Having an anxiety disorder often means that you will likely also struggle with depression at some point. I mean how could you not? There is only so much a person can take before they feel exhausted and defeated by their constant introspection and seemingly futile search for relief.
This video of American surgeon and author Sherwin Nuland is a great example of what depression and anxiety can do to a person but also what they can do to recover. The treatment used by Nuland, electroconvulsive therapy (shock treatment), is somewhat outdated and kind of brutal sounding but it did wonders for him.
However I wasn’t so focused on the electroshock therapy, although interesting, more than I was focused on Nuland’s attitude toward his depression and OCD . His "ah f**k it" attitude is the thing that got my attention. And it wasn’t for the sake of vulgarity, it’s just that this simple phrase says so much about how he finally decided to cope with his obsessive thoughts and depressed mood and it is … what’s the word or phrase I’m looking for, honestly simple.
I thought his story and the talk he gave could serve as an inspiration to anyone suffering from OCD, depression and anxiety. Having such conditions means dealing with adversity daily and so often for anxiety and depression sufferers it becomes only about the problems, the negative thoughts and symptoms. This man struggled with and still lives with this condition but still leads a good life. It can be done we just have to find a good starting point for ourselves and I think our own thinking patterns is the best starting point of all.
Paul – that video was just amazing! I struggle with obsessive thoughts/safeguarding behaviours alongside my anxiety and Sherwin’s words are so profound. I am keeping close the idea that I can rise like a phoenix from my cirrent condition, and live a life more beautiful than before. That’s POWERFUL. Thank you so much for sharing, Paul – you can’t know what a HUGE difference AG is making in my recovery and I shall be forever grateful.