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Women Winning
Over Depression in Australia
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[Photo
from SGI-Australia] |
On June 23-24, SGI-Australia women in Sydney sponsored two
seminars offering expert advice on overcoming depression,
titled "The Darker the Night, the Nearer the Dawn," drawing
over 800 SGI women, their families and friends. These
meetings were part of a series of SGI women's meetings held
throughout Australia in June and July.
An exhibition and film screening formed the backdrop for
both days' activities. The exhibition, "Dark to Dawn: Being
Creative About Depression," offered alternatives to the
conventional wisdom that depression is only negative and
destructive. A film focusing on the creative expression that
vies to be set free within the lives of those touched by
depression was also shown.
Four individuals shared personal accounts of challenging
their own bouts of depression, each expressing gratitude to
people in their immediate environment who consistently
provided needed encouragement to never lose hope for their
eventual return to sound health.
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[Photo
from SGI-Australia] |
Each day's program included a forum in which professionals
in the diagnosis and treatment of depression shared their
views and expertise. In addition, Buddhist perspectives on
depression were presented that highlighted how Buddhist
practice allows one to overcome feelings of powerlessness
and how the community of SGI members provides nonjudgmental,
nurturing support and friendship.
SGI-Australia women's leader Liz Bowen remarked that
although many Australians live in material wealth, many of
those same people experience loneliness, depression and lack
of purpose in life. An objective of the women's meetings was
to address these issues through the power of dialogue,
highlighting the SGI's group discussion movement as an
inspirational model for challenging the dilemmas of modern
society with hope and confidence.
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