-day existence erected by symptoms of depression and low self-esteem. Aggravated by marring acne and burdensome Asthma symptoms, not feeling depressed was usually a rare occurrence. A rare occurrence that is; until I discovered Yoga and how it could help with depression treatment.
4). Depression Treatment and Changing your Diet, Results could beat using drugs. By : Foras Aje I had stated in a previous article how Yoga could work as a natural depression treatment based on my own experiences. To add to that information-being a very important limb of Yoga into itself- what you eat also has an effect on your mental health. Consequently, if you’re interested in a drug-free treatment of depression, without the side-effects common to most depression medications, a crucial step will be to make some dietetic changes amongst other factors.
5). Depression Help: What can the Bible do to ease the pain of depression? By : Foras Aje There are specific quotes in the Bible that target emotional health and well being and this should come as no surprise as this Book does cover, in my opinion the whole range of humanity, including depression and its symptoms. As a source of a help for depression, like perhaps any religious book, it could work wonders for dealing with depression-of course when used wisely.
6). Symptoms of Depression: How to know if you are depressed By : Foras Aje Studies have shown that about 20 million Americans receive some form of depression treatment on an annual basis. Twenty Million Americans! Considering how grave an illness depression is, this is a rather worrisome number. As a result recognizing the symptoms of depression as a step for depression treatment may perhaps be the first move to make. Like.
7). Depression Hurts, but You can beat it at its game. By : Foras Aje Thank God we have problems. No, that is not a misprint friend. It is true. Why? Because it means we are still alive and guess what, it means you are being made stronger. Granted, we all have problems, some big, some small; all a source of worry, anxiety and maybe even sadness. It is part of living. The truth is it is how we handle our difficulties and problems that can make or break us as humans.
8). Childhood depression: What to do if your Child is depressed. By : Foras Aje Like adults, children can suffer from depression, in this case: childhood depression. It’s not uncommon and since children actually are the purest of humans, it might be safe to say if a child is depressed-and they actually tell you that-it’s a rather serious issue. One of the most common misconceptions about childhood depression is:"what do children have to be depressed about?".
9). Depression Suicide: What to do if a loved one is Suicidal By : Foras Aje Depression, characterized by erratic mood swings, loss of interest in hobbies and activities is a very serious emotional disorder affecting about 9.5 per cent of the nation. Needless to say, it is could be a lot more fatal if a depressed person is heading towards suicide. Therefore, here are some signs to know if your loved one is considering suicide as a result of depression.
10). Depression Cure: Tips on how to draw from that Higher Power By : Foras Aje In spite of the immense technological advancements and inventions designed to make our lives easier, depression still exists and millions of people are still seeking a depression cure. With all the sources of entertainment around us, depression still lurks in the core of our very existence as humans. Why? Could it be that with all the technology and scientific breakthroughs that we have lost the very essence of our being as humans? That-being a deep connection with the Omnipotent.