Positive Cancer

I though I would take time to talk about depression, in the context of helping people learn when their either “depressed” or headed for depression. If depression is the bottom of the emotion slope, then Cancer most certainly is oil on the hill, intent on making you lose your place and head to the low point. Positive Cancer is about staying Positive, but in order to stay Positive you need to know some of the symptoms of being negative.

I remember the second time I found out I had Cancer; I was with my wife and the doctor told us my Cancer had turned metastatic. At that moment I suppose I was more stunned than sad, but certainly I was not happy. Even through the next couple of weeks I was worried for my future, but never once did I become depressed. That’s not to say I wasn’t down, but if there’s one thing I know, it’s the difference between healthy sadness and unhealthy and negative depression. How I stayed away from depression may not work for anyone else, and as I always say I’m completely in favour of whatever your doctor or medical professional has told you. With that in mind, my method was simple. I monitored myself, everyday in every way and when I started feeling down I told someone, usually my wife. Just by naming the problem it focused my mind on it, and internally it triggered my urge to “fight”. I started going back to the gym, another great way to fight depression, and slowly I regained my footing on the hill of emotion and returned to relative normalicy, or as I call it, Positive thinking.

Clinically speaking depression is a sad mood that is present most days, invades your life, and lasts for most of the day. Many depressed people have moments of happiness, but the majority of their time is in the shade of misery, and not the sun of happiness. It’s said that depression is depression if it lasts for more than two weeks, or if it affects your relationships but I believe that depression can happen very quickly and that’s why you have to be aware of it immediately and not wait two weeks to self-diagnose. It’s a simple Positive Cancer thing: you feel sad, it’s okay but if you feel sad for a long time talk to someone, and try to dig through the feelings. Asking for help is as simple as opening up a conversation with someone you trust, and believe me, it helps.

Some specific things that can signal depression include weight changes, sleep problems, losing interest in friends and family, and fatigue. Now of course there are many, many other symptoms related to emotions, such as feeling helpless or having low self-esteem but you have to remember that whatever the symptom you think are depression related, probably are depression related.
This means that whatever you think is wrong with you really will or can be wrong with you, ergo the idea of positive thinking and Positive Cancer.

However your depression comes, however it triggers within you, in truth it’s the battle to be happy with the knowledge that you might be dying, that you are dying, or that you could die that makes the difference. I live every day under the specter of death, but I’m okay with that, and I’m not willing to let it affect me any more than I have to. Neither should you let it affect you. In part 2 of this topic I’ll cover strategies for how to deal with sadness and depression. Until then stay Positive, stay Positive with Cancer.