How can I get un-depressed?

Question

I recently viewed a lot of footage at school about the Holocaust. I haven't been able to get these images out of my head. I've been praying, and I've tried to think of other things. I agree that it's important to learn about history, and I have great respect for that. But HOW can I get this horrible feeling out of my heart? I seriously feel like I'm going to have a panic attack. Please help me.

Answer 1

This may not feel as though it helps NOW, but understand that the fact that you can react this way to Holocaust footage will mean something to others, as well as yourself, perhaps a little later on. It means you've not been a victim of the combination of severe apathy and the feeling that such things as concentration camps are normal - and believe it or not a lot of high school and college age persons in this era are not reacting with emotion of any sort at all when told of the Holocaust. They'll shrug or make jokes. It's even been known to cause some people to WANT a dictatorial government and in this day and age that may not be too far off without PEOPLE EXACTLY LIKE YOU ALIVE, talking about how you feel, and becoming active in making sure history does not repeat itself.

Because if you plug the words Halliburton and "detention and removal centers" into a search engine you will find out something that may deeply disturb you, as it did me. There are apparently a large number of disused military bases across the USA that are becoming converted into these "DARCs". The purpose is supposedly to detain illegal immigrants. Sounds very fishy to me because major corporations, especially agricultural corps and heavy industry, depend on illegal and thus unregulated and cheap labour for their prosperity, so I don't see these centers being built to detain immigrants. I fear they are going to be used to detain and "remove" dissidents, Muslims, drug users, mentally ill persons, or who-knows-what and whom, in the coming years.

Know that your witnessing the potential for cruelty and social acceptance of mass murder SHOULD disturb you, give you nightmares, daymares, and affect your life. This means you have empathy. You haven't "drank the Kool Aid", so to speak, and thus have my respect. Surely it won't be me alone who you will find respecting this. To help cure the trauma, find ways to become active in preventing history from repeating. Talk to young people, especially, who are growing up in this benighted century thinking that the past six, seven years have been "just the way things always are" whereas we who are older know it's not supposed to be like this. The executive branch of US government should not have unilateral power, and well, anything Halliburton is involved with, especially "detention and removal centers", is HIGHLY suspect. Get the word out. Help prevent another terrible world war and what could be a second Holocaust worse than Hitler's in future times which all too quickly become present times.

BTW I could not sleep without bad dreams for weeks after reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. You have my complete sympathy as well as respect.

Answer 2

Depression and trying to get out of it per say is a work for many in progress. First, there are things you can do and one of them is to not focus on the things you are bothered by and focusing on things that are more positive. There are some great biographies out there on Holocaust survivors who went on to have wonderful lives and do many things. For an example is the movie Shindler's List. Second, spend time out in the sun at least thirty minutes and get moving. Exercise can help with depression by releasing a number of chemicals in the brain. Happy ones! Third, watch a comedy such as the Blue Collar Comedy Club I think the third one is the best. Comedies promote laughter which is a depression stomper if ever there was one. Fourth, remember the prayer about having the wisdom to know the difference one. I don't remember it all right off so sorry on that one...meaning the past we can't prevent or change but we can make a difference in today and tomorrow when it gets here. So perhaps find a way to do something for the Holocaust like write a poem, a play, story, or put a collage together.

Hope it helps.
Deb

Answer 3

Have you been affected by a major trauma yourself? Maybe seeing Holocaust footage triggers bad feelings for you if have been through something traumatic. Have you ever been depressed before seeing this footage? Explore why this footage is affecting you so much and see if you can make some connections somewhere. If these feelings continue, definitely see a professional about it. Meanwhile, try to focus on positive things...watch happy movies, read books with good messages, spend time with people you care about, etc. Hope this helps!

Answer 4

One thing you can do is go to the video store and rent some DVDs that are uplifting and funny. Not to criticize your school for showing you such footage - they could as easily have shown you some current footage about what is happening around the world and scared the bejesus out of you just as well - but you need to think about getting those images out of your head now. Give yourself a steady diet of funny films, hang out with friends who are entertaining, read something that engages you.
In my high school years, we had to watch a presentation with graphic photos of dead teenagers in car crashes. It was supposed to make us drive more safely. As far as I can tell, it did not have that effect with any of my friends. They still would drink and drive. Luckily, I didn't have any friends killed on the highway when I was a teen but it had nothing to do that presentation, I can tell you that. They drank and drove.
This holocaust film also has some purpose and I think that the people who decide to show that film are somewhat simplistic in their thinking.

Answer 5

Most of Taylor Swift's songs aren't depressing: Love Story, You Belong with Me, I'm Only Me When I'm with You, Picture to Burn... The Zack Brown Band: Whatever It Is, Chicken Fried. Sugarland, very few of their songs are depressing or slow, but my favorite is It Happens. It's pretty funny too.

Answer 6

By volunteering at hospitals or grade schools, or charities. You cannot do anything to change the past, but by helping people in the present, you will honoring the people who suffered and died in the past. If people remembered the past and had the profound feelings you experienced, maybe we could have better furture. Talking about your distress to a close friend might help to get it off your chest.

Answer 7

You need to read positive stories to shake off the negative effects.

Reading about our mistakes affecting you that way means you should read about our successes some more.