Hi everyone: I now admit that I do have depression and anxiety. So, I have been working on it a lot. I feel more calm regarding the anxiety at home but I know I have a ways to go out in the public and around friends. I am working on it. The issue at hand is my depression. I think I am sooo focused on how I am feeling that I can cause a lot of the deeper depressive thoughts to come up. If I feel down, I dwell. And dwell. And dwell. All day I tell myself I am depressed. I then start hating my job, feeling like I am soo alone in the world. Etc. I don't know how to break this pattern. The self talk helps a lot with anxiety but if you are like me who dwells on physical symptoms, it is not that great with depression. Anxiety symptoms are different than the depression ones. I think that is why I am so scared about depression. They are miserable. Anxiety I felt like I could fight. (but now I know it feels better to be relaxed than fight like that) Depression feels tired, and miserable. I went to the gym tonight and I was really dwelling. I felt I needed to find a friend so bad or I was doomed. I looked around and saw all these people enjoying themselves and why can't I be like that again, yada yada. I then suddenly saw that none of them were really talking to anyone either. It felt like I had an epiphany that maybe I am OK by myself. I will not dive into a hole of doom.

So with all that said, and knowing that I have a problem getting outside of my head when I feel sad, blue or just plain dah.....does anyone have any advise that works for them to stop doing this?

PS: Sorry for the rambling. It helps to get it off my chest.

Wow I am so glad that I am not alone on this one !!! I thought that I was going nuts my mind just races with gloom and doom all day long. I just try to get my mind on to something else and get doing something like playing guitar. Thanks for sharing best of luck Sincerly Aaron

:Just so you know you are not alone. I do the same thing. I can dwell on a topic for days. I will try to hold some madness inside me and make it go away and when I can't make it stop I blow up at my spouse, who says I am obsessive...The relaxation CD is helping, I have some problems with the positive talk but I keep trying. Lets keep pushing on and maybe it will get easier. Good luck to us both, we are worth it.

i know how you feel. i ve been doing that for two days now. feeling hopeless and miserable and no one understands. its hard to get out of that funk. i feel that way this morning. i woke up anxious and now im depresed...its a viscious cycle. but you know what i did? i made myelf take a shower and puton my make up. yeah im still tired. btu i feel better about myself. We have to refuse to sink into this hole. Thereis only going up from here right? Lets do it together. Fell free to pm me anytime..im in your boat too. love and kisses, Crystal

Let go and let God

I am going through all of you are going through. However, I added another negative - worry. I worry about almost everything. Lucinda has mentioned that most of the things we worry about don't happen. I too feel my mind is a little corrupted in this mire. New positive opportunities are arriving as I am open to the great Conductor. It seems he presents so much. In the past (not too long ago) I would start on these things but stop as I don't have the confidence to go further with whatever it is any more. This is coupled with anxiety and worry about it's success. I too love the relaxation tape. Now it's hard to get the time to work on the program but I feel I have the rest of my life to do that.

Hi, I am working through the program with my wife who suffers with depression and my son who suffers from anxiety. I dont have alot of either but still experience both as everyone does to some degree. We are free to chose our thoughts, that can never be taken away from us. Its our habits of thought that are hard to break. It took us a while to form these habits and will take some time and practice to change them. For me, I first have to get in the habit of paying attention to what I'm thinking about when I start feeling depressed. I think that is the first step. Then I can make an effort to think about something that feels better. Then if its a real problem that I need to deal with, I'll come to the best solution I can and try to let it go. I think the key is to pay attention to how your feeling and seek a better feeling thought, be it real or fantasy. Make feeling good the most important thing.

i wake up everyday feeling like i have been shot out of a cannon. i am learning not to fight these feelings but to just ride them out because i know that they will pass. i try to keep myself occupied by studying the program or reading something inspirational. itry to visit family members that live close by but that is not always feesable. i am getting more excited about each new day because i am starting to feel better about myself but without a job sometimes its hard to stay positive because there is a lot of lonely time during the day.

I used to hate my job. I resented my bosses for the subtle sexual discrimination they subjected me to for many years. every day I said to myself I hated commuting, would this ever end? They made me feel very unimportant and acted like employing me was doing me a favor. I felt chained to a wall. I had no place to escape. When I finally opened myself up to other opportunities I realized much valuable I was to the competition. The biggest ego trip of my life was to be picked up in a stretch limo to be brought to an interview, (I didn't go to work for that co. I just felt like going on a limo ride). I was recruited by a new co. and now I really love my job. I commute further but I am progressing on my rush hour traffic anxiety problem. I left a sinking ship, no one else had the courage to take a chance. Try looking for a new job. Maybe this isn't exactly the right time, but you do have options. That was a negative statement, I'll rephrase that. Companies are always looking for enthusiastic, positive employees. As for the gym. I used to go to Curves and everyone was very friendly there. I needed a stronger workout and I went to a new gym and I felt like a kid in kindergarten, "will they be friendly, will they like me?" Everyone looked so serious, so in to themselves. When I smiled and said hello they smiled back, and I made many gym friends, who asked about me. To make a friend be a friend. I have to go one of my dog friends just came over.

Hi guys: This is my follow up. I realized I was dwelling on how my body felt soo much that I started talking myself into the depression. I have heard that others do that to so that made me realize that this was a big cause of it. So I changed my attitude one day. I told my self that the day was good, I liked my job really. It is just tough at times. I liked my life. Yada Yada. I really felt better. It was like magic. I haven't dwelling on my fatigue since that day. It was a mind opener for me to see that I was doing that to myself. It is just so refreshing to know I am not crazy or clinically depressed, that I can help myself...and it is normal to have to do that.

I too can dwell and obsess on a topic for days. What blows me away is that there are other people who are as obessive. I listen to Session 2 tonight a when I heard the Pastor talk about his thoughts and how he beats himself up all the time, that is as me to a T. That is why I am excited about this week and the steps to ending attacks. I would encourge you to keep going to the gym, I feel it helps me with my depression.

I just started the program becasue of anxiety; but as I read and relate to others in the group, I realize that I may be suffering from depression and obseeives thoughts as well. My mind is always working against me. I can't sleep peacefully; I am currently on medication that helps with the anxiety I beleive but not the other feelsings I am experiency. I just received the program and just finist the introduction, I plan to listen to the relaxation tape and begin session1. I am a person who wants to please everyone and try very hard usually at the exense of myself and my husband and daughter. I have been out of work for about 6 weeks due the anxiety and depression, because my job is my trigger and I am very confused about how to address and move forward. I am glad I have a place to share with other who may be going through similiar fellings. Thanks for listening.

Hi, everyone. Im into my second week of the program. I think I have always had anxiety, even as a child, but the depression started a few months ago and I couldn't go on like that. I am on medication right now but do not like putting chemicals in my body. So my husband saw this program and told me to check it out. My main problem is being able to socialize with people. I work in a factory and it seems that we are all so bored that the only thing people want to do is gossip about other people. It has really drug me down. So since I have started this program I am forcing myself to socialize. I try to talk about positive things. I have been smiling more even though sometimes I don't feel it. I have successfully quit smoking and am exercising on a regular basis. But, unfortunately I am still obsessing over work related topics in my mind over and over and over. I want them to go away!!! I wish there was a light switch that I could just shut off and make it go away.

I have had a lot of depressing thaughts and it is very hard not to control them some times. I was even writing and all I could say was how depressed I was I had no friends and such. I had to try to turn it around and I am still having issues with this. I think that If I only had a friend that things would get better but I did and the thaughts kept comming> I just have to keep working on being ok with me.