Don’t get me wrong. Despite the recent results of a study questioning the effectiveness of antidepressants over a placebo, not for a moment am I advocating to stop taking antidepressants if you’re on them, or to not consider them if the medical professional recommends them to you. What I am suggesting is that we need to also consider other lifestyle factors that directly and indirectly benefit our relationship with our self.
I know it sounds funny or even narcissistic the concept of having a conscious relationship with yourself. But in reality, we all do, irrespective of our level of self awareness or self consciousness. That’s not say, we should be walking around all day with our heads in the clouds, consumed with every little thing regarding ourselves.
An easy way to get your head around it, is to consider that your relationship with yourself is no different from your relationship with a family member, friend or partner. From time to time there will be a degree of conflict – a degree of unhappiness or discontent. To resolve the drama we have to hold the mirror up and have a look at what we may have done, which may have contributed to the disharmony. Similarly, nobody’s perfect. There are going to be some things about the other person, no matter who was in the right or wrong, that we simply have to learn to accept.
And that’s it in a nutshell. When we’re struggling with any variety of issues, we need to consider what we may have contributed to it and also learn to accept that we’re not perfect. The big challenge, however, is knowing where to begin or kick starting this relationship if you haven’t been overly aware in past of the source of your previous happiness and contentment. This challenge or difficulty is particularly acute, if you’re suffocating under the weight of a deep dark depression.
