Battling and Beating Intrusive Thoughts, Anxiety, Depression, and Ticks

The human mind is painstakingly complex. If you are plagued with intrusive thoughts, anxiety, depression and nervous ticks like I used to be, know two things. One, you're not alone, and two, you can beat them in totality. I struggled for years before finding just a few simple methods to knock them all out in a matter of days. And trust me, it works without failure if you do it correctly. 

Let's begin with intrusive thoughts and thought patterns. First, this is not to say that you cannot try to exercise any control over your own thoughts. You most certainly can. That's what focus means. So do not take this post as an assertion of complete helplessness when it comes to your mind.

Almost every human being alive struggles with unwanted and intrusive thoughts. You would be hard pressed to classify it as a mental disorder because it's basically normal. So you're not inherently mentally ill and you're not possessed. You're just human. Remember also that there is no pill that can stop unwanted thoughts. There is certainly medication that can lessen your anxiety, and therefore, deplete your focus on them. But there is no medication that can make you stop thinking something. So don't try that route, it's a fool's errand. 

And then of course, there is also the matter of anxiety, depression and nervous ticks, which mostly are mental disorders but not unconquerable. A nervous tick is movement of the body that you use to deal with stress. For instance, I used to push my Adam's Apple down to the bottom of my throat repeatedly, even when I didn't have to swallow. I would also flex the muscles of my arms to the point that it started to make my hands numb, and I would flick my thumb against the rest of my fingers. 

So how do we stop all of these thoughts and actions? What a lot of people don't realize is that the following methods are successful against all of it, which I will explain at the end, but we will begin with intrusive thoughts.

1. Realize that your thoughts are not you. If they were, you could completely control them. But when something comes into your mind against your will, obviously you are not the one controlling it. It's not you. Tell yourself that right now, and realize it. The Gods do not hold you responsible for something that isn't you, and neither should yourself. Trust the Gods and yourself to know the truth of things.

2. When you have an intrusive thought, realize that you are an observer. Step to the side (metaphorically speaking) and choose to not give time, attention or power to that thought. The reason you have these thoughts is because you are giving power to them by trying to fight and avoid them, or you think they govern you in some fashion. You starve your mental chaos to death when you simply choose to not give it your time and attention. Let it pass and forget it. The more you do this, the less these thoughts will occur in you, and the less you will feel like your head is about to explode.

3. Apply the first two methods to your anxiety, depression and nervous ticks. When they come, or you feel them coming, realize it's not you, step to the side, and refuse to give it any time, attention or power. 

The more you implement these practices into your daily life, the more upper hand you will gain over your mind, body and emotions. I would venture even to say that you will notice a big difference after the first day. Gods love you always and best of fortune to you in all your battles.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Ancient Greek Guide to Cleansing, Banishment and Exorcism - Part 2 - Self Care

As we begin to learn how to deal with these issues, let's start with the basics: cleansing and banishment for our personal selves.

The easiest way to stop Energetics from manifesting and gaining power is to live a positive life. It will accomplish two things. One, a strong build up of positive will push negative out, and two, it will make it harder for negative energy to break in. An inferior force cannot penetrate or contend with a greater one. Walk up to a wall and push as hard as you can. The reason it won't budge is because there is a greater or equal amount of force pushing back. You simply don't have the power to get through. It's the same concept with energy.

The problem is that living a positive life is not easy, especially in our Age. We are constantly bombarded with negative media and politics, not to mention that life can become oppressively stressful if we don't know how to deal with it. Therefore, living a positive life is, I find, a practice. The more you do it, the better you will become at it.

A vital part of living a positive life is to have the Gods in it. The Gods are first and foremost in the life of a Hellenist. A Hellenist never stops living a highly spiritual life, and an extreme benefit of this is happiness and positivity. In the past, I've heard Hellenists say that they worship the Gods simply because it makes like more blissful. This is absolutely true. When the Gods are always kept in our minds, lives and actions, we are elevated to a state above the mundane.

Purification Processes

Being purified or free of impurity (physically, mentally and spiritually), is to banish miasma from our minds, bodies and souls, and elevate ourselves above the reaches of toxicities that so often inhibit human life, progression, and separate us from the Gods. In order to keep yourself guarded against such pollutants, practice daily purification. Not just before rites, but throughout your day, starting in the morning, during the day, and before bed. It may sound painstaking, but it's actually quite simple, and will eventually become second nature.

The Mind

Your mind is of the most value to your physicality, for without the mind, the body is nothing. It's proven science that your thoughts and the state of your brain can and will effect your body and life for the better or worse.

Your brain soaks up everything that it comes into contact with, therefore it's imperative that you only expose it to positive atmospheres as much as possible. Forsake all willful negativity. If you do not have to subject your mind to it, then don't, such as negative media, people, and even your own negative thoughts. Refrain from excessive anger and needless confrontations, striving for peace and productivity whenever possible. Finally, contemplate nothing evil or immoral. We all have bad thoughts that come into our heads at times, but contemplation means to actually conspire with it. Just as keeping bad toxins out of your body is essential to bodily health, so is keeping them out of your mind essential to mental health.

The Body

Keeping your body healthy and purified on the outside and the inside is the purely physical part of continued purification. If you defile yourself, or willingly expose yourself to filth and harmful substances, it will create pollution. Take a shower or bath every day, put on clean clothes, and don't be exposed to unnecessary impurities. The body can be purified of miasma through simple washing and purified water, spring water or sea salt water, or it can be as extreme as using sulfur should you come into contact with a dead body, but the latter is an unorthodox case for most people today.

