The #1 Cause of Crippling Depression
With A Powerful Healing Exercise (2022)
Sept 22, 2022 by Bethany Latimer, M.A. LMHC
Table of Contents
Introduction
I have seen people who are hurt and depressed spiral into crippling depression rather suddenly, losing their energy and a desire to live. A lot of people face depression; 264 million people world-wide and that statistic is pre- covid (WHO, 2020). Crippling depression may include symptoms of major depression such as a loss of appetite or interest in activities, low energy or self-esteem, frequent crying, feelings of guilt, and thoughts of suicide (APA, 2013).
However, crippling depression is exactly how it sounds. A person in crippling depression will look depressed, but it goes a step further. They cripple under the weight of it, where functioning ceases. After 15 years as a counselor, I would like to offer my professional opinion on the #1 cause of crippling depression. I back up my opinion with research and give you access to a guided audio meditation I recorded, called Pretend Death Meditation. It is my mission to support others to access information and healing from mental health illnesses and crippling depression. For that purpose, let’s dive into some perspective.
About the Author
Understanding the Energy of Crippling Depression
It is easy to think depression results from a traumatic situation, like a loss or a break up. A break up or the loss of a loved one can be very painful, and can lead to crippling depression. But, for many it doesn’t. We can experience great grief and sadness over a loss, without depression resulting. Then, why do some people freeze up under by crippling depression? I am going to break this down.
In order to heal from situations, a person pauses long enough to grieve and reflect on life without a loved one. This is a natural process, and for a good majority of people ~ they come out of it. Painful situations are a trigger. It is natural when you get hurt, like falling off a bike and scraping an elbow, to hold the pain to make it better. A person feeling a painful emotional trigger will also pause to attend to it. What happens after that will determine if crippling depression results.The more pain ~ the bigger the pause. The bigger the pause has more potential for the body to shut down. If a person determines a painful situation to not be devastating, then it will not define a person’s next actions. They can simply go about their life after the pause.Unfortunately…, if hurt and pain trigger devastation, the person can cripple under the pause. If the person remains in this pause long enough, the energy in the brain and body will slow, causing the cells to slow to a stop, and a person to experience crippling depression.
The #1 Cause of Crippling Depression
The #1 cause of crippling depression is stuck energy in the body. The longer a person pauses into the grief the more likely they are to experience crippling because the cells begin to slow down and die. A person considers, “I’d rather be dead than feel this endless pain.”
Crippling Depression results because
The person hurting
Does not return from the wave of grief
Or the experience of hatred and rejection
They remain stuck
Inside where the energy stopped
~ Bethany Latimer
To avoid crippling depression, the cells in the brain and body must re-activate and move, after the pause. Following a brief review to see if research supports this perspective, I introduce a powerful meditation healing exercise and you are welcome to read a brief case review on the side bar.
Case Review
Supportive Depression Research Findings
Research findings show when a brain has reduced grey matter it means cells have died. Bora, E., et al (2011) confirm reduced grey matter, in the anterior cingulate cortex, is the primary consistent finding in major depression research. In further support, on the home page of Hydrocephalus Association (2021) researchers mention “Neuron death is at the heart of grey matter injury.”
When a person with depression stops moving, it reinforces the depression through cell death. Crippling depression is a deeper experience of depression and logically makes sense that a person who is not functioning becomes suddenly crippled (stop moving, emotionally numb, disconnected state, ruminating on the pain, and completely disengaged from life).
Ideally, there will be research on crippling depression to discover how many days a person can pause to deal with devastation, before the weight of crippling depression results. If not already, research should investigate the contexts and cognitions that define devastation, and which factors significantly contribute to crippling depression.
Treating the Extreme Energy of Crippling Depression
Everything is energy. In order to overcome depression movement is needed. A person deep in serious or crippling depression has no energy or desire to move. So, in this situation, to quickly help a person with crippling depression, they could go in the opposite direction to begin recovery. By using meditation to dive deeper into stillness, this will trigger the cells in the body to wake up.
Meditation recharges the body energy to wake up. The Pretend Death Meditation has the potential to be a life-saving exercise, for those who consider suicide. A few of my clients, with suicidal thoughts, practiced the pretend death meditation and benefited greatly. I recall a client stating he did this every morning upon waking, and it gave him such a feeling a peace he was motivated to get up and start his day.
Color Quiz
Pretend Death Meditation
Introduction
In this article, I introduce and offer you an audio guided meditation where you pretend you are dead. The key word is pretend. I personally have practiced pretending to be dead in meditation and found it extremely peaceful, enlightening and healing. The body and brain do not know the difference between pretend and real, which gives you a nice advantage in this process. Osho discusses the benefits of practicing dying in The Book of Secrets (1998).
During Meditation
By pretending you are dead, you will feel a shift inside you towards relief and resolution. There is no need to fear as you will be breathing during the meditation. Below is a link to the guided meditation I recorded. If you decide to try it, you will feel relief and peace. Then, the energy in your body will react to that feeling.
After Exercise Recommendations
Make certain when you get up after, you continue to connect to the peaceful feeling, while you slowly move your body physically. You can then resume your normal activities (don’t overthink things). I recommend taking a walk outside and drinking some water following the exercise.
Use the Mediation as many times as you find it helpful. The picture below is a link to the audio meditation. This is only a supplemental exercise. It is not the only thing you need to be doing to overcome grief, anger or depression. Seek counseling for help too.
Think of this exercise like hitting the reset button on your body. You can hit the button, but it is necessary for you to take action afterwards to keep from spiraling down again. I encourage you to subscribe for access to my upcoming blog on the 23 natural ways to heal depression for more support.
Conclusion
Guided Meditation is an amazing supplement to therapy for speeding up recovery from different physical and mental health illnesses like depression. If you or someone you know has depression or any other form of mental health issue, subscribe to Sol Heals. We publish mental health blogs and guided meditations regularly. Check out our new on-demand therapy classes, not provided anywhere else, you can take privately from the comfort of your home soon.
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References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (5th ed). Washington, DC: Author.
Bora, E. et al., (2011). Gray matter abnormalities in Major Depressive Disorder: A meta-analysis of voxel based morphometry studies. Journal of affective Disorders, 1-10. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2011.03.049
Hydrocephalus Association (2021). White versus Grey Mater Injury. Retrieved from:
https://www.hydroassoc.org/whats-the-matter/
Osho (1998). The Book of Secrets. (1st ed.). St. Martin’s Griffin.
World Health Organization (2020). Depression Facts. Retrieved from:
