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By Indigo Irwin Kennedy

Oprah interview with Simon Cowell!

Simon Cowell stated in a special guest appearance on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" (May 20, 2010) that he has been suffering from depression.

Oprah replied, "What do you have to be depressed about? Look at your life!"

It was not so much the sentence that shocked me - it was the tone that almost said,


It was as if Oprah was saying that depression is solely about being "ungrateful" for what you have.

My first thought was, "Oh, no you didn't - Oprah, you didn't just imply that depression has to do with a good or a bad life?" Oprah! You should know better!

Depression has nothing to do with your "status" in life. Being depressed because bad things happen in the short term is called "reactive depression" and that not what Simon Cowell is suffering from.

In fact, the "rich and famous" and "the intelligent and creative" are more prone to cycles of depression because they often will work harder and longer under great stress than most people.

This striving endlessly to "over-achieve" is why so many actors and musicians fall prey to addictions - because the adrenaline we use to over-achieve is the very first drug we begin to use. The addiction to our own "over-achieving boosts of adrenaline" is the addiction that starts all others. When that first addiction begins to wear off, we begin to reach for other addictive substances for the "quick fix".

The end result of the over use of our adrenaline is depression.

You can be a poor person who is creative and intelligent or a rich person who is creative and intelligent - the cycle of depression does not aim its attack based on financial status - it is created by the actions of our "busy selves".

You may also be a person, broke and working multiple jobs, using adrenaline just to make it through the day - that too will create depression as your mind and body break down from the constant push.

So I was shocked when Oprah, with her wisdom and spirituality and great counsel asked,


Oprah should know that for the wealthy depression, often caused by over work, is worse sometimes for the wealthy because the guilt of not being able to be happy can be unbearable. To be surrounded by beauty and unable to appreciate it an excerpt from my book "The Wave Riders", is one of the most painful forms of depression - Why?

When you are poor and depressed you can blame it on the condition of being poor and not on you or anything that you are doing in your life.

I coach many people that have fame and fortune - it is NOT about what surrounds you - it is the wave of adrenaline and over work/ over play and the addiction to the adrenaline which creates the depressed state.

Depression that is directly related to "bad events" or "a bad environment" is usually short-term.

If you are frequently in a state of depression when you are poor - you may take depression with you when your situation improves. It is not about where you are in life.

Depression can be a habit. Depression can carve pathways in your brain to negativity that are well-worn like the forest paths used by wildlife.

Simon, gave us a hint of what does work when you are in the low state of depression and that is he said to himself "Okay so I am a bit moody, a bit overwhelmed - get on with it."

Why does this work? Because positive action when you are in a low - will not snap you out of it but it will begin to help you climb out of the pit faster than wallowing in negativity. What he did was to tell his own negativity to "take a hike" and that repeated will help you battle depression.

Simon went onto say that you should not put on a happy face when you are feeling sad. While I believe that we should show our true selves - I believe that we should put on a happy face when we are sad because again it is the positive action that creates positive feelings. Though positive actions make take awhile to form positive feelings we need to remember that positive feelings will form faster when your posture and body says to your brain "happy is what I am"; shoulders back, stand straight (don't slump), shower, get dressed and smile.

What are positive actions?

• Clean up: yourself, your surroundings, and your mind
• Posture: stand straight, shoulders back and smile
• Thoughts: Tell negative thoughts to "hit the road" while you are in your "regenerative" state.
• Watch positive movies, read positive books, listen to positive music to draw yourself up not down farther. Don't wallow with sad songs or watch the news.
• Move - get some exercise. Exercise, especially aerobic exercise will release endorphins that will help you to feel better.
• Be grateful - this is perhaps what Oprah meant. She maybe meant to say, "Be grateful for what you have and you won't be depressed". While being grateful will turn your focus to the positive it is not always enough to fight the exhaustion (and adrenaline use) that caused the depression in the first place.

Simon Cowell demonstrates "The Wave Rider's" Theories beautifully.

Use your body's ability to use adrenaline to push longer, work faster, and do more and you will have a cycle between the high excitement of adrenaline and the low "bear-like" anti-social behavior and feelings in depression. It is not "personal". Depression does not "choose you". You are not flawed!

What you more than likely are - is overworked and "coming off the adrenaline high".

The angry bear that Simon describes is typical when "we are on our wrong path" - not really doing what it is we are internally driven to do or "doing too much of it". Anger can also appear when our adrenaline is too high and we get angry at those "in our way".

There is a way to be successful without the angry bear.

Depression is not about what is going on around you as much as it is about "what you have been doing in the recent past". Have you been overworking? Have you been using adrenaline in your body? Excitement often releases adrenaline, so you can become Adrenaline exhausted by excitement that goes on for too long as well creating the end result of depression.

The reaction from Oprah and everyone else to Simon Cowell being depressed should NOT have been one of shock - it should have been one of "makes sense!"

In other words, "based on how hard you work and the constant stress that you are under, it would be perfectly normal for you to feel depressed unless you can learn how to balance that stress load".

It does not surprise me at all that Simon Cowell, who admits to the state of being overwhelmed feels periods of depression. It is, to me, perfectly normal.

The Wave Riders is about the connection between creativity, adrenaline and depression and teaches us how to balance the stress load to prevent deep periods of depression and anger.

Depression has nothing to do with your "status" in life.

Simon Cowell, you are on the right track if you or anyone else wants to chat - I am here!
You can Skype me (search for IndigoIrwinKennedy [no spaces] ) or email at info@thewaveriders.com

Take care
Indigo

Indigo Irwin Kennedy
Author: The Wave Riders: Exploring the connection between creativity, bipolar disorder, ADD and depression.
http://www.thewaveriders.com

Author: The Wave Riders Series
- The Wave Riders
- 10 Revelations in the Leap from Lawn Chairs to Limos.
- Creating Emotional Balance in our Accelerated World