Anxiety Depression: Overcoming Depression And Anxiety
Posted on | September 16, 2009 | 8 Comments
Even today, there is still a debate among scholars as to whether or not depression causes anxiety or vice versa. It is the mental health equivalent of the “chicken and egg” question.
In my own experience, the two factors were both present in my life and combined to form overwhelming symptoms of depression coupled with panic attacks and other anxiety symptoms. I overcame both anxiety and depression.
You can too.
Let’s take a minute to talk about the causes, symptoms and treatment techniques for stress and anxiety. I will also share my philosophy for overcoming depression.
The Origins Of My Anxiety Depression
My anxiety and depression had their origins in a toxic combination of low self esteem, the need to be perfect and a fear of making mistakes.
My grandfather was a perfectionist.
He entered the army in World War II at the age of 17 and within two years of battlefield promotions, he was a sergeant leading a company of men into combat. He was a teenager leading other teenagers into battle. The consequences of a mistake were deadly. If he made a mistakes, men died, and it was all this teenager’s fault (whether it really was or not).
As a result, there was only one way to do any job….and that was the “right way.” Failure was evidence of a mistake and mistakes were to be punished verbally and sometimes physically. I still remember that seven year old boy, wrapped in a life jacket and heavy coat, being verbally abused by his grandfather while fishing because the little boy had the audacity to cast his bait and become hung on a stump.
As a result, I learned that mistakes were bad and were to be avoided. In additions, any problem could and should be solved by simply working harder. If I failed it was because I was stupid, lazy or inadequate.
After all, real men were never wrong, never made mistakes and always managed to get the job done perfectly….every time. As a result of my conditioning, I developed a ridiculous limiting beliefs, consistent negative self talk, low self esteem and fear of failure.
I was a walking, talking depression and anxiety factory.
My Spiral Into Anxiety and Depression
At first, my core beliefs served me well.
I graduated with honors from high school, college and law school. I secured a great job as an attorney and married my high school sweetheart. I had a good job and a corner office in a downtown Houston law firm.
I was held in high regard by my family, friends and colleagues.
Then it happened…..I began to fail.
In the highly competitive world of a trial lawyer, it is obvious to everyone when you lose. So, in an effort to keep from losing, I avoided the inevitable conflict associated with my job. When I could not longer avoid the conflict, I simply changed jobs.
Each attempt to avoid conflict increased my anxiety. Each attempt to avoid conflict lowered my self esteem. Real man weren’t afraid to fight. Real men did not fail.
In the ultimate effort to avoid the inevitable conflict of the courtroom, I became an entrepreneur and real estate investor. As I purchased more and more real estate while I practiced law, I became more and more burned out, tired and depressed.
The solution was obvious, I needed to quit being lazy and simply work harder.
Finally, in 2006, I simply had too much to do. I collapsed under all of the stress and burnout. I began having anxiety attacks and developed hypertension. My Crohn’s Disease flared and left me physically ill and debilitated.
I could not go on.
I failed and there was no way to avoid facing it. As I faced my perceived inadequacy, I sunk into a debilitating clinical depression. I had all of the classic depression symptoms: feelings of hopelessness, inadequacy and low self esteem.
I wanted out. I wanted to run away.
I contemplated everything from abandoning my spouse and job to staging my death to suicide.
Finding My Way From Darkness To Light
The symptoms of depression anxiety have their origins in a feeling of low self worth, hopelessness and lack of control. In essence, my anxiety depression developed out of the belief that I was stupid, worthless and weak and there was not a thing I could do about it. I needed a paradigm shift in order to return to stop the anxiety attacks and return to my path. In 2006, serendipity intervened and I received the help I needed in overcoming depression.
In 2006, a friend mentioned that he had heard of a new movie, called The Secret. He did not know what it was about, but heard that it was a good movie to help people get out of their rut.
Interestingly, to this day, my friend has never seen the movie.
But, this movie has changed my life.
As a result of seeing the movie, The Secret, I had a paradigm shift. The philosophy underlying the law of attraction addressed all of the self defeating thoughts and limiting beliefs I had been taught throughout my life.
I am divine. I am a child of God with all of his power at my disposal. I can consciously create my own reality and do not have to take from others in order to have my own abundance. As such, I cannot be worthless. I am a powerful and important bit of divine consciousness.