On a more basic level, regular exercise is exceptionally terrific for maintaining a healthy body, as well as mind, because it betters your mental state and brain functions. I'd recommend starting a simple jogging routine on a daily or regular basis, for a couple of miles each time. You'll be astounded by how much better you feel, especially if you pair it with healthier eating. Not only were the ancient Greeks very athletic people, Games themselves were religious events, and while there was no 2nd or 3rd place, every athlete was strong and benefited from the physicality of the training.

The Soul

Not only are our spiritual selves kept pure by our connections to the Gods, but piety as well maintains this cleanliness, which of course assists in Divine connections. Piety also keeps the physical and mental clean. So what is piety? It is not only acting rightly in ritual but also in thinking and speaking goodly and rightly. That is to say, simply respecting the Gods.

For example, I was once visiting a couple of friends, and while on the topic of Greek religion, they started insulting the Gods. I kindly got up and left, not only because I didn't want to be around hubris and impiety, but because I could feel the pollution and negativity starting to build in the room.

The simple fact of the matter is that you cannot be both devotee and defacer, not even in a humorous way. Yes, there were Greek playwrights who sometimes made fun of the Gods, but these people were not mainstream citizens (most citizens were not playwrights), and men like Euripides of Athens were not only scrutinized for heresy, but spent their final days in exile. It's probably why Plato said, "Wickedness in the soul makes one impure."

Purifying Sickness

We all get sick, whether it be a simple cold or a more serious infection. Once you have recovered, throw away the clothes you wore while you were sick, wash your body in sea water or sea salt water, and then rinse with spring water or purified freshwater, and end with a prayer and sacrifice to Apollon, who is the God of healing and purification. If you have a disease that cannot be cured, maintain it as best you can. Take medication for it as prescribed. In short, listen to your doctors.

In conclusion of this section, I do not want someone to confuse purification with germophobia. It's not about washing your hands until they bleed, for that would also be a pollution. It's about attending to obvious pollutants and toxins in life and preventing them in all their forms.

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you in the next chapter,

Chris Aldridge.

Chapter One here.

Psychiatrists Prescribe Religion

People today act as though no medical professional or scientist seriously considers religion, but I know from experience that if you go to a mental health provider and tell them that your religion is something that helps you deal with and overcome your disorder and illness, they will tell you to keep doing it. 

Because the fact of the matter is that the universe and human life is an enigma and we understand virtually nothing about how things work or what lies beyond our own understandings. That's why if you go into the Self-Help section in Barnes and Noble, you'll find enough books to sink a battleship. We have our theories but we don't know really anything profound, except that life responds in a variety of ways.

Well over 10 years ago when I still lived in North Carolina, I visited a nearby mental health facility to talk with a therapist and psychiatrist, because my depression and anxiety disorder reached critically high levels. I suppose a place like rural North Carolina might be more spiritually open even in professional fields, but these were still licensed doctors and counselors with Master's degrees and PhDs.

When they asked me if I do anything on my own to deal with my mental health issues, I brought up my religion and how connection with the Gods does wonders, if not sometimes cures, my afflictions. "Well it sounds like your religion is very therapeutic for you," they said. I nodded and so did they. They consented to the idea that religion could be a form of medicine for me. Which, by the way, it has most certainly proven itself to be just that throughout the years.

The bigger question is, why and how? If mental illness is a real medical condition, then it cannot be cured by simply believing that it is. Something must intervene to turn the course. Our souls and minds are capable of reaching very high ascension, because they form the center of our being. Without them, no other part of us could exist. This means that the soul and mind have an immediate connection with Deity when they are opened to the Higher Powers. In fact, most studies have shown that religious people are less depressed than non-religious.

Anti-religious sects and hate groups would have you believe there are no benefits to religion and spirituality. They are just factually and statistically incorrect. It's one comfort I always have in this life and this world. No matter how hard or astray things get, I know the Gods are always there, and I can retreat to them for peace, healing and protection any time.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

How Do I Tell If It's A God, Mental Illness or Something Else?

Throughout human history, and even today, the Gods speak to us in a variety of ways. But such a claim isn't always perceived in our time as being something normal, when in fact it very much can be. Many years ago when I began seeing a psychiatrist for my depression, I mentioned to her that the Gods give me comfort and that comfort helps me battle the depression. She wasn't hostile or disrespectful, although at one point during the conversation, she asked, "But you don't hear Gods talking to you and telling you to do things, right?" I replied no, because that was the truth. The Gods have never spoken to me in a human-like voice, as my wife or a friend would. The Gods have spoken to me through my emotions, instincts, dreams, and at times, omens. I think this is probably the way they communicate dominantly with most people. Can the Gods speak to us with a human-like voice? Of course, because they can do whatever they want, but perhaps these days they refrain from it because they don't want someone being locked up for insanity when they're not. In the old days, people understood that the Gods are real. Today, many people have been taught that there's no way a sane person could hear a Deity. It's just not the case, however rare it may be.

But what if someone does indeed hear voices talking to them, claiming to be Gods? And what if that person is of sound mind, or at least appears to be? What do we make of it? How do we know it's a God talking to us or if we may be having mental health issues? For that matter, what if it's neither? Is there something sinister, like a haunting or a spirit with negative intentions? To me, the answer is simple. If it's a God talking to you, they're not going to instruct anything bad or harmful, because the Gods are always good. The Gods aren't going to tell you to kill yourself, cut yourself, hurt another innocent person, or anything which is negative or filthy. Miasma (pollution) is not of the Gods.

I think back to the ancient proverb, "If the Gods do evil, they are not Gods." Meaning that if something or someone is telling you to do evil, or is doing evil, they are not Gods, even if they claim to be. So to my mind, that's how you know. It's understanding the difference between good and evil, negative and positive, and the nature of the Gods themselves. Therefore, if you do hear a voice(s) driving you to do the bad things I have talked about, you should probably seek mental healthcare and spiritual counseling from your clergy. A good dose of both will do wonders for you.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.