Some people underestimate what affirmations for depression can do for people struggling with mental health issues.
While they are not a magic pill that will cure feelings of loneliness, alienation, and confusion in an instant, they can serve as your first step towards recovery.
I am a living proof of it.
My Story
When I was younger, I had some depression and ADHD. When I was finishing college, I was officially diagnosed with depression, ADHD, and severe anxiety. This would last into my early 20’s.
I was prescribed several medications, some of which were controlled substances. It didn’t take long until I was dependent and addicted to these medications.
In 2007, I decided to enter a rehab facility since I felt powerless to the medications.
I went there because I was addicted to 2 medications. Ironically, I left this hospital after 3 weeks with 6 new prescriptions. These drugs would drain the life out of me for the next few months, so I switched back to the original medications because I figured that taking 2 meds was a lot better than taking 6.
The Struggle
I played this game with my body and mind up until I was 30.
The 2 controlled substances would eventually send me into a full-blown manic episode with spurts of psychosis. At this point, I had just been released from what I think was my 9th or 10th hospital stay. This made me realize that I could not live my life like this anymore.
Those symptoms of depression can’t live in me anymore. There had to be another way. I understood that I did need something for my bipolar disorder and insomnia, but I did not need to be on plenty of medications to numb me for the rest of my life.
The Breakthrough
Luckily, I was blessed with a doctor that taught me meditation. He taught me self-compassion. Most importantly, he taught me that I am worthy of love and that I deserve peace and happiness in my life as much as anyone else.
I honestly didn’t know that before.
I think that this is the problem for most people that live with a mental illness. We either lose our ability to love ourselves or aren’t born with the self-love that others already have or have developed naturally throughout their lives.
“Affirmations are about giving you the support and self-love you deserve”
First Step Towards Recovery
To be honest, I have always loved to write, so I started writing journal entries about gratitude, self-compassion, and “I am” statements.
I would go on to write 3 poetry books about my recovery. This lead to listening to affirmation tracks when I went for walks and meditated. I would even let them play for an hour or so when I was falling asleep.
I admit that at first it was difficult to accept that these positive things are true, but I felt that it was starting to help me with my depression. I had so much fear, anger, and resentment pent up inside me that I didn’t believe these affirmations, but I knew that I wanted to feel these things more than anything else in the world.
Affirmations for Depression and Staying on Track
Every time I listen to my affirmations for depression, things get easier.
Affirmations are not about tricking your mind into believing you are a good person. They are about giving you the support and self-love you deserve that is sometimes difficult to find from others. As we all know, the easiest way to change the world is from within.
About 6 months ago, I was considering creating my own affirmation tracks in my recording studio. I shared this idea with a friend and she enthusiastically blurted out, “ThinkUp App!”
She then went on to explain to me that she had been using this app to record powerful affirmations with her own voice and favorite music, then play them back later. Needless to say, I was thrilled. I went home, downloaded the ThinkUp App, and I have been using it since.
My Recommendations to Manage Symptoms of Depression
- Start slowly.
- Pick out one or two things that you would like to improve your life.
- Record self-affirmations that will remind you of where you are and where you aspire to be.
- Maybe in a week, re-record the same affirmations and see if there is a little more confidence in your voice. There are no right and wrong ways to listen to affirmations. Just go with what feels right.
- Use your own voice to increase your confidence, self-love, and belief in yourself.
I strongly believe that if you add the use of affirmations for depression to your mental health treatment, it will really inspire you to become a more positive version of you.
I have been using the ThinkUp app for a long time now and it works for me, so why don’t you give it a try? Download the ThinkUp app today and let us know how it went for you.
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