I have control. I am responsible for my own circumstances and create them as a result of my beliefs. My self talk and attitude (good or bad) creates my reality.
I have hope. Because I am a child of God, I am divine. I can control my beliefs and improve my circumstances. God loves me as a father loves his child. God does not punish me. I punish myself with my own negative, self defeating thoughts.
Indeed, if I am in the prison of depression and anxiety, it is constructed of bars made of my own self defeating, limiting beliefs. As I learned to apply the law of attraction, I began to see small changes in my life. I built upon each small success and manifested larger helpings of abundance in my life.
Happiness Is A Journey, Not A Destination
Even now, I still struggle with limiting beliefs and self defeating behavior. Right now, as I write this article, I am struggling with procrastination and feelings of being overwhelmed. However, instead of spiraling into a state of anxiety and depression, I am working slowly and deliberately with the knowledge that everything will be okay.
I know that throughout my life, I will continue to face obstacles to my bliss, but this is the nature of things.
A lump of coal becomes a diamond by intense pressure. I bar of steel becomes a razor sharp sword by countless heating, hammering and folding. I piece of pottery is shaped first by the pressure of the potter’s fingers and then is hardened in an oven of fire.
It is by overcoming obstacles that we strengthen our faith in our divine nature. As we gain faith in ourselves and He who created us, we become more powerful. As we become more powerful, we recognize and realize the complete nature of our true divinity as children of God.
I have often heard that “life is a game.” More and more, I am realizing that this statement is true. Games consist of overcoming obstacles and tasting the flavor of victory.
But, games are supposed to be fun.
I have come to believe that the purpose of life is to give us an arena in which we can develop our skills of conscious creation. It is an arena where we can experiment, test and break through the boundaries of our own divinity.
We are meant to chase the light.
As we learn to use our God breathed divinity to overcome the obstacles of life, we become more peaceful, serene and more able to reflect the countenance of god, in whose image we were created.
BOILERPLATE LAWYER CRAP: This article is about my bout with depression and anxiety. My experience might have been different than your experience. All I can relate is how I resolved my anxiety and depression. I am a doctor, but not a medical doctor. As such, if you are suffering from symptoms of anxiety and depression, do not suffer in silence. Get help from a qualified and trusted spiritual, medical or mental health advisor. Help is out there and there is a solution to your suffering. This article is about a solution, but it is not the only solution.
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Tags: anxiety and depression > anxiety attacks > anxiety depression > clinical depression > depression symptoms > law of attraction > overcoming depression > symptoms of depression
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8 Responses to “Anxiety Depression: Overcoming Depression And Anxiety”
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February 3rd, 2010 @ 11:40 pm
hi,i believe this article will help many ,like myself who have been in this ‘state of mind’.Great job ,and thankyou for your kind heart to help others.concerning medications though,can the law work to rid one of anxiety,depression,etc? I had tried many and some have terrible side effects or possibility of addiction. Do you still take med’s? I’m hoping to be well without anymore medications added totheones i take now…Do you think it is possible todoso?Ihope you wil lreply it will be greatly appreciated.thanks so much! Natalie
February 3rd, 2010 @ 11:47 pm
Hi.I hope I wasnt being to rude or ‘nosey’ on some of my questions posted previously.Please do not reply if it invades your privecy.Thanks again for such great articles.I have printed most to keep by my bedside. Natalie
April 28th, 2010 @ 1:27 pm
I also suffer from panic attacks and i can manage it by deep and slow breathing. i also practice meditation.. ‘
May 1st, 2010 @ 9:11 am
Anxiety and depression is one hell of a nasty disease. even if you have everything but if you have clinical depression, you are still nothing.,~*
May 1st, 2010 @ 3:18 pm
sometimes i also have anxiety attacks and when it happens, i just breathe slowly and deeply to help me relax.;~;
May 6th, 2010 @ 3:11 pm
Relaxation techniques and meditation can help a lot during Anxiety Attacks. *,”
July 10th, 2010 @ 5:19 am
antidepressants works well with anxiety attacks, only problem is there are side-effects.;”
July 10th, 2010 @ 7:45 am
anxiety and depression are hard to treat if the patient has not been checked for years.,*.