{"id":857,"date":"2014-08-12T17:48:01","date_gmt":"2014-08-12T23:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/theprinciplesofspiritualliving\/?p=857"},"modified":"2014-08-12T17:48:01","modified_gmt":"2014-08-12T23:48:01","slug":"genie-youre-free-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theprinciplesofspiritualliving\/2014\/08\/genie-youre-free-2\/","title":{"rendered":"“Genie, You’re Free”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Are you thinking about the death of Robin Williams today? With all the news channels reporting it, Twitter feeds going wild and the many photos on Facebook it\u2019s pretty hard not to think about it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m publishing this week\u2019s message early, unedited, unproofed and in completely raw form. Why? Because that\u2019s what many of us are feeling right now:\u00a0 raw emotions. We\u2019re feeling sadness at how much we\u2019ll miss his humor and crazy antics. We\u2019re experiencing rage or anger that he died. Why didn\u2019t someone see this coming, or why didn\u2019t his family or friends do something?<\/p>\n

As a minister, and also a licensed social worker, I\u2019m well aware of the truth of just how much depression and anxiety permeates our society. Studies indicate around 16 million Americans suffer from some form of depression and most of those cases go either undiagnosed or untreated. A psychiatrist one said, because he\u2019s a medical doctor, that a death from suicide to him is no different than any other death. How can that be? Isn\u2019t that callous? He explained that the reason he felt that way is that it is still a death from a disease \u2013 the disease of depression. In that light, it is no different to him than the death of a person from the disease of kidney failure, heart failure or a brain tumor.<\/p>\n

Ponder that a moment. Do you see depression as the dis-ease it is? It is a condition that is treatable through many methods, including medication, behavioral therapy and the complimentary treatments of affirmative prayer, meditation, movement, exercise and massage, to name a few. I have used all of those for my clients. But, more importantly, I\u2019ve use them for myself as well.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve dealt with, and at times suffered from, chronic depression from the time I was a child. I\u2019m 59 and I\u2019ve allowed this condition to affect me in various forms for about 55 of those years. I\u2019m no longer ashamed to say so, any more than I would be \u201cashamed\u201d to be dealing with diabetes, lung cancer, HIV\/AIDS or any other physical disease. Just as these other physical ailments can be treated through Spirit, mind and body, so can depression. At the time I\u2019m writing this we\u2019re hearing that William\u2019s death was a suicide. I don\u2019t know that for sure. What I know is an incredibly talented man, one who made so many of us laugh, cry and ponder ideas, is gone.<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t bring him back. What we can do in this country and abroad is stop vilifying people who are experiencing depression and anxiety like they are some kind of weaklings. It\u2019s a disease and it\u2019s highly treatable. Wouldn\u2019t you rather be the catalyst to someone getting help with their depression, rather than being yet another nail in the coffin by saying things like, \u201cJust pull yourself up from your boot straps,\u201d \u201cGet a grip!.\u201d Or \u201cMan up, you pathetic substitute for a man?\u201d<\/p>\n

If you know someone with depression, reach out to them. If you are depressed for more than a few days without have recently experienced tremendous loss, reach out for help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 and their website is http:\/\/www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org<\/a> where you can find links to local organizations.<\/p>\n

Reach out to a spiritual counselor who can help you deal with your situation and know you\u2019re not alone. If you\u2019re reading this then you have at least one person in your life whom you can get in touch with \u2013 me. Your spiritual counselor should also be able to help you get further assistance from\u00a0a licensed social worker, licensed professional counselor or other mental health professional. And, you can also make at request for confidential prayer support from the World Ministry of Prayer<\/a>\u00a0by clicking on the link in this sentence.<\/p>\n

No, this isn\u2019t my normal happy-peppy column. Being a spiritual being having a human experience means we must deal with all the human experience \u2013 all of it \u2013 even the parts we don\u2019t want to talk about. You are not alone. There is a Power within us that is greater than us that knows exactly how to help us move forward in life. Open up to that Power within and allow it to guide you to the perfect person or right action to face whatever is standing in the way of your happiness.<\/p>\n

With Spirit, Joy and Playfulness \u2026. and my love,<\/p>\n

Terry<\/p>\n

\"10521879_10152327862341406_8555321681755205096_n\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cGenie, you\u2019re free.\u201d<\/p>\n

R.I.P. Robin Williams<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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