Now I say this with 100% conviction. How do I dare to say this ? Because I believe it to be true. Are you rolling your eyes or tsk-ing at this statement? Maybe you're thinking that I obviously haven't got a clue how just how shit depression or anxiety are because if I did then I would never make such an 'airy fairy' statement.
Well I promise you that I do know how absolutely crap these problems are. I have spent many years with these conditions and many months struggling with suicidal thoughts and plans. I have stared the monsters of hell in the face and roared back at them wishing they would take my life.
Being where I am now it is easy for me to see the gems in my day to day life. However there were many times in the past where if someone had mentioned looking for gems I would've told them to '*^$£ Off!'
So lets talk about blessings.
Some of you may find the word blessings as in religious but I have no religious meaning attached to the meaning here. Blessings can be called anything e.g gems, gifts, goodies but the important thing is the meaning and the meaning is that they are things that you can feel good about.
One clue to seeing gems is how and what you say. Often if you are thinking a negative thought it can be turned on its head to be positive e.g.'I never want to get up' can be changed into ' I have a wonderfully comfy bed.'
' I eat far too much.' can be changed into 'I always have plenty to eat'.
Depression and Anxiety can make us forget what we do have or make us feel unworthy and undeserving of all that we have. This often results in guilt and shame jumping on board for the ride. Again just like D & A , guilt and shame are liars they just want to exacerbate the bad feelings we have.
During my work with Special Needs Children we came across a brilliant book called 'Starving the Anxiety Gremlin'. The idea that anxiety was a gremlin that we had to stop feeding it making it stronger. One game we came up with was 'Ways to squash the gremlin'.If it whispered in your ear you could flick it on the floor and stamp on it. Of course it had to make a loud squishing or farting noise as it was squashed.
If nothing else try to imagine ways you can kill off the gremlin.....the funnier the better.
Keep looking for those gems and you will be surprised where you find them and how good they make you feel , if only momentarily.
Cx
