"I made that decision"

Verisimilitude

Cro-Magnon Man
Cro-Magnon Man
Joined
Dec 20, 2012
Messages
463
Hey guys, so I've been feeling kind of depressed lately. A long string of bad shit combined with a loss of interest in life had me feeling pretty terrible.

So I read chase's article on overcoming depression. I've read it before, and it always helps.

But I had a realization that I wanted to share while reading it. You need a mantra to overcome depression. A personal anti-depression statement. It helps build good habits for your brain, especially if it's catchy.

I needed something that would make me realize that I'm responsible for the bad stuff, but I also have the power to change things. And really, that everything is in my control.

I came up with "I made that decision". Anytime something bad or good happens, I tell myself that it was my decision and trace the result back to my choices. It really helps because it forces me to take responsibility and reminds me that I have the power to change my bad situation. It's empowering.

It might seem simple, but reinforcing that I have control over my life has really helped me overcome my mini-depression period. I think having a mantra to overcome depression really helps.

-V
 

Drck

Cro-Magnon Man
Cro-Magnon Man
Joined
Feb 14, 2013
Messages
1,488
Just be careful so you don't start blaming yourself for everything that happens in your life, because that could bring even more depression...

We have the power to change some things in our life, but at the same time we don't have the power to change everything.

For example, you may decide to take your GF on a trip, and say that some unfortunate accident happens... say she ends up in a wheelchair or even dies. If you keep repeating yourself "I made that decision" and feel fully responsible for that, you will end up in severe depression because of the guilt you bring upon yourself....

The reality is that you made the choice to take that trip, true, but at the same time you didn't have the power to foresee the accident; in reality the accident was not your fault, thus you should shift the guilt away from you...
 
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