This is my brother-in-law’s black dog. He’s a really sweet lab but is an ‘outdoor’ dog. He stays outside all the time. He has a pen, a doghouse and a really nice dog bed in the garage, but he’s never allowed in. He knows he can’t go inside so when there’s an open door the most he’ll do is poke his head inside and look at you with sad, heart melting eyes.

He’s never known anything but the great outdoors. Despite feeling bad for him when he sticks his old face inside and looks at the little Cairn terrier who gets to come and go at will, I can’t help but think how this is what TLC does for the black dog of depression.

Pulp Fiction came out in 1994 back when a $5 shake was pretty pricey. Well, before I went to see my dad last Saturday I stopped and bought him a chocolate shake at a nearby ice cream shop. Damned if it wasn’t close to $5 too - for a small. I had to taste it and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t really good. I don’t know if it was worth $5 but it was thick, creamy and very rich. I had to stop myself from sucking down too much.

For my own version of TLC, I need to have some kind of regular anti-anxiety practice. In thinking about how that fits with the whole TLC program, in emulating more primitive people, it seems that their slower pace in life was itself a kind of anti-anxiety practice.

They would get up & go to sleep with the sun, eat healthier, exercise more, have regular sunlight exposure, etc. they were living a simpler lifestyle that was more connected to the natural rhythms of life than our lives are today. Their work was more focused on one thing like growing crops, hunting, fishing, etc. There was no ‘multi-tasking’ to distract them and raise their anxiety level with the increased demand on time, abilities, responsibilities, etc.

Mid 80s with some rain mixed in and my yard is looking really good. I’ve taken the time to slow down, pay attention and enjoy it. Stopping to smell the roses so-to-speak. It helps to pay attention to the outside world and get out of your own thoughts and concerns if only for a moment here and there. This is true for everyone but especially those walking a black dog.

Running tonight after work I was surprised at how strong the inertia was. For the first several blocks I just wanted to stop but a few minutes later it was as though a switch had been flipped and I felt much better. It turned out to be one of the better runs I’ve had since the weather warmed up. Despite my wandering mind I found some amount of ‘flow’. The air was cooler, there was less humidity and my mind and body relaxed into the pace of my feet falling, my arms swinging and my breathing.

A key part of the TLC program is ‘Flow’ activities. Those things we do that we enjoy and become absorbed in - lost in - to the point where we loose track of time. In a sense they are timeless activities. It can be anything from work to play, sports, music, art, games, reading, meditation, etc. Just about anything.

I’ve been meaning to write about getting into ‘flow’ activities when I came across this very well-written article. I don’t know that I could explain it any better.

Finding Flow

Here’s another good resource for articles on depression

It was hovering around 70 when I got off work so I threw on some shorts, a tee shirt and running shoes and off I went. The wind was very strong (it is Kansas after all) and because I was running west, it was blowing east (of course). It has been several weeks since I last ran or worked the ellipse. I am always surprised when I run after a lay off as I usually pick up right where I was, sometimes I even seem to have more energy than usual. I sit on my butt in an office all day and I had trouble sleeping last night so it was a nice surprise.

So much of what we do to avoid the pain and suffering of walking a black dog is simply to withdraw. We withdraw from friends & family, pleasant activities, from life itself. It’s very easy to justify. We tell ourselves we don’t feel up to it, don’t deserve it, don’t have the psychic energy to do it. Of course you don’t feel like doing anything, your black dog is smothering you, but by giving in to it you’re actually making it worse.

So how do we stop accommodating the beast?

In light of my recent job woes I’ve been reading a lot of books about changing your career and finding your life’s calling. A lot of the techniques that career/life coaches use are very similar to aspects of TLC. The following are just a few of the insights I’ve picked up from these books and how they fit in with TLC and other anti-depression strategies.

My dog woke me around 4 a.m. She was smacking her lips and making a noise like she was trying to keep something down. I rolled out of bed and let her out. She stayed out for a long time but eventually came bounding up the step of the backyard deck and was ready for bed again.

I’ve always envied her ability to fall asleep within seconds and this morning was no different. I’d no more thrown her blanket on her and laid down in my bed when she went from deep breathing to snoring deeply. It took me a while to drift off and when I did it seemed like the dreams came pouring in right away.