Allyssa and Keith: Hope and Spiritual Care for Depression

By Dawna Roberts

Depression is often extremely debilitating and can turn your life inside out. Allyssa knows this all too well. Five years ago, according to her boyfriend Keith, she was lost. Then Allyssa and Keith attended a networking seminar that changed her life.

During the seminar, they were introduced to the Law of Attraction (LOA). Keith said this one idea gave Allyssa hope. LOA is the philosophy that thinking positively can bring positive things into your life, and dwelling on the negatives keeps you miserable and in a negative mindset.

Allyssa put what she learned into practice. After taking a year to practice positive thinking and engage in self-exploration, she was no longer feeling intense symptoms of depression. Currently, she uses her spiritual techniques to center herself and keep grounded. Recently, Allyssa started seeing a life coach for guidance in her day-to-day practice of positivity.

Keith is an excellent support for her and uses the same methods to stay positive in his life. He says Allyssa is much more self-aware and when she slips back into old patterns, they are open and honest and talk through it so she can get back to feeling positive again.

Allyssa has read The Secret, The Power, and many other helpful spiritual books to guide her journey toward a better life and alleviate symptoms of her depression. While Allyssa still has her down days, she has many more tools to process difficult emotions and distressing experiences.

Allyssa uses yoga, meditation, and self-awareness to bring herself back into the present moment when she is feeling overwhelmed or anxious. She has learned how to take a break from her “to-do” list for a while until she feels better. Allyssa can recognize the signs now when she is slipping back into negative behaviors or thoughts. She wants others with depression to know that “you are not debilitated with it, your mind is your most powerful tool. Once you learn how to use it, everything changes.”

Keith realizes that the best things he can do to support Allyssa on her journey are to be patient, let her find her own way, and support and love her the best he can. He also prioritizes taking care of himself as part of his spiritual journey. Their mutual respect for one another’s personal growth infuses their bond. They work as a team to help each other achieve higher goals and a better life separately and together.

Additional Resources

• Allyssa and Keith are featured in our new brochure, Adult Depression: Stories of Families and Hope. Visit our new caregiver videos and resources page and stay tuned for the brochure’s release!
• Depression and bipolar disorder affect families in different ways. Take a look at our Family Stories to see how different families manage living with mood disorders.
• Sharing your story can help others to feel less alone and eliminate mental health stigma. Submit your family story today.