They relate to these problems as if they’re viruses or bacteria to get rid of.
Their methods aim to make you “feel better” in the moment by trying to get you out of your bad state of mind, but they don’t address the underlying issues at all!
People speak of “managing depression,” and “reducing anxiety,” as if these are pathologies one is stuck with.
There’s almost no focus on why one has this issue, and how it’s trying to awaken them in their personal growth.
The emphasis is on relieving one’s immediate discomfort, instead of on making true change.
But it’s misguided because depression and anxiety aren’t pathologies; they’re meaningful processes that are sending you a message, albeit a difficult one to decipher.
Just trying to get rid of the experience misses the whole point.
It’s like not attempting to understand what motivates an unruly child; the child’s communication is disturbing but for good reason—she’s trying to express something important.
Depressed states of mind, anxious moods, and panic attacks are like this trouble-making child—they’re messing you up in order to wake you up!
Instead of putting all your focus on suppressing the experience, aim to uncover its message.
Experiment with this idea:
If you were the spirit of “depression” or “anxiety” attacking your everyday self, what do you imagine the reason would be?
What would you want yourself to wake up about?
Would you want your everyday self to step into her power? Connect with her spirituality? Kick the crap out of her inner critic?
There’s a meaningful, purposeful process in bad states of mind; explore them to unpack and unfold their message.
Instead of just suffering your problem and trying to manage it, take the viewpoint of the problem itself, and imagine how IT views you, what IT wants from you–how the child needs you to change!
