Any number of conditions are often lumped under generic labels like “having the blues,” or “depression.” Consequently, we have cures from every profession, whether it be medicines like antidepressants, herbal substitutes, or encouragement from coaches, parents and friends not to feel what we feel. Psychology offers theories about depression being “anger turned inward” and works diligently to prove them by circular arguments wherein everything we say or do leads back to the same preconceived conclusions.

Rather than dip a toe into a swamp teeming with all sorts of lurking carnivores, I offer a simpler, more neutral way of addressing generic depression: Energy. After all, Einstein postulated that everything is energy about a hundred years ago. And the atomic age has been proof enough.

So in terms of energy, what constitutes depression? I like to use the analogy of water to illustrate our personal energy economy.

First comes supply. An all-weather spigot delivering clean water would suffice. But we will settle for putrid puddles and even devise elaborate strategies to beg, borrow and steal second-hand water from others when deemed necessary.

Likewise, we need adequate connection to a source of energy, generally like fuel for our bodies in the form of food. On a human level, social and intimate connections feed our minds and hearts, and the higher and more refined frequencies of energy, the better we like it. Intensity stimulates us, harmony comforts us, and love sustains our hearts. Or a theology, master's teachings, way of chanting, drumming, singing, or dance connects us to spiritual sources that feed our souls so we don't wither on the vine. Like water, we need connection and will fight to the death individually, and go to war collectively, in pursuit of various sources of energy.

Secondly comes some kind of container to hold it in. Whatever it may be. In the analogy of water, we need a bucket. The bigger the better. With a large bucket we can wander farther from source without replenishment, like the proverbial camel who has a built in water bucket in the form of one hump or two. Most of us have some form of bucket for emotional and mental juice, just like being able to take water with us so we don't have to hover around a hose bib day in and day out.

Problem with buckets most of us have concerns leaks. We feel compelled to attach ourselves to one another from fear that without constant supply, we would surely wither emotionally. So we call that love and write poems and form long lasting attachments, all because our buckets run dry quickly otherwise. People who do inner work patching holes in their containment fields need much less from fellow humans, and can end up not being needy at all. Then the challenge becomes how to remain full when there are so many demands to share, give away our supply to the needy (legitimately or not), and find ourselves fending off straws and dippers being poked into our buckets.

Those who reach the enviable state of connection to infinite supply can actually flow substantial volumes of energy to everyone around without running dry, but they are very rare, unfortunately. We call them saints, gurus and masters and continue soliciting from them even centuries after their passing.

Returning to the subject of depression, if we look at the energy economy, depressed symptoms may be due to lack of supply, leaks, or having to supply too many others. Deprivation, rather than something pressing down on us. Depending on what shows up, the solution would take us off in very different directions: do we need to do something about where we go for what we need? Or work on holding on to what comes to us? Or remove unnecessary constrictions and familial or social prohibitions like whether we deserve having something for ourselves?

If we pay attention to fundamental basics such as these, we can see that solutions along the lines of denying the symptoms cannot benefit us. Antidepressants, whether prescription or from a liquor store, subvert the basic need to develop better supply or do something about our containers. If we do not supply our bodies with clean water, we feel the effects cumulatively later in life in the form of disease and degeneration. When our connections to significant others are problematic, what we receive may be highly contaminated and come at steep prices. And the quality of our connection to Spirit determines whether our souls wither or flourish.

Tips for connection:
honor what we feel by connecting to our own core—sing about it write about it to release and let it go.
Many ways we go about locating a source come from how someone else did it and their way or their particular source may not be suitable to us; there are many mansions within creation, so allow yourself (and others) to find a particular flavor and practice that fits our own uniqueness.
People connections need to allow change and growth, so eliminate attachments that drain or limit our supply.

Tips for having a better container:
Notice where we are leaking.
Who is sticking a straw or dipping into our personal supply?
Eliminate hole producing concepts: like having to be (every) brother's keeper. Help them help themselves instead of just giving all the time.
Learn to say no to unwanted demands for help, emotional support, or connection that isn't mutual.

Tips for cleaning up:
Eliminate keepsakes and memorable objects that hold energy, rather than provide it.
Remove clutter, whether it be physical, old memories, embarrassments, whatever we trip over when we move around.
Remove parasites: people, intestinal, or energetic.

Every way we can release charged memories, objects and draining relationships will assist with bringing in and holding on to the energetic life blood we need to sustain us. After all we didn't take this jaunt to Mother Earth to become bogged down with unnecessary obligations, rules for living and requirements for sustaining organizations or significant others. We came here to have our own life and need to honor our purpose in doing so—whether we have full recall of it or not.

Much more on this and related topics can be found at HTTP://doihaftagrowup.com. You can take a test of just how well you mastered connection and subsequent foundational challenges and read related additional articles.

Author's Bio: 

Gary Robertson is author of DO I HAFTA GROW UP, THE ADULT GUIDE TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF CHILDHOOD. As director of Springs Foundation, a non-profit organization, he designed a program called Growing Bones that allows clients to reclaim missing elements of their developmental foundation and become truly grown up. Springs Foundation offers healing methods based in Energy Psychology and Energy Medicine. Visit HTTP://springsfoundation.org for more information.