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For some individuals, the cause of depression can be biological. An imbalance in the chemical transmitters of the brain can cause depression. This depressive episode may last anywhere from a few hours to severals days or weeks. One of the factors that prolong the biological type depression is continued self downing thoughts. Self downing thoughts can trigger a depressive episode in individuals that don’t suffer from a biological form of depression. These thoughts tend to be related to low self esteem, low self worth, and hopelessness. This is a common disorder in the United States and the world.
In todays society, individuals compare themselves to others, and are very sensitive to how others view them. Individuals are also very critical of themselves. These thoughts are usually self downing, and provoke depression. Once the individual is depressed, whether biologically or not, the individual tend to continue the self downing and negative obsessive or ruminating thoughts.
The answer to lifting the “cloud” of depression, and warding off future depressive episodes, is Unconditional Self Acceptance (USA). A concept introduced by Dr. Albert Ellis, where and individual works to accept themselves totally for who they are. Sounds like a simple concept, however, total acceptance of self is a difficult, time consuming concept to internalize.
When an individual accepts themselves totally, then they are in a better position to accept others unconditionally, and the world’s events unconditionally. What this means is that an individual sees himself or herself as a fallible human being who does good things and bad things, but in no way are defined by what they do. For example, a mother does good things in raising her child, but had better not define herself as a good person because of it. She is a person who does good mothering. At the same time a mother who does bad mothering is not a bad person, but a person who does bad mothering. Accepting the self as a person, and not a good or bad one, helps to ward off depressive self downing thoughts.
Now, an individual can’t say I am bad, worthless, or hopeless, because the individual is not bad, but a person who behaves badly at times, or worthless, because as a person the individual has inherent worth, or hopeless, because the individual knows and accept themselves to realize there is always hope in living a happier life.
In treating depression, the individual has to be in a place to accept therapy. This may be accomplished by anti depressants, or sheer will. Once the individual is able to accept new concepts about their lives, then identifying irrational thoughts becomes the focus. Then, disputing the thoughts, and coming up with rational alternatives and coping statements is emphasized. Finally, the individual is urged to assimilate a new philosophy of accepting themselves unconditionally.
Physical Symptoms 1.Restlessness or inactivity
2.Low energy
3.Difficulty concentrating
4.Irritability
5.Recurrent sadness
6.Increase or Decrease in appetite or sleeping
7.Feelings of guilt and hopelessness
8.Suicide thoughts
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