Overcoming Depression

As a part of our recent series on depression, we thought it might be helpful to discuss the topic with a slightly different approach. Rather than simply going through the symptoms as many blogs or posts might attempt to do, I think it’s important to address the personal implications of depression and share some insights on how you might try coping with it.

Millions of Americans struggle with depression every year, and in extreme cases, it costs people their livelihoods and their lives. That’s why we at Cornerstone take it so seriously. Our staff are trained to help you overcome those issues and struggles. We also wanted to share some thoughts with you on ways you might work to overcome depressive episodes when they strike.

We previously discussed depression and ways you might be masking symptoms of it in our exploration of the relationship between compulsive behavior, addictions, and depression. Here, we’re taking a deeper dive into depression and exploring triggers as well as methods for coping when we fall into depressive episodes. Sometimes, we might think of those episodes as ‘falling into a rut’. Other times, it might simply feel like things are just not quite right. Like, no matter how hard we try, we can’t quite meet the mark.

It’s in those moments when it’s important to hold on to our anchors. That might mean listening to music that connects us with our experiences, but it might also mean seeking the help of musical therapists. Suffice it to say, we humans have a deep connection with music.

How You Can Use Music as a Cathartic Release

Every now and then, a song comes on the radio and I am brought back as if in a time machine to another place and another time. One song that has an uncanny ability to do this is “Sunshine on My Shoulders” by John Denver. Whenever I hear it, I’m brought back to my youth, to a particular day during my senior year in high school. It’s one of my fondest memories. Songs have a way of doing that. When I mentioned this to Justin, he commented that the band Rush had a similar effect on him.

Music has a way of connecting us to emotion and experiences. Is it any wonder that even St. John Paul II once noted, ‘I have a sweet tooth for song and music’? Truly, music is one of the most therapeutic instruments we have available to us.

“I have a sweet tooth for song and music. This is my Polish sin.” – St. John Paul II

 

Some songs make us happy, some sad. Some are purely cathartic experiences. Sometimes, music can make us feel blue, and other times, it can help pull us out of our depressive episodes and help us deal with deep wounds that we may be struggling with.