My family has struggled with depression. We do not view it as a crippling disease. It is just a part of our everyday life. Something that we contend with rather naturally, and teach our children to just take in stride.
We show them 'tools' that they can use; like we show them how to tie their shoes and feed themselves.
These 'tools' become such a normal part of our everyday life that we often forget that they are not considered 'normal' to the people around us. But, this helps to minimize the impact of the disease in our minds to the status of a nominal threat. It then seems to be a very small part of our lives, and not a debilitating disease.
At a very young age, our elders begin to remind us of the importance of getting dressed every single day. We are told that it feeds the monster within us if we sit around in frumpy pajamas and unkempt hair. We're told that this monster does not want us to interact successfully with other people. It wants us to isolate ourselves. And so, we have to take an active stance and do things to keep the monster under control.
Yes, my family taught their children that we all have a monster inside us that we must control. But, don't most people believe that 'we all have our demons'? Or, 'we all have our crosses to bear? Isn't that just saying the same thing in a different way?
I've discovered that we can go through the physical motions of dressing our bodies each day and still be vulnerable to the monster. It has not been enough for me to physically dress myself each day. I've struggled more with my monster than others in my family tree.
After stumbling around for years, I noticed that the times in my life when I was connected spiritually, my monster seemed more controllable. But, on the days when I didn't take the time to connect myself to my higher spiritual self, my monster was actively battling me and less controllable.
It wasn't until recently that I realized that my connecting each morning actually strengthens me and makes me better able to control the 'demons' within.
I was actually having a harder time with my depression because I had failed to 'dress' myself spiritually.
I often hear the sayings... (put on the armor of God; happiness is a choice made each morning; etc.). They are very loud hints that in order to properly 'prepare' ourselves for each day, we must first establish a connection of the spirit.
This connection 'dresses' our spirit for the day. It prepares us to handle the things we must face each day with love, tolerance, and respect for ourselves and others. So, for God's sake! For your sake! Get up and get fully dressed each day!
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