We all have ups and downs in life: those moments where we feel like king (or queen) of the world, about to grace our loyal subjects with our presence; during other moments, we feel like the fucking peasants. Anything can affect our view of self, and the world around us at any given moment. (Note: ultimately, the way we view the world is merely a reflection of how we see ourselves.)
Many things can play on our self-esteem and how we view ourselves: brain chemistry, mood instability issues, or sometimes, it's just life dishing out ye ol' ro-sham-bo. (Insert ad lib from Cartman here.) Anyhow, despite whatever our situations may be, one thing is certain: whatever we choose to believe about ourselves, and the world around us, we're absolutely right. Furthermore, we tend to notice more of the things in the world which validate said beliefs.
Now, some of you overly sensitive ass advocates, and fellow sufferers of mental health disorders, are probably squeamish after reading the last two sentences. (Especially in terms of anxiety and depression.) On the surface, you would have the right to be; it seems like I'm being an ignorant, insensitive dick. However, after working in the psychiatry field, I have seen how debilitating these disorders can be. I have also suffered from depressive symptoms after many years of burning my candles at both ends, trying to get a better view of the grindstone.
I sincerely empathize with y'all, because I too, understand how difficult it can be to not know what's up while feeling down. Some days, we can conquer any adversary -- person, place, or thing -- and other days, it's an overwhelming and daunting task just to roll out of the damn bed. Sometimes, we feel like enough is enough, and muster up the strength to fight for ourselves; during other times, we feel like life's as good as it will ever be. These kind of thought patterns and feelings can be overstood by finding passion in facing ourselves, and being proactive about healing.
Regardless of acuity, or how chronic our conditions are, questioning our mode of operations is imperative if we ever wanna see a change: Is this how I wanna live, or is there a better way? Of course, settling for what already is, and making it tolerable is always an option, but that's never truly satisfying or desirable. Doing so puts people in danger of developing a resentful perception of everything.
Most everyone knows settling is a bad thing to do, and it's really fucking easy to get settled and just be comfortable. There's little to no risk involved, and almost zero effort is required; it's the bare ass minimum. Simultaneously, settling does not require believing that we're capable of growing into anything remotely close to great; accomplishing that requires stepping well outside of a limited comfort zone.
Personal growth requires a level of honesty, humility, and dissonance that most minds simply cannot process: it is the reason why most motherfuckers become stagnant, and subsequently set in their ways. (Most people really are content with being basic AF.) Cognitive dissonance occurs when our beliefs, attitudes, and thoughts are not properly aligned with the behaviors we exhibit.
When dissonance reaches its peak, we'll either: a) change our beliefs to justify our behaviors; or b) change our behaviors to be congruent with our beliefs. That's where it gets tricky because if some of us have good core beliefs, but also have not-so-good habits, tendencies, or constantly make shitty life choices: changing those beliefs to justify maladaptive behaviors will ultimately make us jaded and hateful. Conversely, when we can change that same behavior to run parallel with those good, solid beliefs: we have harnessed the power to achieve personal growth, and anything we set our minds to.
That very same dissonance can be used to change depressive or anxious behaviors as well. Nobody wants to be anxious or depressed most of the time, but we live with it anyway. Those of us suffering through these conditions, could be living in constant dissonance without realizing it, while not knowing how to break it. Many medicinal advances have been made to help us deal better throughout the day. However at times, it still isn't enough due to things like: availability, affordability, allergies, and tolerance to medications. So, what else can we do about it?
The answer is simple, but has a complex approach; it's really about what works for the individual. Just remember, regardless of present brain chemical imbalances, everyone is habitual. So, even though these imbalances play a vital part in depression and anxiety, they are not the main role. It's our behaviors that strengthen neural connections for these disorders to persist; our habits will concurrently strengthen these connections over time.
The deeper those connections are habitually rooted, the likelihood to keep ourselves in depressive or anxious states more often are strikingly higher; it will take more than just one approach to conquer that demon. Most of us rely on drugs, (recreational and/or prescribed -- self medicating doesn't count), but for someone who has been chronically depressed or anxious for a long period, it will take more than just medication alone. The right specialist can help dig to the root of the problem, and tailor a treatment plan, which will help break habitual behaviors that keep people in such fucked up conditions.
Overall, it will take a combination of holistic and medical methods to break old habits, and be freed from the dissonance that living with these issues creates. It's not as easy as popping a pill, or finding that perfect cocktail which does the trick: that only works for awhile, and once it wears off, the root of the issue(s) are still there; if it were that easy, everyone would be normal. (<--- One helluva operative term.) These issues are like weeds in the garden of our minds. The drugs might make the weeds disappear for awhile, but to completely eradicate them, we have to get them at their roots.
Therefore, when our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors reflect each other, we've chosen to submit to a level of honesty in which real changes will take place: not just any typical change, but long lasting transformations -- for good or the latter. Practicing new behaviors can unlock the solution for our problems, and create new habits that will free us from these horrible conditions. It's really about believing, trusting, and investing in the process of which consonance will be evident on sight, and true growth will manifest. It's also knowing whatever we choose is a set up for what is yet to come.
The answer is simple, but has a complex approach; it's really about what works for the individual. Just remember, regardless of present brain chemical imbalances, everyone is habitual. So, even though these imbalances play a vital part in depression and anxiety, they are not the main role. It's our behaviors that strengthen neural connections for these disorders to persist; our habits will concurrently strengthen these connections over time.
The deeper those connections are habitually rooted, the likelihood to keep ourselves in depressive or anxious states more often are strikingly higher; it will take more than just one approach to conquer that demon. Most of us rely on drugs, (recreational and/or prescribed -- self medicating doesn't count), but for someone who has been chronically depressed or anxious for a long period, it will take more than just medication alone. The right specialist can help dig to the root of the problem, and tailor a treatment plan, which will help break habitual behaviors that keep people in such fucked up conditions.
Overall, it will take a combination of holistic and medical methods to break old habits, and be freed from the dissonance that living with these issues creates. It's not as easy as popping a pill, or finding that perfect cocktail which does the trick: that only works for awhile, and once it wears off, the root of the issue(s) are still there; if it were that easy, everyone would be normal. (<--- One helluva operative term.) These issues are like weeds in the garden of our minds. The drugs might make the weeds disappear for awhile, but to completely eradicate them, we have to get them at their roots.
Therefore, when our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors reflect each other, we've chosen to submit to a level of honesty in which real changes will take place: not just any typical change, but long lasting transformations -- for good or the latter. Practicing new behaviors can unlock the solution for our problems, and create new habits that will free us from these horrible conditions. It's really about believing, trusting, and investing in the process of which consonance will be evident on sight, and true growth will manifest. It's also knowing whatever we choose is a set up for what is yet to come.
