預防情緒感冒小秘方  江林月嬌 Secret Formula for Emotional Flu Prevention    author:  Julia Chiang 筆者與您分享自己避免憂鬱症再度發作的小點子。

十月中，車子被撞。 In October, my car got crashed.

週四，車子送修需時兩週。 Thursday,  the car was sent for  a two-week repair.

週五，租車時沒有前後左右仔細察看，拿到一輛右邊已擦傷的車子，花了許多時間、口舌和精神換另一輛車。 Friday, I rented a car that already had some minor dent, and it took quite some time haggling to switch to another car.

週六，上午九點，接穫醫院通知，大兒子偉恩從一個醫院的急診室，被送往35哩外的大醫院急救。全家立即驅車南下，當夜必需停留一夜，問了五家旅館，得到的回應都是「全部出租」客滿了……。 Saturday, at 9am, a hospital emergency call informing that our older son Wayne is being transferred to another triage hospital thirty five miles away for rescue.   Our family hastened south and had to find a hotel for overnight stay, but the first five calls were “No vacancies”.

經過四天突發事件的急風暴雨襲擊後，筆者開始出現數種情緒感冒症狀：失眠、擔心、憂慮、緊張…抑鬱症這全身性疾病，無聲無息地在我身上發動攻勢。 After the incessant mishaps in four short days, symptoms of various flu appeared: insomnia, worry, anxiety, nervousness and depression, the illness that involves my whole being, quietly exerting its attack on me.

在多次「焦慮不安─哭泣流淚─疲憊無助」的惡性循環下，我意識到自己的心理一步步下滑，朝向抑鬱症的無底坑滾落而下。 Numerous vicious cycle of anxiety attack ,  sorrowful weeping, exhaust and helplessness, I sensed that my mind is slipping into a down-ward spiral, falling toward a bottomless abyss of depression.

在對任何事興趣缺缺時，我必須用多於平常數倍的力氣，強迫自己、幫助自己避免抑鬱症再度發作的機會。 When I am at this pit of apathy toward living, I need to muster up energies many more times than usual to force myself to get out of the pit so that I can avoid the revisit of depression.

單獨抗憂活動 My  Anti-Depression  DIY 

筆者的抗憂活動，有下列數種，患抑鬱症的讀者們可選項參考實施： Following are some of my DIY to fight against depression, maybe you can adopt some for yourself:

運動流汗：有氧運動、快步行走、騎單車、跑步…直到汗流浹背。 Exercise till I sweat: aerobic exercise, fast walk, biking, jogging until I would sweat.

音樂舞蹈：打開喜愛的音樂，聞歌起舞直到全身流汗。 Dancing with music: turn on the music, then dance to its rhythm  until I sweat.

沖浴歌唱：在浴室中引吭高歌。 Singing in the shower:  singing my hearts out in the bathroom.

大聲唱歌：開車時，將車窗轉上來，自己一個人大聲唱歌。 Singing Aloud: Roll up the window and sing aloud when I  drive.

飼養寵物：培養與外界的互動。 Raising pets: Establish interactions with the outside world

栽培花草──草本庭院佔用空間微小，精神體力消耗較少。 Doing gardening:  Some yard work with little space does not need much effort.

看喜劇片：租卷喜劇錄影帶，或看一場喜劇電影或戲劇。Watch comedies: rent some comedies or go to the theater for a good movie or opera.

讀幽默卡：逛Hallmark商店，讀遍所有的幽默賀卡。 Read humerous cards:  window shop at Hallmark and read all the humerous cards.

喝杯咖啡：招待自已喝一杯美味可口的咖啡。Drink coffee: Treat myself a nice cup of coffee

親近大自然：森林浴、海邊漫步、爬座小山或遠足。 Return to nature: bathing in the fresh forest air, walking along the sea shore, climbing a hill or hiking.

畫圖寫作：紙上塗鴉、畫圖彩繪、記錄心情。 Paint or write: doodling on a paper, creating colorful paintings, to keep track of your moods.

慎選飲食：過多的糖類和澱粉類食物可能讓心情更加下滑。 Be selective in diet: Eating excessive starches and high-glucose food can cause your mood to spiral downward.

自我按摩：給自己作手部和腳部的按摩，或按摩椅上背部指壓、全身按摩。 Massage yourself: Treat yourself with a hand or feet massage, resting in a massage chair and finger massage your back, and the whole body.

洗泡泡澡：洗一次香熱的泡沫浴，配上音樂和燭光。Take a bubble bath: Make a tub of aromatic and steamy bubbles. Light some candles and play background music.

遠離煩惱：不去碰觸抑鬱源，以免病情加重。Stay away from worries: Avoid to touch the source of your depression so that it would not aggravate your symptom.

閱讀《聖經》：舊約聖經中，《詩篇》將抑鬱症患者的心聲，預先寫成禱告詞，經常觸動我心。Read the Bible:  In the Old Testament, Psalms have verbalized the heart-cry of the depressed in the form of prayers. They often deeply touch my heart.

陪伴抗憂活動 Making Depression My Launching Pad

與陌生人對話：與超市、社區、公園，甚至打錯電話的陌生人聊天。Strike up a conversation with strangers: in the super market, in the park or in the community, or even with those strangers who dialed a wrong number.

到流浪狗之家摸摸小狗或幫忙飼養、遛狗。Visit the strayed dogs in the humane society and pet, feed or help walk the dogs.

成為學校裡落單孩子的大哥哥或好姐姐。 Be a big brother or big sister to the loners in schools.

與朋友共進一個手機關閉的午餐。Go out with a friend to enjoy a cell-phone-free lunch.

自願義工：關心病痛朋友、醫院探訪、老人中心幫忙。Volunteer somewhere: Visit those that are in pain, in the hospitals, or the elderly people in the retirement homes.

安排聚會：初始數週，安排一週至少三天與朋友共聚。Make appointments with friends: for the first few weeks, arrange to have friends together for at least three times in a week.

學唱歌或上舞蹈課──既使沒有任何天分，那又何妨！ Take voice or dancing lessons – who says you have to have special genes to sing or dance?

婉拒提醒：雖無法遠避抽離愛看熱鬧的人群，但是，對湊熱鬧的人，不斷騷擾提醒抑鬱時，可婉拒之：「若能改變話題，對我是極大的仁慈。」 Gently decline reminders of depression:  Even though it is hard to avoid the nosy mobs, but when people repeatedly touches upon the irritating issues, be sure to gently reply: “If you don’t mind, it would be a great favor to me if  we could change the subject.”

改變環境 Change the Environment

插花園藝、整理盆景。Do gardening, flower-arrangement or bon-sai.

清理房間﹝從小架子、抽屜、角落開始﹞。 Clean up the rooms, starting from the end corner, small shelves, and drawers.

洗衣服、清理衣櫃。 Do laundry, and clean your closet.

將牆壁漆成鵝黃色。Repaint the walls to velvet yellow.

音樂療法：收聽不同種類的音樂──基督教詩歌、聖樂、交響樂、爵士樂、搖滾樂、鄉村歌曲、古典音樂等。 Music therapy: Listen to different kinds of music __ Christian hymns, sacred music, orchestral symphonies, Jazz Music, Rock N Roll, Country Music and Classical Music.

香精療法：使用精油、蠟燭、飄香劑等不同的香料產品。Aromatic Therapy: Applying essential oils, or light some candles or fragrant oils.

佈置居家：移動傢俱，創造另一種風味的居家環境。Rearrange interior designs: moving the furniture around and creating a different atmosphere in your home.

改變照明：打開窗子或窗簾，邀請新鮮的空氣和陽光進來。 Change the lighting: open the windows or roll up the blinds, and let more fresh air and sun to come in to the house.

求主眷顧 Asking the Lord’s Protection

主啊！我的救贖主啊，我晝夜在你面前呼求。 Lord! My Savior, My heart cries out to you day and night.

求你施恩憐憫我，將我從抑鬱的深坑中拉上來。Have mercy on me, and lift me up out of the pit of depression.

求你側耳垂聽我，願我的禱告達到你面前。Incline your ears to me and let my prayers reach your face.

主啊！我的心裡滿了患難，我的內心充滿恐懼。Lord! My heart is filled with pain and fear.

我的眼睛因困苦而乾癟；我的心臟因重壓而酸痛。My eyes are drying up with afflictions; My heart is aching because of the pressures.

我的心緒落入極暗的坑中，如同沒有指望的人一樣。 My mood is plunged into a pit of utter darkness, where there is no hope at all.

主啊！我要時刻求告你，全心全意仰望你。 Lord! I will seek you moment by moment, my heart and my soul depend on you.

求你用你的靈扶持我，用你的話將我救活。Hold me up with your Spirit, and deliver me with your Word.

主啊！我要向你傾心吐意，願我清晨的祈禱達到你面前。Lord! I will confide to you. May my morning prayers reach your face.

         (刊登於《傳揚福音雜誌 》原《台福通訊》  Vol.36    三月號  2005年   陳吳郁娜    譯     translated by:  Violet Chen)

經文分享：   Scrriptures sharing:

「願我的禱告達到你面前；求你側耳聽我的呼求。」(詩88:2) May my prayer come before you;  turn your ear to my cry.  (Psalm 88:2)

「耶和華啊！我呼求你，我早晨的禱告要達到你面前。」(詩88:13) But I cry to you for help, O LORD;  in the morning my prayer comes before you.  (Psalm 88:13)

您是第人閱讀此文