Building Resiliency (Rebuilding Health)

I would like to suggest exploring your relationship with music. After spending several decades playing music on the radio, I am amazed at how many people use music as a mood-altering, coping mechanism. On a constant daily basis.

I was also amazed that I didn't realize how soothing it is to my own soul. I do housework or cooking, and listen to my CSNY channel on Pandora. For HOURS.

Eight or 10 hours listening to music from my younger years, completely fixes all my (mood) problems.

Then, in terms of attitude - I would suggest that you become more flexible. The lives that we lead are not guaranteed to us. We are spoiled in that way. We expect things to go the way we want them to. We aren't so good at 'the pivot'.

I would suggest to you, that life is ALWAYS going to be changing. And if you have the kind of luck I have, it isn’t usually going to be changing ‘for the better’…

When you come upon some kind of adversity, consider that your approach should be positive and forward thinking. If something bad is coming, do something nice for yourself, and then immediately get to the business of pulling through. DO NOT give yourself time and space to moan, complain, whine, or build any kind of anger or negativity.

You waste your time and your life when you cry and mope. Be your own best advocate. No one else can help you.

Point Two - Here's the key... although basic depression seems to me to be caused by a life of perceived unhappiness, (please hear me when I say this...) IT ALWAYS SEEMS WORSE IF MY NUTRITION IS OUT OF WACK.

I say this to you with the utmost and unequivocal certainty.

I can fix my depression with vitamin pills and dietary changes.

Everything can be falling apart around me, and I'm handling it.

But it can all turn to desperation and despair, if I ate too much sugar the day before. I'll hate myself and I'll hate everything and everyone I know, and it won't feel like life is worth living.

I don't know what foods might affect you, and I don't know for sure what vitamins and minerals and herbs might help you. But I know if I eat too much sugar or too much dairy, I'm going to fall apart.

And I know that, once my world starts sliding into the abyss, vitamin D3, and bananas, never fails to work for me. I’m still left with the problems, but the deep emotional pain goes away.

There are long lists of foods that will cause problems, and there are long list of foods, and activities, that will help you. You might have to research it a bit, and maybe pay attention to your diet to identify your triggers.

But you CAN be in control of your well-being.

I would actually beg you to consider dietary adjustments, over pharmaceuticals.

And I would actually beg you to consider dealing with life, over giving up.

You are not alone.

(and btw - A sufficient American education should teach us how to deal with our mental health!)

*small amounts