Using Anger to combat Depression

Either take action or continue to rot in your comfort zone. The choice is yours. Rationally, you know exactly what you need to do. It is simple. Yes, you could die. Yes, you could get arrested or shot or beaten up or murdered and left in a ditch. You could end up homeless, forlorn, mangled. You could be humiliated, ashamed, ostracised. But is any of that really worse than where you are now? Even if your ultimate fears come true... isn't that better than where you are now?

The problem is, you will never want to do it. "Just do it!" won't help you. No amount of motivational books or tapes will help you. You have to do it on your own. And this is done with anger.

Anger is destructive, but when harnessed rightly, it can become a tool to push you past your fears. You will never stop being afraid. Anger is the only emotion that can compete with fear.

You have to develop another side of yourself. I call it the Animal, but you can call it anything you want (it should be personal to your sentiments). The Survivor, perhaps. The Fighter. The Beast. The Wolf. You choose. Whatever the case, you now have two identities. You are the one who does what is right; the Animal is the one who fights for every inch. You are the one who wants to play it safe; the Animal is the one who smashes your fears on the ground and goes after what it wants, no matter what the dangers. You are the agent of safety and security; the Animal is all about mayhem and war.

Use your depression and rage to cultivate something else that will rise within you... another being, darker and more dangerous than the one you have lived with so far. Everything you need is already in your hands. If you are depressed, it means that you already have the emotions; you just need to channel them. Channel them well. It will take time.

It will take effort. But you must start working on it today. Fear cannot be lightly passed through with some psychological trick of self-confidence. It can only be shattered by an act of inner violence and cultivated rage.