Job Search Depression :: Depression Clouds Everything

One of my favorite posts is Depression Clouds Everything, which currently has 377 comments.  The followup to that post is Dealing with Job Search Depression, which has 9 ideas from me and 34 comments.

Sadly, this is much needed information.  Recently, on Depression Clouds Everything someone left a terrific comment.  Thanks to “Struggling To Stay Positive” for this comment:

Dear Friends:

Here’s a list of resources that have helped me, and maybe they might be useful to you and some other people reading this message thread –

Books (mostly available on https://www.amazon.com as paperbacks for pennies if you buy a used copy. If you can’t afford to buy one, even for pennies, ask a friend or family member to purchase it for you):

1. “Getting Up When You’re Feeling Down,” by Dr. Harriet Braiker — a wise book, written for women dealing with a depression, but men can benefit from it as well.

2. “Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy,” by Dr. David Burns — a collection of useful techniques for dealing with depressing moods and shifting into a more positive outlook.

3. “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living: Time-Tested Methods for Conquering Worry,” by Dale Carnegie — an “oldie but goodie” written during the Great Depression and WWII, full of basic techniques for diminishing worry thoughts and focusing on solving problems.

4. “Happy for No Reason,” by Marci Shimoff — summary of her interviews with “100″ people, many of them now “New Age” teachers, who had various techniques for being happy even in really, really bad situations.

5. “The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want,” by Sonja Lyubomirsky — summarizes basic optimistic thought techniques that have been tested by rigorous scientific research — the author is a research psychologist — the techiques are very simple and almost ridiculously easy.

The author summarizes research that shows that positive thinking, even in very negative situations, improves your life. Brain research indicates that as you shift to positive thoughts, new neural pathways are created in your brain, gradually making negative pathways less powerful.

6. “Learned Optimism: How To Change Your Mind and Your Life” by Dr. Martin Seligman. One of the first books of the new scientific “positive psychology” movement, discussing how to shift a person’s pervasive pessimistic thinking to optimistic thinking.

7. “The Miracle of Mind Dynamics,” by Rev. Dr. Joseph Murphy — for Christians and other people inclined to spirituality, an “oldie but goodie” connecting prayer and meditation with ways to increase positive thinking.

8. “Building Your Self-Image and the Self-Image of Others,” by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin — for Jews and other people inclined to spirituality, a very good mix of practical instruction on maintaining positive thought patterns in a spiritual context, even in really bad situations.

Websites:

1. The Good News Network — good news not covered by the mainstream media –

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/

2. Positive Thinking Radio — really good free podcasts to listen to when times are tough –

https://positivethinkingradio.com/

3. Positive Psychology News — free daily email newsletters on positive thinking techniques from the new scientific positive psychology movement

https://positivepsychologynews.com/

4. American Happiness Association — provides free resources, such as teleconferences, for people who are having a tough time –

https://www.americanhappiness.org/

Finally, for everyone who may be feeling so depressed that suicide is looking good or someone you care about may be reaching that point:

1. “Suicide: Read This First” — a no-nonsense website that speaks directly and respectfully to peoples’ pain

https://www.metanoia.org/suicide/

2. “Lifeline Gallery: Stories of Hope and Recovery” — a website containing podcasts from people who either attempted or survived suicide attempts; also contacts podcasts from family and friends dealing with the aftermath of suicide attempts and completed suicides of friends and family members.

Website is sponsored by Dr. Phil, the podcasts are free to listen to, and other resources are provided on the website.

3. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline — practical, common sense website filled with free resources for people dealing with a suicidal crisis, including a free 1(800) line to call.

https://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/Default.aspx

4. Suicide.org — a very kindly, warm website jammed with resources for people feeling suicidal and people trying to help suicidal family members

https://www.suicide.org/

Discouraged [referring to someone else who left a comment on the original thread], I hope that you and anyone else reading this resources list may find some of them helpful. I wanted to “give back” as this message thread as been so helpful to me.

Many blessings to everyone on this message thread.

Hopefully this continued discussion helps someone – a job seeker, a spouse, a parent, a child, a neighbor, who faces this today.