kyburg | Entries tagged with economy

I find myself surrounded by a lot of mental illness lately.

This is not surprising, considering the amount of tension and stress the economy/political climate has foisted upon everyone walking around - this is not the 'first world problem' of people moping about disconsolate and unable to get out of bed in the morning depression, however.

This is angry, angry sputtering and slamming of doors, cutting off phone conversations and reactive disconnecting kind of 'depression' - which I don't always think is chemical in nature.

It's situational. Which means, the typical fix of a lot of drugs and very little therapy isn't going to return good results. Responding to stress and suck by getting unhappy seems like a no-brainer, but in today's culture - well, you just can't have that!

And I see a lot of people internalize it until it does manifest as true mental illness.

How do you treat situational depression? Gods, it's in every belief system going back thousands of years - if you hear someone 'got spiritual' and got happy, successfully? Likely they got a piece of it that worked for them. You'll also hear of the 'not easy part.' They ain't kidding.

You just have to let it go. Rewrite that as you wish, but that's the core.

If you're Buddhist, you divest. Attachment to anything only brings torment - divest, divest, divest.
If you're Judaeo/Christian, you give it to God and fuggitaboutit. No take backs, no taking control again. Lillies in the field get bullshit to grow in, don't you know that? You may not like it, but you'll have enough to live - live 'well' maybe not. Acquire contentment with your lot in life.

I see a lot of my Pagan friends conducting rituals, meditation at their altars, etc. - willing to accept the outcome of their offerings, no question. You offer it up and see what the powers bring.

My Hindu friends prayed. What happened after that, happened. They had done what they could.

The atheists? FUCK IT. I give up - I got nothing.

In every case, it's a surrender of your control over everything you have struggled and fought for. Planned on. You just have to let it go.

This is not walking away - don't make that mistake. You just have to take your hands off the wheel and let the car drive itself for a while. That's trust, but sometimes? You don't see the road well enough and the car is smarter than you are.

Knowing that, even if it's not in your conscious mind? Can really piss you off.

You don't go home and lock the door. You don't stop talking to your friends. You don't stop working or looking for another job.

But you do stop forgetting that the sun still rises every morning you live, the stars still shine as brightly regardless of whether life is good for you or not. And you dial your expectations of what you must Be to those very basic things.

Everyone is on your side - they just might not agree with you. Trust me, you want someone honest on your side, cherish the ones who won't put up with nonsense just to shut you up.

It's not fair. Nobody ever said it would be. Fairs are nice things with nummy treats and carnival rides. Don't make 'fair' the be all and end all - you can expect unfairness, and boy I would. Get better at communicating and negotiating instead.

Please learn to recognize grief and allow it. Loss is loss is loss is loss. Let it go.

Anger is a useful emotion, but much more akin to fire than anything else. Properly handled, it will cook your food and light your way. Allow it free rein and nothing survives. Not even it.

You come into this world naked, wet and screaming - going back out anything more? BONUS. Tuck that away somewhere.

Now - get out there and kick some ass and keep moving. It's hard to hit a moving target, after all.

But what sorrows you unto anger and depression? Let it go. Let it alllll go.