September 2009 Archives

I've become increasingly intrigued by the topic of hope because, if anything is going to help me climb out of the Black Hole of depression, it's a sense of hope. In their book, "Hope in the Age of Anxiety," psychology professors Anthony Scioli and Henry Biller discuss hope from a variety of different perspectives, combining psychology with philosophy, biology, anthropology as well as the literary classics.

I went straight to chapter thirteen, of course, and read "Overcoming Hopelessness: Escape from Darkness." The authors argue that there are nine forms of hopelessness, each related to the disruption of one or more of the basic needs that comprise hope; attachment, mastery, or survival. The authors present three "pure forms" of hopelessness resulting from breakdowns in one of these three needs or "motive systems" (alienation, powerlessness, doom). There are also six "blended" forms of hopelessness which results when two needs are challenged. We can overcome hopelessness by first recognizing which of these nine types we are confronting. For each form of hopelessness, they present a mind-body-spirit treatment cocktail, involving a restructuring of thoughts, accessing the right kind of hope-sustaining relationship, and specific spiritual practices. Armed with these prescriptions we can summon the light back into our lives.

Here are the nine types of hopelessness and just some of the strategies recommended by Scioli and Biller. For the whole treatment package, consider getting your own copy of "Hope in the Age of Anxiety." (Reprinted from Hope in the Age of Anxiety: A Guide to Understanding and Strengthening Our Most Important Virtue by Anthony Scioli and Henry B. Biller (Oxford University Press).© 2009 by Oxford University Press.

1. Alienation (Attachment)

Alienated individuals believe that they are somehow different. Moreover, they feel as if they have been cut loose, no longer deemed worthy of love, care, or support. In turn, the alienated tend to close themselves off, fearing further pain and rejection.

2. Forsakenness (Attachment and Survival)

The word "forsaken" refers to an experience of total abandonment that leaves individuals feeling alone in their time of greatest need. Recall Job in the Old Testament, crumpled over and covered with sores, pleading with a seemingly indifferent God.

3. Uninspired (Attachment and Mastery)

Feeling uninspired can be especially difficult for members of underprivileged minorities, for whom opportunities for growth and positive role models within the group may be either lacking or undervalued.

* The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. --Winston Churchill

* You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. --Mohandas K. Gandhi

* All the great spiritual leaders in history were people of hope. Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Mary, Jesus, Rumi, Gandhi, and Dorothy Day all lived with a promise in their hearts that guided them toward the future without the need to know exactly what it would look like. Let's live with hope. --Henri J. M. Nouwen

* I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge -- myth is more potent than history -- dreams are more powerful than facts -- hope always triumphs over experience -- laughter is the cure for grief -- love is stronger than death. --Robert Fulghum

* Just as despair can come to one another only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings. --Elie Wiesel

* Once you choose hope, anything's possible. --Christopher Reeve

I was all set to interview Eric Swanson, coauthor (with Yongey Mingur Rinpoche) of "Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Find Freedom," when I realized that my main question--"Can you give me some concrete steps to quiet the mind?"--was already addressed in his book. So he and Harmony Books graciously gave me permission to reprint parts of chapter seven on "Attention." Here, then, is the step-by-step approach to mindfulness or meditation--the basic practices of quieting the mind--provided in "Joyful Wisdom":

I have admitted this before: I'm a meditation moron.

I swear I try. Thought, don't land. Thought, don't land. Keep on flying, thought. Keep on flying. I'm trying to meditate.

This goes on usually for the entire 15 minutes I have designated for prayer and meditation.

So, instead of fighting the thoughts, I have (with the advice of my therapist) decided to invite them. You want a piece of me, thought? Go ahead. Land. Make a fort. Build a nest. I don't care.

And my meditation goes much better.

To view the YouTube video, click here.

* Click here to subscribe to Beyond Blue! And click here to follow Therese on Twitter. And click here to join Group Beyond Blue, a depression support group. Now stop clicking.

It's rare that I find my inspiration in a Hannah Montana song, but I have to say that this little rock star nailed the experience of living with chronic illness in her refrain to the song, "The Climb":

I actually taped this video awhile back. Some of you may have already seen it. Even though it's not a great shot of me, the video's message, on perseverance, is important, I think. And that's the theme today. So I...

Why does God allow pain? Why is there suffering?

strengths and weaknesses

The following tips are from Jenna Forrest, an empowerment coach in Durham, North Carolina who helps her highly sensitive clients to understand, refine, and embrace their sensory abilities. 1. Understand their Trait: The sensitive must first get to know...

In her national bestseller "The Highly Sensitive Person," Elaine Aron describes four kinds of rest that are essential for highly-sensitive (and I'd add depressed) persons: SleepIf you have trouble sleeping, make this your first priority. Research on chronic sleep...

