Things to ask yourself when you are depressed

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This is my 500th post and I want to share extracts from a book dealing with depression: *** Everyone of us goes through times when life seems extremely difficult--we are left alone, we can't pay the bills, we have lost our job, lost our loved one. It is possible to lose our perspective, paint a picture gloomier than it is. Next time you find yourself despairing, ask yourself these questions-- 1) Have I got enough air to breathe? Have I enough food for today? (If the answer is "Yes", things are already looking up!). 2) What is the worst thing that could happen? And if it did, would I still be alive?" So often, we magnify things out of proportion. The worst thing that could happen is probably very inconvenient, but not the end of the world. 3) Am I taking myself too seriously? Have you ever noticed that you can lose a week's sleep over something that your friends would never give a second thought? This is often because we take ourselves too seriously. We figure the whole world is watching. IT IS NOT. And so what if it is? No doubt you are living your life the best way you know how. 4) What am I learning from this situation? In hindsight, we can learn from our difficult times. The happiest people tend to be able to always see their hard times as a valuable learning experience. 5) If things really seem serious, will I be OK for the next five minutes? Once you have made it through those five minutes, just aim at getting through the next five. Bite off small chunk at a time. It saves a lot of indigestion. Also, keep yourself busy. Give yourself a five minute job into which you can put your total energy. We always feel so much better when we are busy. 6) What else can I do? PROBABLY THE GREATEST WAY TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF IS TO DO SOMETHING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE. Excessive worry and self-pity grow out of self-preoccupation. The moment you start to make other people happy, whether you are sending them flowers or digging their garden is giving them your time, you FEEL BETTER! It is automatic. It is simple. And wonderful. **** Some people may not read this because it is too long. (I know, I am one of those people who ignores long posts, LOL) I don't care, I just want to make my 500th post memorable. I exerted a lot of effort in typing this and I would be grateful if some depressed people ease their loneliness a bit. Then I will be happy.