Harry Potter. The name itself is enough to take us to the magic of Hogwarts and the brilliantly chaotic school life of Quidditch, magical creatures and spells. The author of the series, JK Rowling, responsible for the magic and wisdom, herself suffered from depression and therefore, has keen insights on the topic. Some of these insights have been subtly woven into the fabric of the series.
During this quarantine period, I decided to revisit the series through movies. After all, who wouldn’t want a bit of magic in these trying times?
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Anxiety has a way of making you feel lonely in this world. You forget the fact that other people have suffered from it and have been suffering from it.
Following are some quotes that can be helpful in making you feel less alone. Maybe they will give you an insight but that’s not the main purpose. When we feel less alone, we get power to deal with things on our own.
1. “I think this is what we all want to hear: that we are not alone in hitting the bottom, and that it is possible to come out of that place courageous, beautiful, and strong.” – Anna White
2. “I was moving in a narrow range between busy distractedness and a pervasive sadness whose granules seemed to enter each cell, weighing it down… I ghosted between islands of anxiety… a fatigue that dulled my zest, decanted it. Sorrow felt like a marble coat I couldn’t shed.” – Diane Ackerman
3. “Everyone must imagine his own snakes because no one else’s snakes can ever be as awful.” – Tove Jansson
4. “Anxiety’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far.” – Jodi Picoult
5. “The largest part of what we call ‘personality’ is determined by how we’ve opted to defend ourselves against anxiety and sadness.” – Alain de Botton
6. “Anxiety always originates from a lie. All lies, whether self generated or accepted from another person, will resonate as a pendulum swinging to and fro as a reminder of an inconsistency with truth and impeccability. The further the lie is carried, the more the intensity of anxiety builds. The feeling may begin as unease, building to angst, translating to anxiety, panic, and even dread. Ultimately, anxiety creates stagnancy. What’s the solution? Speak the truth even if it scares you. Be authentic.” – Deborah Bravandt
You have likely heard some variation of the statement, “You are not your thoughts.” It may seem like utter bullshit but frankly the statement can’t be truer.
As humans, we live with our thoughts 24×7. Our thoughts are such an intimate part of us that so many times we don’t even realize that they are not facts, simply our perceptions broadcast constantly on Personal Universe channel. Not only are our thoughts not facts, sometimes they are as far from reality that they actually disrupt our lives.
Such thoughts are extreme in nature and are referred to as cognitive distortions.
