It’s interesting how they say depression and anxiety are two sides of the same coin. I have suffered from depression/anxiety on and off over the years and to be clear I fully believe in medication as a buffer. It has helped me on numerous occasions.

I have grown more skeptical over the years though as depression outside of things such as bipolar and and schizophrenia actually having a non stop biological structure that can’t be impacted by changes in perspective and having the right coaching etc to bring the person out more fully.

I’ll never forget the mens retreat I was on earlier this year and the second coaching session made the whole event worthwhile and literally from that moment on I have not touched my medication.

I feel in our therapy culture we can spend time going over and over things and not switching the depressed state but actually reinforcing it. Anxiety is ultimately fear and the antidote of that is courage. I’m not saying that someone who is anxious or depressed lacks courage at all but rather maybe the way on their journey has likely become a bit lost and is going around in loops and just needs to get centred, be able to regain control and then get a new focus on where they are heading.

I remember really leaning in during this intense session then it was like I was suddenly coming into my body more. I got really angry, then I grieved a loss of someone I felt I’d pushed away. It was followed by a series of dreams I’ve had over the years of playing video games (buried passion of my meness coming back).

To reiterate I have taken medication and am a big supporter. Once my depression was diagnosed as severe and another time I’m not sure I could have started hobbies (like running which lifted me significantly) and lead to me ultimately coming off them. I think what we see often though is very long term use of medication and if we think about people on them are they actually getting happier through them which is supposedly the idea ? My stance is that medication is a buffer to get to a greater equilibrium but by the right help we are ultimately able to blast through into our passionate full lives.