Day 8

It is always a delight to watch a black & white movie, especially the films from the 1940’s- 50’s era made in Hollywood, Bollywood or Pakistani Industry. They posses a certain magic and a sense of comfort and familiarity for me, I can spend my entire day just loosing myself in the magic.

I was reading some really interesting material from my favorite site www.oprah.com, according to it, depression which is one the most illness of our times every third person suffers from this problem; however, the degree of severity varies. Most common reasons for this disease are stress, loss of a loved one, financial crisis, childhood issues, or excessive negative thinking. And to treat the problem a widely prescribed drug Prozac is given to increase serotonin levels (a brain chemical responsible for giving happy feeling). But now the latest research tells us that depression is caused due to a defect in the formation and function of neurons something much higher than chemical imbalances. Simply said, brain cells in depressed people are adapted to express depression and their neural pathways carry the message of sadness and hopelessness. Instead of the neural pathways which carry the message of happiness and optimism. Since the drug is not focused on curing the real issue it has merely a placebo effect, thus very few people get well from taking anti-depressants but the chance of relapse is always there while the majority’s problem remain intact sometimes even resulting in suicides.* I could easily relate to all this because at one point in my life I also suffered from minor depression, which now I feel is simply a mix of negative emotions. I felt anxiety, fear, guilt, and sinking of heart. Then fortunately, I had a chance to experiment with Reiki and things got really fine. Nevertheless, I could not entirely feel free of my negative emotions. My fears and anxieties reached a boiling point in 2006-2007. Finally, a breakthrough happened in 2009 when I was introduced to a book “A New Earth-by Eckhart Tolle”. A book that has changed me for ever and it seems I am actually born now.

I now know that all these were very common human feelings nothing to be afraid of, and today when I look back it all looks preposterous and entirely a waste of energy. Forunately, there are ways to free from all the negativity not necessarily to be labeled as depression only, it could be our anger, stress or any discomforting emotion which does not makes us truly happy and joyous. But it would require some real effort on the person’s side as well as the dedication and willingness to cross the borders of despair, fear, anxiety, anger, stress to the holy land of peace, joy, positive thinking and love. I guess we have a tendency to keep our emotions and problems at arm’s length. We are somehow afraid to confront what is in fact troubling us, although in your hearts we are aware of the culprit but having a rendezvous with these feelings is particularly difficult. All these medications are dealing with the branches of a tree when the root is a place where we should look at first.

Depression is only tip of the iceberg; cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure or any other serious or even minor ailments does not fall off the sky rather they occur from within our bodies. Our brain cells are very obedient to us, they manage the entire body and if the brain is healthy then healthy body is just a natural outcome but it is never the other way around.

Therapy, spiritual practices, healthy relationships, love and compassion, avoiding toxins, meditation, stress management and last but not least A New Earth-by Eckhart Tolle are significant tools to control and eradicate depression and anxiety.

My take is not to take the my life very seriously, and especially whatever my minds tells me about any situation or person I decipher all the data and only follow the subtle, constant and peaceful advice given to me from somewhere deep within me..

A pray of peace and love for everyone….

Sonya.

*http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-10/nu-wad102309.php