Posted by larryhoover on December 27, 2012, at 15:39:47
In reply to Re: High fat diet -) inflammation -) depression » larryhoover, posted by SLS on December 27, 2012, at 12:35:07
> > I have not been so well in a very long time
>
> That is a joy to hear.
>
> What's the secret?
>
> :-)
>
>
> - ScottThank you for the affirmation, Scott.
I really don't have a secret, other than hard work. Paying attention to the details. Maybe some good luck, too.
I was going to get into this a bit in another thread, but I think the most important changes were cognitive. Key, I think, was learning not to compare myself.
When I was deeply depressed, I had a clear memory of how my life had changed for the worse. I wanted to once more be how I remembered myself. But when I projected into the future, I only saw a failed version of what was to come. Thinking about those things exacerbated my depression. I had to learn to focus on today.
It was a gradual thing, to be able to moderate my own self talk, to redirect the mutterings in my brain, to keep from falling into vicious circles of negative thinking. Because you do react, emotionally, to your own thoughts, you are at least a little bit, creating your own reality.
I learned to take a daily inventory, of my energy, my desires, my needs. And I learned to focus there. And without any obvious realization of it, that also served to break the negative thinking associated with my past and my future. And as I did it better, I got better, which was a strong reinforcer of the adaptation I was creating for myself.
I developed a mental checklist. Getting enough sleep was an absolute essential. As was taking my supplements (antioxidants and certain minerals seem to be particularly important for ME). Choosing my battles. Not letting myself beat myself up for being unwell, but instead, replacing that with the knowledge that I was doing my best.
A lot of little things, really. But collectively, rather significant. And like I said, maybe there was a little bit of luck involved.
"I am a strong believer in luck and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." -- Benjamin Franklin
Lar
poster:larryhoover
thread:1033371
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20121217/msgs/1033984.html