- Begin the process of self-assessment by taking inventory of your life. Look for habits, lifestyle choices, circumstances, emotions, attitudes, and medical conditions that will need more attention as you move deeper into whole-person treatment. Make a word picture of your life. Be honest and courageous. Write down everything that comes to mind.
- Educate yourself. Don’t just take my word for it. There are ample sources of good information about the merits and pitfalls of common treatments for depression and the value of an integrated approach to healing. Some of those helpful sources are presented at the end of the book, Healing Depression for Life (see appendix 4). Make use of them!
- Talk to your current caregivers. Inquire about the relative strengths and weaknesses of various treatment types. Let them know you are interested in broadening your approach to healing.
- Pay attention to your thoughts and beliefs. Carefully assess what can work and what can’t. Do you secretly scoff at the idea that diet affects mental health? Are you already convinced that other possible addictions—like imbalanced use of technology or shopping or pornography—have no role to play in depression? If so, you’re unlikely to give those things the attention they need in the pursuit of lasting healing. Make a list of such limiting thoughts. About each one, ask yourself: Why do I think this way? Is this the truth? How is it holding me back?
- Write out a history of things you’ve tried already to help you heal from depression. Chances are you’ll see how each attempt to feel better stands apart from others, rarely working together. You’ll also notice all the things you haven’t yet tried . . . which is great news! It means you’re not out of options after all.
Taken from Healing Depression for Life by Gregory L. Jantz Ph.D. and Keith Wall Copyright © 2020. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Finally, there is new hope for those who suffer from depression.
For decades, standard treatment for depression hasn’t changed. Sufferers typically are prescribed antidepressant medication and talk therapy. Period. But at least 30 percent of depression sufferers aren’t helped by standard treatment. Instead, they are left still searching for true and lasting relief.
In Healing Depression for Life, Dr. Gregory Jantz offers a new way forward. Drawing on the innovative whole-person approach that has made his treatment center one of the top 10 depression treatment facilities in the US, Dr. Jantz reveals the treatments, practices, and lifestyle changes that can provide lasting relief from depression—by addressing its chemical, emotional, physical, intellectual, relational, and spiritual causes. Not all depression is the same, and not all people with depression are the same. Healing Depression for Life will help you find the missing puzzle pieces that could make all the difference in overcoming your feelings of helplessness and hopelessness and put you on the path to lasting joy.
Healing Depression for Life by Dr. Gregory L. Jantz Ph.D. and Keith Wall is available wherever books are sold.
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