Are you more susceptible to illness than other people? Do you have difficulty establishing proper boundaries in relationships, and communicating your needs? You could be a Type C personality, which makes you more susceptible to illnesses, says Michael Jawer in...

I'm always telling David and Katherine to use their words (instead of whining and screaming), but I'm often afraid to use them myself. Unlike Eric, who vocalizes a resentment before it's had time to fester and start a family, I...

Michael Jawer talks about highly sensitive people and emotion.

Fellow blogger John McManamy runs the most interesting surveys every month on his blog. In August he asked his readers how many of them are psychic ... or at least intuitive. Here's what they said. To get to his...

A Beyond Blue reader recently asked me to forward this piece to her. I needed to read it again, too ... to try to find the dogged determination within me to stay focused on hope, not hopelessness. A woman who...

I dance the Macarena whenever I come across an article that argues against healthy living. I cautioned you against too much positive thinking a few days ago. I laughed while reading research about dark chocolate firing up the happy...

This was sent to me awhile back in one of those emails that circulates the planet. I thought it might give you a much-needed laugh. For the health conscious .... I Love This Doctor Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular...

How do you bounce back? Tips for resilience

Robert Wicks on resilience

positive thinking can make your thoughts worse, self-help can hurt you

Huffington Post Editor-at-Large Russell Bishop has an interesting take on the positive thinking debate in his post "Why Positive Thinking Just Doesn't Work." To get to the article, click here. I have excerpted from it below.  Six weeks ago,...

Inspired from all the comments she received from my interview with her on chronic illness, Dr. Elvira Aletta compiled some suggestions for finding a good-enough doctor. In her Psych Central post called "Tips to Find a Good-Enough Doctor," she throws...

Dr. Frank Lipman of the Huffington Post wrote an interesting post about "2 Questions To Ask That Are More Important Than a Diagnosis." I was intrigued by his piece because he combines Western medicine with some Eastern philosophies, and achieves...

unplugging from technology and practicing mindfulness

Elisha Goldstein now has a free eBook, called The Mindful Companion, which you can access by clicking here. It is based on his insightful posts, like this one called "Calming Your Distressing Mind":Sometimes in life it's helpful to have signposts that...

techniques to manage anxiety, seasonal depression

I try to read everything that is printed from Johns Hopkins on depression and anxiety because their doctors have been such an important part of my recovery. Here are nine tips that Johns Hopkins doctors suggest to help you manage...

"Anxiety has been rampant since 9/11 and perhaps no less so in the aftermath of the war in Iraq," writes Keith Egan (my former theology professor at St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana) in an article called "Banishing Anxiety."...

Most of us circle a few days of the calendar year that we know will be difficult to get through: the anniversary of a death, traumatic event, or even happy occasion. These dates are charged with emotion. September 11...

Consider for a moment these statistics: According to the Americans for Divorce Reform, the divorce rate in this country will stay at somewhere between 40 to 50 percent of marriages if current trends continue. And Jennifer Baker of the...

Elisha Goldstein has written a helpful post on how to forgive when it seems impossible. In his piece called "Refusing to Forgive: 9 Steps to Break Free," he tries an experiment regarding the grudges we keep. He writes: Let's try...

The Wall Street Journal's Health Journal columnist Melinda Beck wrote an important piece awhile back on how to listen to your body, you know, when it's saying: "HELLO??? ANYONE THERE???? I'M NOT HAPPY!!!!!!"  I seem to be unable to...

It's fairly known that depression can occur after a heart attack and can increase the likelihood of a second heart attack. But did you know that the flip side is also true? That depression itself can increase a person's...

I have been thinking about this question ever since I read it on a discussion thread in Group Beyond Blue. Group Beyond Blue member Meg writes: So, my husband has shown interest in getting a handgun permit. It's the...

Group Beyond Blue member Meg started an interesting conversation on the discussion thread titled "A Question" on Group Beyond Blue. To tune into the dialog click here. I have excerpted some responses below. Group Beyond Blue Co-Chair Luthitarian wrote:...

A few weeks ago, a Beyond Blue reader asked me what to do regarding a toxic friendship. She wrote:  I'm in the process of dealing with a toxic friend. She is broken, in a different sort of way. We...

What do young people need to succeed? Success and getting ahead in life relies on people skills and communication.

This post originally published when David was entering Kindergarten. Two years later, Katherine is. But these rules stay the same. When your contract stipulates writing two to four original blog posts a day, every conversation and interaction of your day...

Even before I read Kate Dailey's Newsweek post, "From Excess to Exercise: Group Helps Men and Women Live Sober Through Sweat," I was a firm believer in group exercise as a way to treat addiction. For a variety of...

In his post, "You Want Mental Health? Get Into the Body," Elisha Goldstein tells us to pay better attention to our legs and knees, our stomachs and arms, in order to help our mental health. He writes: Just like we...