Category: MOTIVATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

The Dark Tunnel of Depression

Depression ranges in seriousness from mild, temporary episodes of sadness to severe, persistent depression. Clinical depression is the more severe form of depression also known as major depressive disorder. This is not similar to depression caused by a loss such as the death of a loved one, failure or precipitated by a medical disorder.

Some symptoms of a clinical depression is an inability to experience pleasure, significant weight loss, insomnia , restlessness, fatigue, poor concentration and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.These symptoms must be severe enough to cause noticeable problems with relationships and day to day functioning.

This condition can affect people of any age even children. Depression can be treated with counseling and medication. Yes, there is hope in departing from this tunnel of depression and hopelessness.

When you are incarcerated in this dark tunnel of depression, you feel as if you will never see the light. However some do perceive this illumination of hope in the form of a loved one reaching out and offering their love and support. Some of us unwisely perceive this light as the hope of peace and serenity and away from all of the emotional pain of life rather than a loved one. This light at the end of the tunnel is not a rational perception but an hallucination of relief that is yearned for to diminish our pain but it is not reality.

How does one reach the end of this tunnel of depression ? One must rely on internal strength and determination derived from the spirit of hope or prayer. Each step may be a tremendous feat but meditation and methods of relaxation ( yoga, exercise) will stimulate those neurological hormones to heighten our emotional strength and determination. Of course, therapy and psycho-tropic medication will also provide the neuro-chemical stimulation to assist the body to take those steps to escape from this tunnel.

On this journey that we call life and the escape out of the tunnel of depression, we will stumble and fall over jagged rocks of cruelty, rejection, abandonment , failure and abuse. One must focus on the light of love and encouragement to guide us out of this dark place.

The cliche, “physican heal thyself” does apply to me at this time. I am relying on all of my emotional strength and determination to find my way out of this terrible place. One must not despair and follow that light in the form of soul mates who hold on to your broken heart and even one of God’s creatures. My Siamese cat, Siam, intuitively senses my physical (from cancer) discomfort and emotional pain and will creep up to my neck and knead his paws while looking into my eyes with phenomenal compassion. Yes, we can overcome those painful obstacles on the path of life and on our journey out of the dark tunnel of depression. As this blog is called, what’s your feeling? ,please do let me know that you have heard my voice and this message from the heart.

 

 

 

Heal Thy Self: A Psychologist’s Search for Motivation

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Yes! Clinicians and psychologists experience just the same problems that our patients have and we also struggle to resolve these issues such as motivation and attempts to follow mottos such as “Never Give Up” as noted in past postings.

At this time in my life I am, indeed, searching for the energy and motivation to reach my own goals after a battle with a disabling illness which has zapped my strength. Besides health issues, one can also lose motivation due to depression and other life challenges. As the saying goes, “Clinician heal thy self “. I have desperately researched the internet for answers to this problem for myself, my patients and my readers and have found the following seven prescriptions on the search for motivation.

1. Focus on One Goal: Selecting a multitude of goals is a common mistake made and this action does diminish one’s energy and focus.
Channeling your energy on one goal will produce a more positive outcome.

2. Generate Inspiration and Excitement: Learn about others who have found success in reaching your goal by utilizing the internet to
locate those individuals and read about their stories . Inspiration from others will inspire
you and help to visualize your future success. Knowledge is power and will provide the energy
that you may need to propel you out of a slump.

3. Create Anticipation and Posting Goal: Set a date to achieve this goal and begin outlining a plan of action. Post these reminders
in noticeable sites which will keep your energy and excitement going.

4. Publicity and Support: No one wishes to be ridiculed or held in disfavor if we announce our goals publicly. If we spotlight our
plans to reach our goal to others, we will be more inclined to find our motivation to succeed. It is,
indeed, difficult to achieve our goal without the support of others. Therefore, finding a social network
to encourage and guide us to the finish line is so important in our success.

5. Ebbs and “Never Give Up”: Motivation is not a constant flow of energy but does wane and upsurge like the tide. Achieving a goal
is comparable to a long journey and we do find bumps along the path of success and we must keep on
pushing along. Never give up!

6. SOS and Focus on the Benefits : Do call out for help if you find that you can’t continue. Rely on the support of family, friends
and experts to appeal for support in order to continue on your journey to success. When we focus
on the difficulty of a goal it will diminish the thrill that you will experience when you achieve
success. The benefits of this strategy will energize you considerably.

7.Negative Self Talk: In order to continue on this journey to reaching your goal, it is relevant to monitor your thoughts.
Recognize negative self-talk which considerably zaps your energy level. Replace the statement, “This
is too hard!” and replace it with “I can do this!”.

It is hoped that we all will reach our goals with these suggestions and I will continue to reach my goal of writing and perhaps achieve my specific goal to continuing with posting next time with additional suggestions in finding the motivation to succeed. Please do let us hear your voice and what you are feeling about this topic.

What is this thing called Motivation and How do I find it?

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As noted by the illustrations above, the depiction of motivation is a central theme. What is this thing called motivation? Motivation encourages us to achieve our goals and generates the energy to reach those goals. Daniel Goleman,the author of books on Emotional Intelligence, identified four aspects of motivation;

1. Personal drive to achieve, the desire to improve and meet certain
standards.
2. Commitment to personal goals.
3. Initiative and the readiness to act on opportunities.
4. Optimism or the ability to keep going and pursue goals in the face
of setbacks.

According to research, people who are self-motivated tend to be highly organized, possess time management skills and exhibit high self esteem and confidence. There are two kinds of motivations, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation causes one to perform due to internal feelings such as love, pleasure and personal challenge. For example, gaining much satisfaction and self- fulfilment in a profession. Extrinsic motivation is associated with the need to attain a reward such as money or power. An example of this is one who works at a job that is not fulfilling just to pay off a mortgage.

How do we find the motivation that is needed to reach our goals? Setting high but realistic goals is most relevant.You must have the ability and the skills to achieve your dream. Seeking constant feedback in order to improve your performance is most important. One should not be ashamed to seek the support of a mentor in the search for success. Be acutely aware of opportunities and grasping them when they appear.Knowledge is power and always keeping up on what is happening around you is important also. Most importantly, NEVER GIVE UP, a motto that I have always followed and the topic of a recent posting on my blog. You need to have the strength to accept setbacks and to learn from your mistakes. Assess the obstacles in your path on the journey to success.Your self esteem and trust in yourself is so important and a relevant variable in the equation of motivation.

I, personally, have experienced significant setbacks and disappointments in my life but I did find the strength to “pick myself up and start all over again.”
Never give up on yourself and your goals and miraculously you will be celebrating your achievements in life.

Please do let us hear your voice and your feelings about this topic.