Depression: The three headed monster

Life certainly has a way of conjuring up its inner monster. I would say more than half of the time we really don’t have any idea why bad things are happening to us. Problems in life are inevitable. They are going to happen and sometimes, though not on purpose, we fall into the trap of depression. Depression is much more than the monster under your bed. It is a teeming shadow that follows you around trying to rid you of all things good and positive. It is what might be referred to as the devil on your shoulder. Depression is not just something you get over. Once experienced, it never completely goes away. I wish I had a magic wand to eliminate the negative things from all our minds. It can also show up unexpectedly when it is most unwelcome. It can terrorize you when you least expect it, even when you have been happy for months. It can appear out of nowhere. When I was younger and first experienced depression, I did not understand how to cope. Now that I am older, I realize that it is much like a sickness. When you are sick, you just must let the virus run its course. Depression works in much the same manner. Sure, there are medications to make things more bearable. I have nothing against medications to help you along in life. It would be hypocritical of me to judge someone who uses medicine, especially considering I must use medicine daily for my physical pain. There is one factor I am slowly learning about and that is changing your attitude. No, it does not work for everyone and extreme severe cases. However, for me, it is one thing that works sometimes. I just must continuously remind myself of how fortunate I am in this life to wake up breathing each morning. It helps put things into perspective. After of days of practicing this, I find that once I practice this for a couple of days or weeks, I begin to feel better. When I remain stuck in the gutter, I often choose to look up to the stars. Life is far too short to be wasted and upset.