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#3188 - Thursday, June 5, 2008 - Editor: Jerry Katz
Nonduality Highlights - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NDhighlights
I've known Orva Schrock for several years and recommend looking to a great new effort he has initiated. Read his letter below and then click on the link at the end to read his brochure. Orva is a student of the nondual teachings as well as a contributor.
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your interest and inquiry regarding
DPA. [Depressed Persons Anonymous].
I am Orva Schrock, the current group moderator. I
have battled depression most of my life [born 1948] and in recent
years I have been greatly blessed with finally getting proper
treatment. I am now doing very well but I cannot forget how dark
and hopeless depression can feel. So now I want very much to help
others.
I retired from business in 2007 and began thinking
about how I could give back to my sisters and brothers in this
world who suffer as I once did; in deep dark depression.
The one thing that finally helped me turn a real
corner and escape a lot of emotional pain was the decision and
opportunity to fully express to a few people I trusted how bad I
really felt. I had carried buried fear and anger and regrets and
shame for so many years. I had felt truly inferior to others. My
feelings were often hurt when anyone said things to me that were
perceived as negative or critical. I practiced a number of
addictions, chemically yes, but also impulsive and compulsive
mood altering actions that I felt helpless to avoid but which
ultimately left me feeling empty and ashamed and more deeply
depressed than ever.
I sought many ways of overcoming my emotional
pain. I read hundreds of books. I tried all the various new and
improved therapies that I found along the way. I tried different
churches and religious practices. I had psychiatric evaluations
and treatment with both talk therapy and antidepressants of
various kinds.
But truly the one thing I found most helpful was
to come out of hiding. To actually be able to tell a few other
people I trusted how bad I really felt. To just come out and
admit the hidden things that shamed me and kept me in hiding.
When I experienced other people reflecting back to me their
acceptance and understanding without criticism and judgement;
finally my real change of inner freedom began. Finally I could
begin letting go of the buried toxic shame which kept me in
hiding and had me convinced I was worthless, or at the very
least, worth less than others. And, well, like magic the
compulsion to act out and sink myself into self-loathing and
addictive compulsive behaviors and that dark despair began
immediately to fade away for good.
I could finally see for the first time that I was
just like everyone else, No better and no worse. What a great
feeling of relief and new life! Oh, I still get down sometimes, I
suppose everyone does but it’s no longer the deep dark soul
torture that was my everyday life once upon a time.
Depressed Persons Anonymous, DPA, was created to
make this very effective therapy available freely and effectively
to anyone at all who wants to join us in our meetings. We each
have a turn to tell our story, our troubles, feelings, guilt,
despair; whatever you care to share is acceptable. We will listen
to everyone present and mirror back to them that we hear them and
fully accept them just as they are.
This sounds simple and it is; but it’s very
effective and it really works for many depression sufferers. You
will be very welcome to come join us and say as much or as little
as you want, but when you see others accepting you, you will
become better at accepting yourself and finally be able to
realize you ARE a wonderful person who CAN be happy. And that is
very very good indeed!!!
Read the DPA brochure at http://nonduality.com/dpa.htm