Controlling Your Outlook On Life

Research has shown that positive thinking can increase your energy levels and make you happier. This might seem like a tough thing to do, though. How are you supposed to stay positive all the time, especially when times are rough? The answer to this will differ from person to person, but what the basic common denominator boils down to is that your attitude plays a large role in your mental health. Simply wanting to feel better can make you take steps toward actually feeling better. And when you are feeling better, you can do the things that you most enjoy doing.

This might seem psychosomatic, and in a way it is. But it doesn't matter how you get to feeling better. The end result speaks for itself. If this strategy works, even if it is a psychosomatic thing, why would you not do it?

In his book Feeling Good, Dr. David Burns takes a look at depression and how it can be beaten. His methods are mostly psychological in nature-in fact, he has seen results in depressed patients even without the aid of antidepressants. Simply changing your outlook on life can make you feel better.

If this is true, and there are many studies out there that indicate that it is, manipulating your outlook on life's events can actually make you a happier person. With so many people suffering from depression, anxiety, nervousness, and guilt, this is astonishing news.

How do you change your outlook? That remains the toughest question in Dr. Burns' research. He encourages patients to find the root causes of their problems-this is something that medications cannot do. Medications will help with the symptoms, but they do not pluck the root of the problem out. It's like mowing a lawn; the grass is cut short, but it isn't killed. You will have to mow it again next week.

Finding these root causes and turning them inside out can help you to fight against whatever limitations your depression has imposed upon you. This is because your depression isn't the thing holding you back, it's actually yourself. When you realize this, you become empowered to take back control of your life.

For many senior citizens, these problems might seem impossible to solve. But the truth is, the majority of the depression-like problems that seniors face can be treated in this manner. Antidepressants can be added in order to help speed the process along, but they cannot totally cure you. Mixing psychotherapy with medications is a great way to get the ball rolling and fight against the roadblocks that you face. Of course, you will want to find a doctor that you trust and who has experience with this type of situation. The bottom line is: you are the master of your outlook on life.