Do you have to “feel” good in order to begin your journey to wholeness?
It’s really kind of funny. Feelings of doom and gloom are what hold us down when we are depressed. We hate those feelings. We hate feeling so miserable, feeling no joy, feeling such dread. So naturally we think those feelings have to be gone before we can take on any new battles. But if you could do that, you wouldn’t be depressed in the first place.
Right?
It’s when we’re feeling the worst that we need to take that first step to wholeness, even though the timing couldn’t be worse. But it can be the tiniest of steps, no more than a barely recognizable footprint in the sand.
That tiny first step is telling yourself you can get better, that you will get better. An small affirmation TO to yourself FOR yourself.
Don’t wait till you feel better.
This first step in believing you can get better is what will give you that sliver of hope and actually make you feel a little better.
My daughter has just received the news that she needs to have an ultrasound because her mammogram was suspicious. You may think, “Yea, that happens all the time. No big deal.” Right?
Well, she’s been through this a number of times. She suffers from severe anxiety. The follow-up ultra-sound is not until next week. So how do you think she’s going to spend these next days?
She has fought this anxiety for years. It can get really bad for her if she dwells on the negative and she has worked hard to get better. I told her the same thing I’m telling you, that she had to believe she could get over her anxiety. She’s handling this really well.
What do any of us have to lose by telling ourselves we will get better.
I am not minimizing anxiety. Believe me. I know how hard it is. I know that it sounds absolutely ridiculously simple to think that just by affirming to yourself you will get better that you actually will.
With almost any “recovery” story you read success began when the person believed they could do it. What we tell ourselves is important
Wherever you are on your faith journey or whether you’re even on a faith journey, God does not want this for you and He is there for you during this healing process.
You can do this. You can be depression-free.
God bless and have a great day.
The gift of depression 
Things do take time and no one should ever rush a single person. We should learn to respect that everyone was made different. So that would mean we react and feel individually. God works in each of us. Depression and anxiety are not easily disappeared and I believe baby steps help each of us. Things take time. I do not know anyone who felt “good” when taking that “first” step myself. I get it. Thanks for sharing and I get what your daughter is going through with the mammogram. I sometimes say to myself, of course it’s normal doing the ultrasound but deep inside my head I’m screaming anxiety.
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Kathy,
Yes, one little step seldom makes us feel better. That’s where sheer persistence comes in and counting on the fact that each baby step IS making us better even if we don’t feel it. And some people do take much longer to heal depending especially on their support system. I was fortunate to have a good support system.
My daughter’s ultrasound came back OK. Just a cyst and nothing needs to be done. She had it done just this morning so I am so happy to share that news. God bless you and thank you for your personal insight.
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Glad all is well.
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I couldn’t agree with you more! I am a living, breathing example of the fact that there is life after depression, and that God is committed to our healing! Thanks so much for sharing this important message with others ❤
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Talasi,
I apologize for not getting back to you immediately. As I said early on, this is a second blog I own. It has been a chore to set it up and there were some big cliches. Thank you so much for commenting and yes, we can beat depression. I’m glad to hear your victory story. Keep up the good work, and God bless.
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