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Deepak Chopra, MD
"EFT offers great healing benefits."
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques®) Where emotional relief brings physical health
Self help method often works where nothing else will No Drugs Involved ~ High Success Rate
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An intimate look at Depression
Hi Everyone,
Loretta Sparks provides us with this important article by her husband, Rob George--a sufferer of severe depression for many years. Here is a first hand account of the inner thoughts behind depression and some creative uses of EFT for its relief.
Among other things, Rob confides that..."One of my problems is depression. I think I love it.........Depression can even become delicious, in a delirious and deleterious sort of way."
Thus, Rob gives us an open door into the intimacies of his depressed thinking. Professionals should find this of great interest. I met Rob in person, a couple of years ago, and admire his forthrightness...not to mention the sense of humor that pervades his article.
Other items worthy of note in Rob's message are....
1. His use of "imagining the tapping." This is covered in our video set, Steps toward becoming The Ultimate Therapist.
2. Tapping on Depression in a generalized way. Please note that this method gives him consistent "current relief" for his Depression. I comment on this within his message.
3. He asks for your feedback at georgeCSDS@aol.com
Hugs, Gary
P.S. For an in-depth look at EFT's use for Depression see the special Depression section on our web site.
Dear EFTers,
Below is a detailed description of a powerful EFT intervention for chronic depression. The writer is my husband, Rob George. His courage, honesty and humor are reflected in his words as well as his desire to share them with you.
Loretta Sparks, MA
TAPPING ON DEPRESSION
Rob George
This particular writer and engineer has been employing relatively simple energy psychology and energy psychotherapy techniques upon himself for a number of years now, and while there cannot be any kind of "controlled experiment" in a single person's self-utilization of the techniques, I have found them to be very effective in many different and difficult circumstances. I wish now to briefly run through a recent successful experience with the procedure.
While somewhat familiar with Roger Callahan's extensive set of powerful Thought Field Therapy (TFT) tapping algorithms for specific situations, and a frequent user of the simple but effective Tapas Acupressure Technique (TAT) offered by Tapas Fleming, in this particular situation I employed Gary Craig's "one-algorithm-fits-all" Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) procedure.
Gary's straightforward and easily remembered technique and sequence of tapping points has become my basic workhorse to accomplish necessary miracles.
It is also noteworthy that rather than actually tapping out the sequence, I merely visualized the process and still seemed to get desirable results. As Gary emphasizes, we are indeed on the ground floor of a revolutionary psychotherapeutic high rise. I have conjectured (and would like to hear of other's thoughts on this matter) that (firmly) imagining the tapping sequence seems to work often in part simply because most of the same neurons and neural networks involved in the brain are exercised similarly whether or not physical tapping takes place.
Though Gary, and others, emphasize the importance of attempting to get down to and consider single specific issues rather than a general malaise, in this case I did the exact opposite. After all, doesn't Gary also emphasize trying new things? And it can't hurt, as we all know.
GC COMMENT: On many occasions we get impressive results by using EFT on the "general malaise" (or global problem, as I call it). People often tap in this manner and "feel much better now". Later when it "comes back" they tap again for relief.
I don't pretend to know all the inner workings of this process. However, in my experience, consistently EFT'ing the specific events in one's life that underlie the more global problem often leads to a more permanent resolution.
To each his/her own here. Please understand the principles of EFT and apply it in whatever manner works for you.
ROB CONTINUES: One of my problems is depression. I think I love it. At least sometimes. Depression can, of course, be living hell; I have experienced, off and on, that debilitating and petrifying psychological state for, evidently, a number of years. While recognizing depression to be unhealthy and perhaps even unnecessary (when I'm up), when I'm down, I'm submerged in that old familiar feeling of hopelessness. Depression can even become delicious, in a delirious and deleterious sort of way.
Anyway, having recently been unable to fall asleep and instead remaining awake in bed essentially all night long, becoming ever more depressed and deeply submerged in terrifying thoughts and futile struggles with insurmountable obstacles, the idea occurred that since I was evidently destined to stay awake that night, I might as well try tapping on some of those insurmountable issues. Anything to pass time. Not wishing to wake my wife Loretta, I decided to just imagine, as firmly as I could, the tapping sequence. I had done this before with what I considered to be frequent success.
So then I began. I processed one problem/malady/issue after another, but there were always more and deeper issues. It sure was a good thing EFT allows/requires one to concentrate on the problem, I thought. I was so down I only wanted to descend down further to visit my old friends, those frightening thoughts. I seemed to be getting nowhere, except that I now had more bad things to think about while I was awake.
Then, another thought occurred: why not try tapping on "Depression?" Sure, general depression was usually the result of a complex conglomerate of unpleasant issues and stressors, but maybe depression was also a single issue. Lord knows, I loved it at times for just what it was and actually could get depressed thinking about not being depressed. So, depression was treated as a single-issue problem. Below is roughly the wordage I used. I didn't get to sleep, as dawn broke, but I did eventually get up seemingly refreshed and not depressed -- damn it.
Setup: (Standard, accompanying Karate Chops and Sore Spot rubbing)
"Even though I'm sometimes depressed, I accept myself deeply and profoundly."
"Even though I'm depressed most of the time, I accept myself deeply and profoundly."
"Even though it seems I'm depressed all the time, I accept myself deeply and profoundly."
Algorithm: (With following morphing reminders)
EB: "I'm depressed."
SE: "I'm damned depressed!"
UE: "I've never been so depressed!"
UN: "I'm so depressed I can't get depressed enough."
CH: "Life's worthless without depression."
CB: "Depression's the only thing worth living for."
UA: "Why isn't everybody depressed?"
TH: "Everybody should be depressed; I'm depressed."
IF: "With this world, how could I not be depressed?"
MF: "Depression's the only hope."
LF: "This night's been miserable because of this depression."
KC: "Damn this depression."
9-Gamut: (Standard, accompanying Gamut Point tapping)
#7	: Sing: "Wish I had a drink right now" to the tune of "Mary had a little lamb."
Algorithm (Repeat):
EB: "Am I depressed."
SE: "God, depression's fun!"
UE: "Sure feels good to feel bad."
UU: "Depression's delicious!
CH: "It's really good when it's really bad."
CB: "Wouldn't have it any other way."
UA: "It's been too long since I've been depressed."
TH: "Think I'll go down deeper into this delicious depression."
IF: "What's the point of anything?"
MF: "What's the point of being depressed?"
LF: "Actually, depression's becoming a bore."
KC: "Depression lets everyone know I'm just thinking about myself."
It is the case that at the start of this "imagined" tapping, as with all "real" and "imagined" tapping I do now, I started off with a multifingered tapping on the top of my skull, the Crown Chakra. Don't ask where I got that; I just do it. It's a simple procedure that I like to think "wakes up" my whole brain, nervous system, and body, as in: "Wake up, me; we're going to try to communicate with the rest of the universe now." It amuses me.
Rob George
