Coping with Depression and Stress

I am no psychologist, but I have suffered from stress and depression for as long as I can remember. I therefore present the following framework based upon my first-hand experience, observation and reflection in the hope it may in some way be of help to my fellow sufferers.

Depression is something that will inevitably be your close companion throughout the journey of life. It cannot be beaten or banished, but it can be managed and controlled through knowledge and understanding. There is no reason why those of us with depression cannot live fulfilling and successful lives.

Everything is significant. Everything we do does have a permanent effect upon the universe which will continue long after our earthly existence, like the ripples from a pebble thrown into the sea. This is why it is so important to make the effort to do our best at all times, and why every success however minor is worthy of a healthy dose of satisfaction.

Positive Thought
Positive thought is about the recognition that we are empowered with a degree of control over our destiny. It is the realization that by doing our best along a pathway that is right we achieve as much as we possibly can.

Similarly, every experience has a permanent effect upon us. If we are to grow as individuals we must actively seek experiences which will further that growth. Hiding within our shells will lead only to stagnation and frustration, and worsen our depression. Even negative experiences provide an opportunity for growth so long as they are treated as lessons and inspire appropriate responses such as enhanced knowledge that will benefit us in the future.

The perfect human being has not yet been born. What separates the content from the forlorn is how we handle our failings. You are a human being of limited strength and ability. You cannot achieve perfection, for that is not your purpose. Instead, you can and must use what limited capacity you have at your disposal as effectively as possible.

Life is essentially and inevitably a one-way journey to the grave, beyond which we have no way of knowing what, if anything, awaits us. Life, this life, is therefore all we possess. Thus it is our right and duty to make the best of it, to the very best of our ability. To neglect this responsibility is a betrayal not only of ourselves, but of whatever superior power may have gifted us this existence.

There are two possible truths. Either we are part of some greater reality beyond our human understanding. Or we are not.

If, in the most pessimistic case, the latter is true, there is nothing we can do about it. But we at least have the consolation that the things which may distress us are ultimately meaningless and hence they are not worth being distressed about.

However, if there is some meaning, some purpose, to the hoopla of life then we can rest assured that the trials and tribulations of this particular existence are of mere infinitesimal importance in the wider whole that is being. Planet Earth is a mere dot on the canvas that is the universe. A human lifespan is a mere blip upon eternity.

Do What Thou Wilt
What is meant by English occultist Aleister Crowley's edict? Does it mean we are free to do whatever we please? Or does it convey a deeper, more subtle, truth?

Either way with this knowledge we should be more able to place our particular burdens in their proper perspective. How important this is. What may initially seem like the end of the world often becomes manageable with a little reasoned thought.

Know yourself. Understand your situation. Where you are now. What are your assets and strengths? What are your weaknesses and liabilities? What are your hopes and dreams? How best can you fulfil as much of your potential as possible? Often these are the hardest questions to answer, but without grasping the nettle you cannot hope to move forwards positively.

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