Cure for Depression

July 18th, 2008 · No Comments

Sometimes, “knowing” all the techniques in the world will not help you overcome depression. There are times when the only cure for depression is taking a technique and commence with the “doing” part. This was one of those times.

For the past few months, I had been concentrating my time and limited funds towards the potential fulfillment of a dream — displaying my artwork in a show. Through my own poor preparation, problems had, over the months, compounded upon itself to the point where I found myself severely depressed.

I didn’t know what it was at first. I just knew that it began manifesting physically. I found myself crying uncontrollably for no apparent reason.

I realized that a straw had landed on the fat camel that was perched precariously on my back and I began to feel extremely weak. I couldn’t even turn a frame over to mount my artwork. This was a huge problem as I had just two hours before my first art show.

I realized that I needed help so, as they used to say on game shows, “I phoned a friend” This move turned out a winning answer when my friend agreed to help me transport and set up my artwork but he also informed me that there would be a catch. I would have to read at least one page a day from the book, The Miracle of Mindfulness (- A Manual on Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh), beginning immediately.

I told him that I had no time to read anything but he insisted that I read one page from the book and implement it or he wouldn’t lift a finger to help me.

I would have been upset had I not been so weak to be upset. So, I did as I was told.

If you ever read this book, you’d notice that there really isn’t much to read on any given page. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. I could have read the whole book in an hour but he insisted that I read only ONE page and implement what I read on that page immediately before I received any help from him.

I found a section called “Washing the Dishes to Wash the Dishes.”

Here, the Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh describes how to mindfully wash dishes by being aware of every detail of the experience. How were you breathing? Feel the droplets of water on your skin, etc.

I didn’t have dishes to wash at the time but I did turn on the faucet, stuck my hand under the running water and proceeded to incorporate what I had read. What happened was nothing short of a miracle and the results were almost immediate.

It was as though someone had lifted that camel off my back and taken the straw with it.

What Happened Next?

Suffice it to say, with the help of my friend, I was able to successfully get my artwork set up with a smile on my face. I sold most of my artwork that day. Bear in mind that it was my first showing!

It is amazing what focusing your mind and being mindful (of even the smallest things) can do for your sanity and your success.

By being mindful of the things around me, I have managed to minimize or even avoid any bouts of depression since. The mindfulness technique has truly been a miracle cure for depression in my life.