Many Paths Towards Healing: Depression
How do we define depression today? Not the DSMV definition, but regular folks like ourselves. My experience as an integrative and holistic psychotherapist for 3.5 decades reflects that ‘depression’ is one of the most common threads of connection we share as humans, when asked.
This has led me to countless hours of contemplation on this issue.
Depression seems to be a core human encounter. Yet, our understanding of this state varies widely. Its source, and descriptions, are as unique—and similar—as the humans who describe it.
These are some of the questions I ask about this word.
Depression.
7 Questions.
What other word(s) might describe what you are experiencing?
How does it feel? In your body? In your mind? In your heart?
When did you begin experiencing this? What is your perception of its origin?
What do you believe about this?
What might you be willing to do to transform this experience?
Where do you experience love, moments of joy, and/or connection in your life?
How much time do you spend in the natural world?
A simplistic perspective of emotional states—happy, sad, mad, fearful—belies the complexity and often complicated underlying factors that create or contribute to experiencing depression today. Exploring the numerous feeling states we humans encounter, sometimes daily, offers perspective and alternative ways to identify, consider, and tailor our approach to shift/transform/accept a more balanced, calm, and peaceful space within our minds and hearts.
Other possible labels for our emotional, mental, physical, and/or spiritual distress may open up a new path for understanding ourselves and to discover other wellness paths. These are also common, natural emotional states that one may be experiencing when feeling “depressed” and may find useful to explore.
Sadness. Grief. Melancholy. Worried. Stressed. Exhausted. Depleted. Overwhelmed. Disappointed. Brokenhearted. Despondent. Oppressed.
Hollow. Stuck. Despair. Regretful. Dispirited. Physiological illness, pain, and distress.
I mention these particular words here as these have been spoken aloud to me by people when asked. One need only to Google the word depressed to find many alternative definitions. The key element to re-naming depression is that one’s perspective begins to open and widen to other ways of thinking about one’s experience. These different views also invite other possibilities to discover healing as well. I will expand on these possible paths of discovery in future writings. For now, let us look at a few possibilities.
Grief.
The grieving process is a human experience. Many people name their mood or condition as depression when a more accurate definition may be grief. Grief is caused by a loss. Most people experience grief with the death a loved one in their lifetime. Yet there are many types of loss. Divorce, death, miscarriage, a job loss, a romantic break-up, a geographical move from a familiar place, physical illness and/or injury, and other dramatic life events. Grieving is a process that is different for every person. There are stages to grief and complicated grief. This is not a one-size-fits all experience, and can lead to depression. Yet, if the sadness and depression ignited by grief persists, it is useful to consider healing techniques and behaviors to assist in softening those emotional states. Psychotherapy with a trusted person is one way. We need to tell our stories. A trusted friend, or therapist trained in active listening can be an invaluable resource. Grief is a complex state that affects one’s physical condition, as well as one’s emotional and spiritual state. Recognizing this truth can be the beginning of healing and relief.
Sadness.
Sadness is often viewed as something that passes relatively quickly. This is not always the case. Feeling sad may appear quite unexpectedly, leaving us at a loss to understand why. We can often identify why we are sad and grasp that as circumstances change the sadness will dissipate. Yet when sadness lingers and we are not proactive in positive self-care, it can become more a depressive state. Interestingly, anniversary dates may elicit emotional reactions such as sadness and grief. It is widely acknowledged in the field of somatics that we store memories in our muscle tissue. The physical body is an extraordinary repository. As an anniversary date approaches, our bodies register that memory and a response naturally occurs. This is often a revelation for most people. And when we become aware of that possibility we can take care of ourselves in many ways. The physical body holds trauma, sadness, grief, joy and all of our emotional experiences—especially when we do not allow those responses to move through us. Again, these are complex states and widely varied, as unique to the individual as all else. Discovering and integrating numerous paths for healing assists in gentling these strong, and often persistent emotional states.
The Physical Body
It is essential to recognize that one’s physical state directly affects everything—depression, brain fog, stress, pain, gastric issues, chronic illness, and one’s overall enjoyment in life. Adequate exercise, time spent in nature, healthy fats, and restful sleep, all contribute to the Gut-Brain connection. Maintaining a healthy microbiome as an essential aspect of mental/emotional health is widely documented today. The digestive system is intimately connected to your nervous system. An estimated 80-90% of the ‘feel-good’ chemical neurotransmitter serotonin is produced in the intestines. The gut. It is also important to recognize the relationship of inflammation in the body and depression. As an example, high blood sugar is one of the biggest risk factors for depression. People with diabetes are close to 30% more likely to develop depression and those taking insulin have a 53% higher incidence of depression.
Food is medicine. Learning which foods are better for optimal health and eliminating those that increase inflammation directly affect neurological function and brain health.
This is a big subject.
As this is an introduction to considering the many causes of depression I will mention Dr. David Perlmutter with Kristin Loberg’s excellent book: Brain Maker as one resource for further investigation.
This short introduction to how else to consider depression when searching for answers and relief is meant to spark one’s imagination and curiosity of how our amazing mental/emotional/physical/spiritual selves work.
We are interconnected within and also without. We are part of the vast ecosystem within which we live on this planet.
As we widen our perspective and begin to re-imagine Life new insights and ideas emerge.
Be curious!
If you are ready to have a conversation to address these feelings in your life, let’s have chat.
