[maclaudser]

bluseyboy,

the advice you have gotten so far has been very good. there are many kind souls here that freely offer their love and energy. i would like to echo the following statements already posted:

negativity? use it. positivity? use it. adopt a balance, and, from there, sink into your depth point, your center of gravity, in perfect silence. set your attitude, your course, by your own design. move in a balanced fashion if you don't want to fall down. and if you do fall down, get up again--unless you've got something better to do. enjoy gravity. you can always try changing your interpretation of the way you're feeling. instead of thinking of it as depression and a bad thing, see it as a purging of your soul and remember that without a little bit of sadness in your life, the pleasures would begin to mellow; we need the ebb and flow to survive in this body in this world. it was made that way. i'm not sure i could phrase it any better. i used to get very upset with myself when i was down, but now realize there are important lessons to be learned while in these states.

the rough seas of catalyst can push any of us around, so don't feel weak for having difficulties coping. think of swimming against a rip tide; constantly fighting until you wear yourself out and drown. when all along, if you just go with the flow, you'll reach a spot where the strength of the current lessens and you can regain control, swim parallel to the shore, and get back safely.

in my experiences i've found that when i "ignore" these states and fight them, i end up wearing myself down, and my ability to recover is lessened. its a very difficult thing to do; balancing observation with experience, all the while seeking the lesson to be learned. but you'll get out of it.

i'd like to end with another snip from this thread

write down your feelings to let them out. while this may seem very simple, it is a powerful exercise that will help speed the process. simply putting a name to an emotion and recognizing it lessens its impact.

good luck to you friend. know that you are not alone in struggling, and that if you ever need a little boost, there are more than enough here to help.

art