From My Heart To Yours - Deconstructing What Limits Us
I feel so privileged to be the founder of The Depression Project and I am so grateful for each of you who offers your hand and heart to grow this community that holds the space for a new and brighter future for everyone impacted by the big three depressive orders – depression, bipolar and anxiety.
It seems perhaps a little ironic that the journey of recovery to sustained mental health cannot be attained through the thinking mind. It requires a drop from the head into the heart and the beginning of a new relationship with you. To even begin this trek we have to start by deconstructing the myths upon which our access to mental health has been predicated.
What beliefs do you currently hold to be true about the causes and cures of depression? Some common themes among people in our culture include:
1) It’s a chemical imbalance in the brain
2) It runs in my family and I’m at the whim of my genes
3) I am broken and may not be fixable
4) I put my health in the hands of the experts, they know better than I what is best for me
The interesting thing about all these beliefs is that they are all unfounded, ungrounded and simply not true. New science is debunking one and two above and three and four are very old modes of operation – outsource your well being to someone other than yourself.
Perhaps you’re not sure if this information I’m sharing is true or not. I would encourage you not to believe me but become your own best researcher. These beliefs certainly don’t serve as a basis for recovery or mental health. What if you were able to adopt a new set of beliefs designed to enhance your life experience and give you a foundation to build upon and thrive.
Try these on for size…
1) I have everything I need already inside of me
2) Genes are only part of the story. My environment is much more influential in shaping my life experience and I can affect my environment in many ways.
3) I am whole and I don’t need to be fixed. I am learning how to master my thoughts, emotions and actions.
4) I am the best person to take care of my health. No one can save me because I don’t need to be saved or fixed. I am fully capable of responding to my own needs.
If you were to deconstruct all limiting beliefs and reconstruct empowering life enhancing beliefs what would this do to the landscape of your life? I look forward to hearing where this exploration takes you!
Tags: anxiety, bipolar, depression, healing, mental health, recovery, wellness