At some point in our lives many of us, if not all shall experience feelings of depression. As we grow older, free from the comforting innocence of our childhood we realise that we must discover our place in the world. Faced with a multitude of decisions, paired with a chaotic society and a competitive world, we are confronted with the big questions.
What is my purpose in life?
What do I want to do?
Who am I?
These questions, if not examined closely can often leave us with feelings of despair. Without a road map or way to navigate our emotions we can feel hopeless, resulting in us becoming overwhelmed and falling into a state of anxiety and depression.
In order to escape these feelings and alleviate the pain, many of us shall turn to medication, addictive behaviors, alcohol or drugs. We shall entertain anything to keep our minds busy and distracted.
In today’s society, people suppress the negative feelings, often considering our failures and mistakes as a result of us being inferior or not good enough. Adopting this attitude can leave us feeling unmotivated and unable to make a positive change.
However, throughout our history Psychologists and Philosophers such as Carl Jung, Thomas Szasz, Abraham Maslow and Goethe have examined these problems, realizing that anxiety and depression are important feelings that can positively impact our lives.
Whilst this can be hard to accept, Psychologist Carl Jung suggests that Instead of avoiding our emotions, we explore them; opening them up to be examined through a process known as ‘Shadow work’. Often when feelings of emptiness, sadness or guilt arise, it is due to our need to pay attention to a certain aspect of our life. Perhaps there is something in our past we need to accept, maybe we aren’t acting in a healthy way or we aren’t living our lives to our full potential.
Our part of the mind that stores traumas, negative thoughts and destructive patterns is known as the ‘unconscious’. These are the things we don’t pay active attention to throughout the day. If given time, we can allow these thoughts to arise, exploring the roots of their cause and attempting to address them. By doing this we cannot only alleviate our suffering but return a stronger individual.
The process of growth comes with exploring the unknown, accepting our faults and being willing to journey into the depths of our mind. Through this we can shed the feelings of despair and act in a more positive and pro-active way.
Whilst this can seem like a mighty task, the gift at the end is worth it. Knowing we have faced our demons we can approach life with the understanding that despite much of the confusion and chaos in the outside world we have found sanctuary within our own minds. Instead of a battlefield of conflicting emotions, our mind becomes a place of peace, where we integrate and understand our feelings allowing us to approach the world in a far more confident way.
Suffering is a part of life. It is our choice as to whether we decide to confront it or allow it to defeat us.
“Your vision shall become clear only when you can look within your own heart. Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside awakes.” - Carl Jung
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It is so true, the mind or the heart simply wants to overlook the obvious and seek joy or happiness through external means, only to find emptiness at the end of it. An internal exploration of self conflict or contradiction is a healthier way to deal with core issues; at least in most cases I would imagine. Nice post!