Below you will find most of the Essay on Depression. Please mail us if you would like to be advised when the book is ready.

GETTING OUT OF THE DEPTHS OF DEPRESSION (Tze MeHadikaon)

SEEKING HELP

Rebbe Nachman taught that depression is the worst state to be in.

We have to do absolutely whatever we can to avoid it. This is not easy. Lets take a look at this ill and try to understand it better.

A strange thing happens with depression. The more we harbour it, the more it stalks us, the more it grows on us, and the more we consider it a natural part of our lives.

The first thing to understand is that no one can really help a person who is depressed. One who finds himself in a state of depression must know that instead of running around all over the place, and going to see all types of experts whom he hopes can help overcome his depression, he has to actually not want to be depressed himself. This may sound strange, but you would be surprised how many people thrive on being, and saying that they are depressed. The journey out of depression begins and ends with the person himself.

Many of us really believe we are reacting to, and fighting against, a negative situation, by becoming depressed. We view our depression as a kind of weapon. The unfortunate truth is that it is a weapon, but it's a weapon directed against our own selves. It cannot give us the edge over anyone else. It can never work for us, only against us.

In fact, not just with regard to depression, but even in general terms, we are the only one's concerned about ourselves. No one else is really that interested in us. They are busy enough with contending with their own problems.

We human beings have the terrible weakness of always hoping that someone else is going to come along and help and save us. This is a fallacy. The sooner we realize this, the better. We are the only ones who can help. We have to take ourselves by the hand if we want to do or achieve anything.

Depression creates illusions.

It causes us to feel weak and ineffectual. It creates a "persecution complex" where we begin to believe that others are out to get us. It makes us feel unwanted. Again, we have to understand that every one else has their own problems and naturally are more concerned about themselves than about us.This does not mean though, that they are gunning for us. They simply come first. We follow second, or third, or even forth. That's all. But our depression makes us feel as if we are victims.

IDLENESS

One of the rudimentary causes for a person falling prone to depression is that he doesn't fill his time. Someone who knows how to fill his time, will be so occupied, that he will not have occasion to centre on his own depression. This idea of keeping oneself busy is so important that one should strive to fill one's time with whatever means are at his disposal.

Boredom only invites depression. If a person knows that he is liable to feelings of sadness and despair, he should arm himself with this knowledge before the depression sets it. He must make sure that this simple notion is adhered to, and he must start keeping busy.

MUSIC

A very successful tool to use when one feels despondent, is music. Listening to music. This can have immeasurable benefit. Music can quite literally lift a person's soul. In a deeper sense, Rebbe Nachman teaches us that the very purpose of music is to separate good spirit from bad. Music, by definition is the selection of notes. One selects theappropriate musical notes over the inappropriate. Otherwise all one has is noise and not music. Listening to music, therefore can be a means of discarding the "bad spirit" and drawing on the "good spirit". One should try to listen to music every day.

FRIENDS

Another idea that is most powerful in the fight against depression is that of the good friend.

(Remember though, that we are referring here to a friend and not to a "saviour". If we expect the friend to provide solutions and actively solve all our problems, then we are misinterpreting and possibly even abusing the concept of friendship.)

We should make it our business to find one real good friend. With this friend we should share our thoughts and frustrations. Our Rabbis themselves praised the greatness friendship when they said that the Torah can only be acquired, BeChavruta, together with a friend (Ber 63). A friend can bring one out of himself and stop him wallowing in self pity. Even more poignantly, the Talmud says it's either a Chavruta, a friend, or it's Mituta, a death. A person all alone in this world is like he is dead to the world. A friend can bring one back to life again.

When one doesn't have a friend, the Co'ach HaDimyon, the imagination, can run wild and take one out of reality. It's the friend who can bring one back to reality again.

It's very difficult to find a true friend, especially if one has already sunk into the depths of despair. Nevertheless we should still strive to find a real friend, as this is sometimes the only means of snapping out of depression. With this friend we should speak every day or so, if possible, even if just for a few moments. Often it's helpful to take a little walk together and to talk things over.

The value and power of a true friend is never to be underestimated.

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