Depression – “The Lady in Black” Depression is like the lady in black. If she comes, don’t drive her away, but invite her to the table as a guest, and listen to what she intends to say. Carl Gustav Jung Depression is a familiar word, often used in the autumn season, during the period of life failures, breakups, thwarted plans, destroyed hopes. The mood is lousy, the cats are scratching at my soul, I feel some kind of inner emptiness, my initiative is weakening and I just want to tell everyone “to hell”! Why did the world around suddenly become not nice? After all, there were plans and expectations! Where did it all go? It seems that you need to get things done, but mother laziness holds you back, doesn’t let you in, resists. I want to crawl into a secluded corner, disconnect from the outside world and go into oblivion, quietly snoring alone. Is this condition familiar? Of course yes, it happens to everyone, but with some it’s rare and short-lived, and with others it’s long and deep. In general, “Depression” is a medical term for a severe mental illness that requires the use of medications and long-term treatment. But this word came into our everyday life in the image of the “Black Lady,” denoting a negative, tearful, anxious state associated with some kind of breakdown in a smoothly flowing, full and hitherto joyful life. Psychologist K. G. Jung advises inviting her to the table as a guest, albeit an unexpected one, in order to listen carefully, deeply and in detail, penetrating into the very essence, into the meaning of what was said. What does it mean? Maybe I should just ignore it, move it to a far corner and pretend it’s not there? Yes, you can do that. At some stage this will even help, but with any insignificant new zigzag turn in life, it will again appear in front of you in all its glory, further aggravating the situation. First one thing doesn’t work out, then another, a third is added, the pile of failures grows, the hands sink lower and lower. Depression can spread in such a way that, unnoticed by the owner himself, it can lead to suicide. Is The Lady in Black scary? Remember the proverb: “The devil is not as scary as he is painted”? So is there still a way out? Undoubtedly! Consciousness, psyche, behavior are always on guard of our health! But we know that water does not flow under a lying stone, which means that we will still have to move this stone ourselves, making conscious efforts, perhaps turning to a psychologist for help, and in severe cases, a psychotherapist. What are the ways to overcome depression? There are many of them, and they vary greatly in strength, duration and effectiveness. All people are different, everyone has their own source of depression, the depth of their emotional state is not uniform. Consequently, the effect of therapy will be different. So choose a method to your liking, use exactly the method that is most suitable for you. Search the Internet! Work on yourself! But first, soberly assess your condition, is it depression that you have that is worth devoting so much effort and time to? Think about your lifestyle, analyze the latest events happening to you, remember your emotional response to them, is all this worth the experiences that led you to depression? How is your daily routine and nutrition? Does the body get enough rest and receive all the substances necessary for good health? Or maybe it’s just that autumn has come, it’s gotten dark outside, the trees have shed their leaves, and the rains have begun to pour in, making you feel despondent? Don't hibernate in a hole! Shake yourself up, call your friends, get out the outfits, set the table, turn on the music - rock out! Let Lady Depression retreat, tell her firmly - no! I am real, I exist, I live! Kimerina Irina Sergeevna Psychologist-sexologist 11 – 10 – 2012