When depressed, I experience: a loss of enthusiasm for life. a lack of energy for self-growth. confusion as to what is the meaning of life for me. a blue funk. a lack of excitement or appreciation for my accomplishments in life. lethargy, tiredness, and exhaustion. an inordinate desire to sleep. a flat emotional affect. boredom with my life, job, family, friends. the absence of spontaneity or joie de vivre. a lack of desire to keep on keeping on. the feeling that the world would be better off if I no longer existed. the desire to run away or end it all. the feeling that I am only an observer of life and not involved in it. a sense of living in slow motion. a feeling of energy and drive in the midst of a crises, deadline, or tragedy. tearfulness and weeping for no apparent reason. loneliness, isolation, a lack of being connected to the others in my life. apathy, discontent, and a hollow feeling regarding my day to day existence.

I feel depressed when I: have a chemical imbalance, physical or biological, needing medical attention. have experienced extended time periods of being shut in the house due to seasonal conditions and lack appropriate amounts of sunshine and clean air experience a failure or loss in life. hold in my anger. review my past life and fail to see a meaning or reason for it. have a conflict, disagreement, or fight with those I either live or work with. feel guilty over something I have done or said. have been criticized or found to be lacking. doubt my ability to be successful. let myself down by not being as perfect or as accomplished as I would like to be. face the futility of the human condition. don't feel approved by someone whose approval I am seeking. experience a major change in my life. have accomplished something that has taken much energy and effort, i.e., the birth of child, a marriage, a divorce, landing a new job, graduating from school. have to deal with death. experience rejection in a relationship. sense that I have no control over the negative experiences in my life. realize that others question my competence, judgment, knowledge, ability, or worth.doubt my decisions, actions, or accomplishments. recognize that I am powerless in the face of addictive or compulsive behavioral problems. am on vacation or have a day off. experience the ``holidays'' (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's, Valentine's Day, etc.) continue to respond with the behavioral role pattern I learned in my dysfunctional family.am ill or disabled. hear news that has affected others adversely. realize that my dreams for the future are unrealistic; fantasies with no possibility of ever being accomplished. am confused over my direction, goals, or priorities in life. learn something new about life, something which if I had known earlier would have made my life more pleasant or successful. continue to not know what ``normal'' is, have no idea of ``normal'' behavior, or ``healthy'' behavior. am unable to connect with people in healthy relationships. can't identify the reason for my unhappy, sad, or worried feelings. ignore my need to express anger in a healthy, productive manner. feel inadequate. continue to rely on crises, deadlines, or tragedies to overcome my lethargy and lack of energy. am jealous of those I perceive to have achieved the ``ideal'' life.

What irrational beliefs lead me into depression?I should not make mistakes. People should automatically recognize my worth and value. It is wrong for me to show my anger. It is a sin to be angry at my parents behavior toward me. I should not disagree with others. People should accept me the way I am. My loved ones should not leave me, should not die. I should not get sick or disabled. What I do should be done perfectly. I should be rewarded in life for my hard work and sacrifices. Things should not change. I should be happy when I am successful. The ``holiday'' season should be the happiest time of my year. I should be in control over all aspects of my life. I work best under pressure. If you want a thing done, give it to a busy person. I am unable to avoid the crises in my life. I should be able to solve problems that come my way. I am only worthwhile if I accomplish something visibly productive on a daily basis. I should not consider my current problems or behavior as a reflection of the way I was reared. My goals in life should be clear. I should not be suffering today because of the way I was reared. Relationships should be established and maintained with ease. Others should know what I need from them without my having to ask; it's perfectly clear. I should have been more successful, but others held me back.

When I feel depressed I: find others unwilling to get involved with me, actually avoiding me. have self-destructive or suicidal thoughts. escape into unhealthy behavior patterns. withdraw from life, face my problems passively. escape into watching TV, reading, daydreaming or other obsessive but passive behavior. ignore my creativity, imagination, and ingenuity in facing my problems. procrastinate, feeling overwhelmed by my responsibilities, duties, and tasks. turn off my positive emotional response to life. ignore my personal health with poor personal hygiene, no weight control, and lack of proper exercise. get hooked on the need for the adrenalin rush that comes with a crisis, a deadline, or other pressures, even tragedies to get me through life. am anxious, nervous, tense, and uptight for no apparent reason. feel like a loser.

In order to overcome depression I need to: recognize that I am depressed. have a complete physical exam to rule out some other physiological cause for my depression be willing, under the supervision of an appropriate physician, to use an anti-depressant medication to help me get over the "hump" of my current bout of depression determine whether the depression is situation specific (related to a current situation in my life) or chronic (a part of my behavior for a long period of time). identify the causes of my depression. change my irrational thinking and develop a more realistic perspective. accept that anger is the basis for my depression, and make a concerted effort to do anger work-out sessions daily to lessen its impact. realize that depression is a fact of life, that it accompanies loss, grief, and even success.find a place in my life for relaxation efforts such as self-hypnosis, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation. use visual imagery to see my life without depression and put my energy into the pursuit of a positive goal. develop a crisis prevention, time management, and catastrophic intervention plan of action. develop a balanced lifestyle with good nutrition, a balanced diet, aerobic exercise, adequate sleep and stress reduction. work at self-esteem enhancement, self-affirmation, self-reinforcement. commit myself to a specific plan of action to overcome my depression.