Like a list. Perhaps 3x5 cards. Perhaps on a pad. Or perhaps write a worry list and put it in a God Box. Something physical. That is where I would start.

My point? Making your problems visible is the first step toward solving them. Even if you believe you know perfectly well what your worries are.

Recently a young college sophomore wrote to ask me for help. In part, she wrote, "My name is Jaimie and I am a sophomore in college. I wrote you perhaps a year ago (not that I expect you to remember) and noted that your Layers of Aloneness Theory could be paralleled to religion in many aspects. I am writing to you now because I have been quite depressed for a while. I have felt this way on and off for several years, but it does not usually stay this long at a time. I am not happy with myself nor with my life and would really like to be happy again. I suppose I am just asking for advice on depression and where to look for help without using drugs."

This was my reply.

Hi Jaimie,

Well, I do remember; you made me smile with your suggestion that I might be reconciling science and spirituality. Something like that.

As for some suggestions, you offer some clues to some pretty good starting places in what you wrote.

[1] I have a lot going on inside my head most of the time and it feels like a large mess. Here is where I would begin. And often have in the past. Thus, when my head gets filled with too many ideas, I transfer what is in there to something out here. Something physical. Like a list. Perhaps 3x5 cards. Perhaps on a pad. Or perhaps write a worry list and put it in a God Box. Something physical. That is where I would start.

My point? Making your problems visible is the first step toward solving them. Even if you believe you know perfectly well what your worries are.

<ing to you now because I have been quite depressed for a while. I have felt this way on and off for several years, but it does not usually stay this long at a time. I am not happy with myself nor with my life and would really like to be happy again. I suppose I am just asking for advice on depression and where to look for help without using drugs."

This was my reply.

Hi Jaimie,

Well, I do remember; you made me smile with your suggestion that I might be reconciling science and spirituality. Something like that.

As for some suggestions, you offer some clues to some pretty good starting places in what you wrote.

[1] I have a lot going on inside my head most of the time and it feels like a large mess. Here is where I would begin. And often have in the past. Thus, when my head gets filled with too many ideas, I transfer what is in there to something out here. Something physical. Like a list. Perhaps 3x5 cards. Perhaps on a pad. Or perhaps write a worry list and put it in a God Box. Something physical. That is where I would start.

My point? Making your problems visible is the first step toward solving them. Even if you believe you know perfectly well what your worries are.

e to look for help without using drugs."

This was my reply.

Hi Jaimie,

Well, I do remember; you made me smile with your suggestion that I might be reconciling science and spirituality. Something like that.

As for some suggestions, you offer some clues to some pretty good starting places in what you wrote.

[1] I have a lot going on inside my head most of the time and it feels like a large mess. Here is where I would begin. And often have in the past. Thus, when my head gets filled with too many ideas, I transfer what is in there to something out here. Something physical. Like a list. Perhaps 3x5 cards. Perhaps on a pad. Or perhaps write a worry list and put it in a God Box. Something physical. That is where I would start.

My point? Making your problems visible is the first step toward solving them. Even if you believe you know perfectly well what your worries are.

places in what you wrote.

[1] I have a lot going on inside my head most of the time and it feels like a large mess. Here is where I would begin. And often have in the past. Thus, when my head gets filled with too many ideas, I transfer what is in there to something out here. Something physical. Like a list. Perhaps 3x5 cards. Perhaps on a pad. Or perhaps write a worry list and put it in a God Box. Something physical. That is where I would start.

My point? Making your problems visible is the first step toward solving them. Even if you believe you know perfectly well what your worries are.

Like a list. Perhaps 3x5 cards. Perhaps on a pad. Or perhaps write a worry list and put it in a God Box. Something physical. That is where I would start.

My point? Making your problems visible is the first step toward solving them. Even if you believe you know perfectly well what your worries are.

Why does this help? Because no matter what anyone tells you, we live in two worlds. A physical world and a non physical world. Worries in your head live in the non physical world. Writing them down completes their entry into life.

Sound too metaphysical? In truth, it does not matter. You see, all that matters is that you try it and see. If it helps, then great. If not, then try the next thing.

What you might also do here is, try to notice if, as you consider this idea, you feel intellectually resistant to "physicalizing" your worries. People who feel depressed often feel this resistance; literally they hope their depression will go away if only they ignore it long enough. It doesn't, and you feel worse over time. Why? Because depressions are like molds. They grow larger when you keep them in damp and dark places. Damp and dark is teary and inside you. Even if the tears never make it to the surface.

[2] Is the help of a therapist necessary? This depends on whether you, yourself, are willing to go down the road spiritual masochists like me go down (smile). What I mean is, many of my discoveries in and around human nature came directly from that I was too stubborn to ask for help. Or too afraid