"Replace fear-based thinking with love-based thinking. Every time you're making a choice, ask yourself if it's going to cultivate the experience of unity and love or the experience of separation and stress." – Deepak Chopra

We all experience fear. When it comes to living with a chronic condition like depression, fear can manifest in many ways. Sometimes our initial diagnosis gives us fears about our quality of life. Dealing with the realities of our "new normal," with depression can put us in a chronically fearful state of mind. Will I have a fatigue today? Will I be able to attend to my daily tasks? Fear about outcomes that are beyond our control can facilitate fear taking root.

"I finally came to realize that my fears about having depression and what that could potentially mean were ADDING to my struggle. Once I consciously decided to relieve myself of that burden I could better focus on managing my depression." – Member of MyDepressionTeam

Here are recent conversations from MyDepressionTeam:

• "Tomorrow I will wake up with a smile on my face and gratitude in my heart, knowing that I have the power to do anything."
• "I am beginning to recognize some of the underlying issues at hand, and many of my false negative beliefs about myself that cause my discomfort."
• "I am determined to change the way I look at each day. I am going to tell my mind that no matter what, I am going have a good day. I am learning that I am giving too much power to the world, the people and situations around me. I keep letting the bad in and I need to stop doing that. I need to let the good."

Dealing with fear will look different for everyone. Sometimes it means arguing with our intrusive thoughts. Sometimes it looks like meditating to clear the mind. How do you stop fear from taking over? Join the conversation below.