Depression is the most crippling disease of all! Unlike a physical ailment, which can easily be diagnosed and then pinpointed, depression literally eats away at us inside. Being a  mental issue, it is one of the most powerful, and so the most difficult condition to overcome. What about therapy? This is the usual treatment method. Years and years later, many patients, get some relief. The total abolishment of depression, is however seldom completely eradicated by therapy alone. The therapists are doing everything they know how and have been taught, but often it is not enough. Drugs to the rescue? Now I am a strong anti-drug campaigner- however, in this particular instance, I need to concede that on the road to recovery, drugs could have some little part to play. Let me immediately say that I am totally opposed to the taking of drugs to mask a symptom, instead of eliminating the source.  However, consider the following analogy: We are often taken down the road to healing by the motivation and belief that healing is to a large extent an internal mental conditioning process. In a way this is similar to someone wanting to  learn to run, after he has only been walking up to now in his life. For a normal reasonably healthy individual this is quite possible. Using gradual teaching, and developing a step by step method of progression most everyone may run. So you could say to the prospective runner, get up and run. If the motivation is there, the skills will be acquired and the person will learn to run. But what if that person had a broken leg. I think you will agree that no matter how motivated the prospective runner is, the leg would first have to heal, before any progress can be made. Equate this to someone suffering from depression.   He is told, to mentally focus on the thought processes that will lift him out of the depression. But - if he is too deeply into the depressive state, actual chemical imbalances have occurred in his brain. Just like the runner with the broken leg, he just cannot get his thoughts into the correct channels. In this case, a drug might be justified. Once the chemical imbalance is controlled,  the correct thought processes can evolve, and the healing can begin. Now I wish to reiterate again, that staying on those chemical crutches (drugs), is not going to help anyone except the drug companies' accountants. You still need to take responsibility for your situation and enable internal healing to proceed. Fix your depression. You need to accept that at some level, whether consciously or sub-consciously, you got yourself into this state of depression. So it is also in your power to get yourself out of this state. Realising this, and accepting this responsibility is the greatest step toward conquering your affliction. Notice the word responsibility - it has hidden within it response -and ability. So the minute you accept that you are responsible, is the same minute that you realise that you have the power to respond to the situation, you are able to respond. This is a crucial step, that is so often overlooked in so many things in life. It is so simple, yet often so difficult to implement. Understand and believe your way to happiness. OK that's quite a mouthful. Dr. Wayne Dyer, a well known author and philosopher probably said it best in the title of his book "You'll see it when you believe it" So what has this all got to do with depression and illness?  That statement from the good Dr. Dyer actually unlocks the key to some of life's greatest secrets, including healing. You see, without the belief that you can and will heal, your mind, does such a terrific job of keeping you where you are, that it is scary. Without going into too much detail here, you need to understand something about your functioning as a human being. Yes, you are computer controlled - by the most powerful computer known to man - your mind. The problem is often, incorrect programming of this computer. But this is a subject for another discussion. For now, realise that unless you are able to modify the programming of your mind (computer) away from what caused your current depression, you will merely reconstruct the same condition over and over again. The most powerful way to avoid this happening, is to believe in the new programming, and accept the reality of change in the future. This will guide your mind slowly into the right thought processes away from depression, to affect the change you are looking for. Without this acceptance, you may never discover the correct programming required to manifest the change you desire. If you close yourself off mentally, no new and more suited information (eg programming) can get in. Become open minded, focus on your desired outcome, and let the information come to you. Resistance and fighting with the wrong weapons, is futile and will only frustrate you. There is a vast amount of information, and explanations that cover this subject, and those will be topics of future articles. For now, become response - able, and believe! Let the happiness you deserve flow into your life. You have the understanding of at least one major factor in the determination of your overall happiness, if you read this far. You deserve to be happy!   Udo Vieth Udo Vieth is a qualified quantum therapist, advanced EFT and REIKI practitioner. Having overcome his own depression after many years of frustrating attempts, now shares what works.  Visit his website at: www.EasyHealthReview.com for more insights into healing.