How to feel good
By Oliver J. Blac
Perhaps ond only to the
common cold, depre 'on h s
become one of America's leading
and mo t difficuh-to-conquer
publi health problems.
How ver, unlike the common
cold, depression can destroy
lives. Depre sion can I ad to
drug dependency, sui ide, child
bu , broken marriages and a
, host of other ill including
poor health and premature
death.
hile all the an er are not
in on how best to combat the
depression epidemic, re arch in
the rea of cognitive therapy
suggests that for a variety of
complex social rea ons Ameri­
cans are increasingly forgetting
or "un-learning" how to feel
good.
This development is tragic
becau in the Una! analysis
depression is a result of our
thoughts - negative thoughts.
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In other words, our percep­
tion , mental attitude and be­
liefs determine to wh t extent
e "allow" ourselves to enjoy
life or simply feel better about
our day-to-day live .
Studies on how to feel good
are important to everyone even
tho of us who have not
deteriorated into a state of
depression.
But how doe one go about
feeling better?
Well, developments in cogni­
tive therapy suggest we must
begin with our thoughts and
. perceptions, advance to our
actions and arrive at a change
in our thoughts and perception .
As Dr. David D. Bums has
written in his book: The New
Mood Therapy, "The fn princi­
ple of cognitive therapy is that
Erik W ashingto�
Dear Erik,
I never thought I would
be writing you for advice, but
I'll try anything now. I'm
breaking up with the man that
I love. He says he doesn't really
know how he feels about me,
but he use to love me. ow its
over! He is not eing any
other women becau I have
been watching his apartment'
and going by his job almost
everyday. I want to know how
can I get him back.
S.K.,
Orlando, Florida
EN • WO E • CHILDREN
"For Ii look that's up with the
times. Come to LAD Y T'S"
TUES.-FRI.-8 a.m..e p.m. SAT. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
ClOSEDMO . ,
ENIOR ClnZE S DAY TUES.
926-6388 271 E. E PIRE
. _ _BENTO HARBOR
THECITIZE
all your mood are created
by your 'cognitions' or
'thoughts'. Stated differently,
unles there is a physical pro­
blem' the way you feel at this
very moment is a direct and
immediate result of the
thoughts you are thinking at
this very moment.
Thus it follows that the
most immediate and direct
method of altering behavior for
the better is to change if pos­
sible, what we think about but
more importantly how we think
about things - from per nal
problems to developments cn
the evening news.
I f it is true as cognitive
theory suggests that we feel
the way we think then how do
we break the vicious cycle of
negative thoughts producing
want in a relationship.
Always,
E' Washington
avy Seaman Recruit EDWIN
CURRY, son of Joseph E.
and Marsha S. Curry of 4114
Mead St., Kalamazoo, MI, has
completed recruit training at
Recruit Training Command,
Great Lakes, IL.
A 1982 graduate of Kalama­
zoo Central High School, Kala-
13
negative ways of living and tho
way of living in tum producing
further negative thoughts.
The an wer: positive actions.
At first this may ound like
putting the cart before the
horse. But s one ther pist
recently put it, ''We are more
likely to action ourselve into
better thoughts than we are to
think ourselves into better
actions."
Simply put: if you want to
feel better, you must think
better and if you want to thin
better, you must act better even
if you don't feel like it. There
is no other way to break the
vicious mood cycle.
Remember: our thoughts
perceptions and beliefs do not
ari out of the blue. They are
II the result of past actions.
Andy,
Pacoima, Calif.
rnazoo, he joined the avy in
ovember 1985.
avy Construction man Re­
cruit RO AID P. AUST
son of Barbara J. Pendergrass
of 605 S. Eighth St., Kalamazoo,
MI, has completed the avy's
Builders Course,
He joined the avy in May
You chan e them with positive
actions.
Feeling better t es action.
But many of us are busy
living our lives and trying to
be successful that we have for­
gotten how to enjoy ourselves.
For further informati n on
the subject of How-To-Feel­
Good write me in care of
Law-Tay Communications P.O.
Box 54041 ashington, I D
20032. ith the aid of a group
known a Better Feelings, In .
I have compiled a simple test
that will both help you to
identify why you don't feel as
good as you should and direct
you on how to adopt more
"feel-good" actions.
The test is free of charge.
Simply include 1.00 to cover
mailing costs.
But there has got to be a way to
make her feel like I do. I don't
want to give her up and I think
Dear Erik, that you can help me with my
I have been going with the problem but I wanted to talk
same woman for over a year with someone about the mess
now and we have broken up that I'm in. Thanks for being
our relation three times. around.
Twice e ha left me for
another man (same guy) and
becau she felt I was holding
her back from her career. She Dear Andy,
wants to be a model and I want Th for your letter. In
to help her all that I can. I regard to your ietter aD that
love her and e doesn't seem you can do i ju be yourself
to understnad or perhaps care. and hope that e can love
� :�n;i think it' a good idea .In the S e rvi C e
for you to be atchina h' job
d apartment. It's not od'
for you emotionaUy it'
for certain your ex-boyfriend
on t e it. Perhap you can
ite him letter d let him
o ho you feel or perbap
give h' a call and a to
him. Perhap time a ay from
each other c help you realize
your fcelio - for each other
d to evaluate h you
you for ju t th t.
Sincerely, .
Er· ington
- - -eTot a problem! Need
an answer? Or 0 you just want
to talk? Then write to Erik
Washington in care of this news­
paper or to: 'Dear Erik', Times
Square Station, P.O. Box 755,
New York, New York 10108-
0755-- ,.
1985.
avy aman Recruit
ROBERT J. ZOLE , on of
Joseph and axine Zolen of
836 Phoenix ., outh Haven,
I, has complet d recruit train­
ing at Recruit TI inin Com­
mand, Gre telL.