By Susan deCaussin
As we enter the New Year, I’d like to take this opportunity to discuss a subject that is oftentimes swept under the rug – depression. It’s undeniable that with the rise in depression, there has also been a rise in our dependence on social media to amuse and distract us from daily life. I don’t believe for a minute that these two things are unrelated.
When we look at images of smiling people living seemingly perfect lives, it can be easy to feel like failures in our own lives. And the more we scroll through those images, the more that belief becomes reinforced in our minds. Logically, we all know that pictures can be staged, altered, and presented in a way that tricks the audience in misleading ways. It’s also easy to forget that a picture is nothing more than an instant of time plucked out of a lifetime of moments. But it’s much easier to take things at face value and not question them.
I had a wake-up call when a friend reached out to me in dire need of support. This individual was deeply depressed and couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that they were living a substandard life when compared to everyone else around them. Ironically, I had just been thinking of this individual a couple of weeks earlier and checked their Facebook page to see if they had any new posts. I was delighted to see images of smiling faces, fun events, and exciting experiences. It gave me the impression that they were doing great and living their best life.
Feeling confused and conflicted, I asked why they felt like everyone had a better life than they had. Believe it or not, this individual had come to that conclusion from scrolling through social media and seeing everyone else’s postings. So, I turned the tables and pointed out what was contained in their postings. I shared how one could easily assume that everything was exciting and perfect if they took those images at face value, as I did when I scanned through their stuff.
Now, stop for a minute and take that in. Have you fallen into the trap of believing that your life is subpar by drawing the same types of conclusions? I hope that by sharing this example with you, you’ll catch yourself before you make any assumptions. Let’s not forget about our true Spiritual journey. Our souls all decided to come to this crazy, Earthbound experience so that we could experience the tremendous accomplishment of getting through difficult times. You can’t deny that it does feel amazing when you navigate your way through something really tough.
If you find yourself feeling a bit hopeless and are having a hard time shaking it off, remember that there are resources all around you that can help. This is why we’re all sharing this life experience together – so we can lean into each other when it gets hard to stand on our own. Through spiritual guidance sessions and clinical hypnotherapy, I help people shift how they see their lives and the world to see things from the proper perspective and feel empowered to make the necessary changes to regain control. Many other resources exist, such as church communities, professional counselors, life coaches, etc. See what you feel drawn to and move in that direction. It all begins with a decision to make a change.
I wish you all a year filled with empowering experiences and unimaginable joy. Many blessings! Susan