Tag Archives: Depression

Foods and Moods

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This is also about balance of a different kind. If you find yourself on a downhill spiral and all the content of your conversations seem to be gloomy or negative, chances are your food consumption is to blame, I am not necessarily intending this to mean quantity of food; I am intending it to mean content of food.

Oh! Mahri – what are you talking about now? I hear you say. So – here it is!

The other day it seemed that everything I said to Harry seemed to be met with a grumpy, short-tempered response. Now, for anyone who knows Harry, my sweet, loving, kind and thoughtful Harry, this is absolutely not typical. There came a time on that same, grumpy, day, (just prior to my running away from home) that Harry said, “Mahri, I have no idea what the problem is. I just cannot seem to grasp a positive thought. Everything looks black to me and yet I know no true reason for this.”

So we decided to explore the probabilities and/or possibilities regarding the foods he’d eaten. Bingo! There it was! The day prior Harry had only eaten a very small breakfast and then went the rest of the day with only eating one peach. Since we have been so diligent about our careful balance of vegetables and protein and included no sugar or starch in our diet, this had created a huge imbalance in his serotonin levels.

The moment we addressed this, his mood enhanced and I got my sweet and wonderful, happy Harry back. Has this ever happened to you? It has happened to me.

We owe it to ourselves to be in charge of our destiny especially when it comes to mood. If eating the right thing will create a great feeling for us and make our day go well, shame on us if we choose anything less. Does this mean we will never miss a meal or eat a sugary snack? No! It simply means we can take full responsibility for how that food intake may contribute to our mood. I guess the saying, “You are what you eat.” has a direct correlation with this. Our bodies and our minds know better when it comes to foods and moods.

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The Quadruple A Solution Works

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Essentially, the moment I acknowledged my depression, it was as though a huge cloud suddenly lifted. I saw the sun and all the beauty around me; I began to see my glass half full; my world began to look a whole lot different. I had been in denial of this ‘defect’ for so long that it was a huge relief. I say that I acknowledged my depression I did not say that I owned it and there is a significant difference in those two scenarios. Ownership means, to me, that I am going to make this my life long battle. By simply acknowledging the depression I could then move forward with the process of getting through it. My energy level had increased immensely and I no longer held that totally, overwhelming feeling.

Next I accepted that this was the situation, as I was experiencing it, at this moment in time. I decided to love myself in this feeling of depression and wrap my arms around myself to let me know that this is o.k. now and that very soon I would feel different and better. I carefully studied all the obvious contributors to my depression and accepted them too and appreciated them for bringing me to this place of solution. By now my energy level had risen again and I was beginning to feel hopeful.

Now it was time to come into agreement with myself to do something about my depression. First I made four calls to Professionals regarding this matter. I left succinct messages for each Doctor and Professional. I looked at the situations in my life that were causing me great concern and took pro-active steps to address them one by one. I studied the effects of diet, appropriate rest and exercise and how they, before, had played a major role in bringing me into line with the me I know me to be – the joyful me. I now stepped into that place of possibility and that made me feel excited. Do you see the pattern? I’ve gone from depressed to hopeful to excited in three steps.

I will admit to having a small step backwards when I considered the following and final step of the Quadruple A Solution. Now I had to ask for help and that meant I had to be vulnerable to others opinion. I took the bull by the horns and reached out and even though I felt like a blithering idiot, I made a couple of phone calls asking for help. Guess what – those calls were immediately successful. So I quickly stepped into that place of, “Oh! that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be!” I felt an utter relief like I never thought I could imagine. Thank God for those special people in my life. I also recognized that I had given them a gift by allowing them into my heart and see the ‘real’ me and also be able to give to me. Now, I could feel a huge smile begin to form and my heart no longer felt heavy; my eyes felt alive and I felt an appreciation for these ‘lessons’ that had brought me to this place.

Ironically, in the three days since I made those calls to the Doctors and Professionals only one call has been returned and that was from someone, other than a Doctor. I could read all kinds of things into this but the point is I am feeling amazing and ready to take on the world. The Quadruple A Solution works! It worked for me! Feel free to contact me and ask any questions regarding my positive, pro-active solutions.

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Putting Quadruple A Solution to the Test

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Finally, after all these years, I am facing the fact that I am showing symptoms of  depression. On several occasions, over the past twenty or so years of my life, two different Doctors recommended that I take a light anti-depressant. Each time I found myself fighting the diagnosis, claiming situations in my life as real contributors to my “weepy ways”.

Taking pills in order to handle my life seemed preposterous to me. I should be able to get through these situations without needing pills! I did, however, take the recommended medicine for only a short period of time and very carefully weaned myself off, as soon as possible, with the Doctors consent. I felt fine and resumed my productivity without any difficulty.

Ironically, I have recently spent time  being trained as a Facilitator for their Support Groups with N.A.M.I. (The National Alliance on Mental Illness). This experience left me, personally, with a whole lot to decipher. During the course I recognized that I had been avoiding my own recurring depression. For a couple of years I had been struggling along, feeling unable to do some of the simplest of tasks, and not able to get work  and keep work. There were three major contributors, in the way of life “disappointments”, that had occurred during this time. I did get help at the time and the minute I felt better I insisted on getting off any medication as I feared becoming dependent on it.

Because of the fact I am experiencing this feeling of depression I took stock of my life and although there are some extremely, worrisome situations going on in my life, I also recognized that my diet, exercise and sleep patterns had been sadly neglected. Now it the time to put my Quadruple A Solution to the ultimate test. I first acknowledged all of the above.Then I felt the acceptance of all these counterparts to my depression along with the knowledge that this is only temporary. Now it was time to come into agreement with myself as to the steps I am willing to take to, carefully, one by one, address each issue; to begin a game plan; to breathe. Next, the most difficult part of all to ask for help in all of these situations. Just by doing this last part already I am beginning to feel better.

Is the situation totally handled? No. But the solutions are at hand and I have taken my power back and am in the drivers seat with the wheel firmly in my hands and both the brake and the accelerator right at my feet. This is my life and I choose to have it be the best, most joy filled life, imaginable. Thank you God!

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