We Live in Troubled Times: How to Guard against Depression

 



It’s hard to stay steady when the world feels uncertain. News cycles churn, communities fracture, and the pace of change can leave even the strongest among us feeling disoriented. Depression often begins quietly — not as a dramatic collapse, but as a slow erosion of energy and meaning. The question isn’t whether we’ll face discouragement; it’s how we’ll respond when it comes.

1. Anchor in the Tangible

When life feels abstract and overwhelming, return to what you can touch. Cook a meal. Sweep a floor. Walk outside and notice the air. These small, physical acts remind the body that it still belongs to the world — that life continues in ordinary rhythms even when headlines scream chaos.

2. Limit the Noise

Constant exposure to distressing information can distort our sense of proportion. It’s okay to step back from screens and let silence do its work. Curate your inputs: read deeply instead of scrolling endlessly. Choose voices that inform rather than inflame.

3. Keep Human Company

Isolation feeds despair. Connection interrupts it. Talk with someone you trust — not necessarily about your worries, but about anything real: a shared meal, a memory, a plan. Depression shrinks the world; conversation expands it again.

4. Move Toward Meaning

Purpose doesn’t have to be grand. It can be as simple as caring for a pet, tending a garden, or helping a neighbor. Meaning is medicine. It reminds us that our actions matter, even in small ways.

5. Seek Help When Needed

If sadness deepens or daily life feels impossible, reach out for professional support. Therapists, counselors, and doctors exist for this reason — not because you’re weak, but because you’re human. Healing often begins with the courage to ask for help.

Troubled times test our resilience, but they also reveal it. Depression thrives in isolation and noise; it weakens in the presence of care, quiet, and purpose. The world may not calm down soon, but we can learn to live within it — steady, grounded, and still capable of joy.

image and some content/research AI-generated

For other posts about depression, click HERE.


post inspired by Depression Anonymous by Dr. Dennis Ortman.

Book Description:

When you feel depressed, suffering from a deep sadness, do you feel powerless over your mood? Does your life feel unmanageable because of it? Does your preoccupation with past hurts and regrets interfere with your life? Do you feel hopeless about finding a cure for your depression? If you answer "yes" to these questions, you may be addicted to your mood. It acts like a drug that sedates, numbs, and possesses you, causing you to sleepwalk through life.

Viewing your depressed mood as an addiction, Dr. Ortman guides you through the time-tested Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous to find healing and growth. He shows how the Steps offer practical wisdom to awaken your spirit deadened by your depression. The Steps provide guidance for your personal journey into the darkness of your mood so that you can discover your true self and release the Power within you.



Comment from President and Founder, Psychological Counseling Services Ltd


Dr. Dennis Ortman does an incredible job with his books. He does an excellent job of using the 12 Steps to provide practical guidance for the millions of people who have problems where anger, depression, or anxiety rise to the top in terms of "the presenting problem" in their lives when they come for therapy. His books provide very useful tools to deal with getting to a better place and having a life that functions better, including more serenity.

Ralph H. Earle, PHD, ABPP, MDiv, LMFT, CSAT
President and Founder
Psychological Counseling Services, Ltd (PCS)
Scottsdale, AZ



THIS BOOK WAS SELECTED AS A FINALIST FOR
BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
(FOREWORD REVIEWS)





For more posts about Dennis and his books, click HERE.

For more information about this book, click HERE.






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