Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?
Move outside the tangle of fear-thinking.
Live in silence.
Jalal ad-Din Rumi
This is hardly meant to be an exhaustive list, but a starting point for finding your way through, or helping someone else.
1. First, Ask for Help.
– If you are thinking you cannot handle this all by yourself, you are probably correct. Stop trying to, and reach out!
– Pray and ask God for help and wisdom
– Seek help from reliable friends and acquaintances who aren’t drowning in their own problems
– People are moved when we let our guards down and let them in. This may be all you need, to know that there is someone you can reach out for in your darkest hours.
2. Get professional help if you need it.
– It is not a sign of weakness, sin or immaturity
– It is in fact a sign of maturity to know when you are not able to do something, and do something about it
– Counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists
3. If you find that your depression has resulted in or is being made worse by legal issues, get some legal assistance!
– Ask friends for recommendations
– Look in the phone book
– Check with Legal aid
– If finances are an issue, search out “pro bono” lawyers (that means free)
4. Financial
– Go to your bank where you have a checking or savings account and ask for help
– If you don’t have an account, see if someone at a smaller bank will take time to talk to you.
– Explain your situation and if they cannot help, ask them to point you in the right direction to get help
5. Spiritual
– Go to your minister, pastor, priest, rabbi, guru, psychic or channeler…whoever you use, and ask for help
– There are denominational counselors
– Don’t have one of those? Look for a non-denominational spiritual counselor?
6. Physical
– Go get a checkup. Your regular physician or free clinics
– They may find a physical illness associated with what’s going on with you
– Be honest. Share what you are going through. They may able to help, or refer to someone they know or trust.
– Get some physical exercise
– Get some sunlight
7. Do something for someone else
– There is often no better cure for not getting swallowed up by our own issues than to help someone else
– You don’t have to choose someone with the same stuff
– Help some kids get on a better road to adulthood
– Help at the SPCA for animals that need love
8. “Let go and let God”
It is very easy for some people to say, “Let go and let God,” and away. I know that this doesn’t sound particularly helpful, especially when there is no follow-up or follow-through or help to figure out how to do this. But, this is what we must learn to do, sooner or later.
Nothing can be gained by stewing over problems, and turning them over and over in your mind. This is especially true of problems that you either cannot change or fix, or have no real desire to change.
As we mature physically, emotionally and spiritually we learn that we cannot control much in this world.
The one thing that I can control is how I react to things.
Shall I repeat that?
The one thing that I can control is how I react to things!
The rest, only God can fix it.
Be safe. Reach out for help. It’s available.
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