Three Principles Living

Judith A. Sedgeman, EdD

Depression

Feeling Our Way through Life

People seek help from counselors when they feel bad. No one has ever come into a session with me to complain about their thinking. They come in to say, “I’m really depressed.” “I’m sad and I can’t seem to get over it.” “I am so anxious that I can’t concentrate.” “I get so angry I feel like hitting my children.” That kind of statement. So, intuitively, we know that bad feelings are a sign that we need help. But we believe the bad feelings are coming from the events, people and...

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Gratitude: a route to inner peace

Without any plan to do this, I have slipped into the habit, as I lay down to sleep, of thinking of something or someone from the past day for which I am grateful. And then, when I awaken, thinking of something I am grateful to look forward to in the new day. Often, I am surprised by what comes to mind. Almost always, they are small things, or momentary unexpected encounters with people, that elicit a smile and a peaceful feeling. Sometimes, they are big things -- pivotal moments in my life...

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Unmasking the memory terrorist

Many of the new clients I work with who have been in long-term psychological treatment are weary and discouraged. No matter how often and how long they have brought memories to mind, fought them, re-considered them, analyzed them, belittled them, re-enacted them, deconstructed them, reframed them, journaled them -- the memories are still there. So they feel as though they are doomed to a life struggle against traumatic events from their past. They can't change them, and they can't defeat them, so they are stuck in an exhausting standoff,  locked in perpetual battle against an enemy...

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“What’s wrong with me?”

Since I have begun seeing clients one-on-one as a Mental Health Mentor, the most frequent questions they ask in the first session are: "What's wrong with me? How did  this happen? Why can't  anyone explain to me what happened to my mind?" For the most part, they've had a lot of therapy. And they've been given diagnoses. But  diagnoses do not explain. Diagnoses describe and label symptom sets. What's eating at people are the WHY? questions. Why can't I just be OK again? How did I go wrong? How do people get chemical...

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The Depression Fairy is Imaginary

Despite the protests of several of my clients recently, I must insist  there is no Depression Fairy who randomly visits us and sprinkles dreadful thoughts in our minds. Oh, I know she seems very real, and powerful, and quick to alight out of nowhere. But she is imaginary, as are her close friends, like the Anxiety Fairy and the Anger Fairy. As much as that might be good news, for many people who have struggled with Depression for decades, it is initially distressing news.  What's wrong, then, if there's no invisible outside force...

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