Among the world’s 7 billion people, at least 120 million suffer from depression.

WHO is suggesting a system called DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years). This is defined as “The sum of years of potential life lost due to premature mortality and the years of productive life lost due to disability”. According to WHO, in 2000, depression was the number 4 reason for DALYs, and regardless of victims’ age or gender, it is predicted to be the number 2 reason by 2020. Today, depression in men and women aged 15 to 44 has already climbed to number 2 among the causes of DALY.

In November 2010, Master Ryuho Okawa of Happy Science toured Brazil and gave a series of lectures followed by question and answer sessions to Happy Science believers and the general public. At one of these events, a person in the audience asked the following question:

“Depression is becoming more and more widespread – not only in Brazil, but worldwide. What are spiritual causes of depression? And what can we do to beat it?”

In his reply to this question, Master Okawa also touched on spiritual issues, but this part will be explained elsewhere, in connection with general Happy Science ideas concerning the spirit world. This article focuses on introducing 3 steps against depression that do not require any knowledge on spiritual matters but involve mental healing methods and can be used by anybody. In a way, these can compensate for the ideological weaknesses of Christianity.

This method is recommended to anybody suffering from depression, and anybody who, due to problems concerning work, relationships with other people, family issues, school, etc. occasionally enters a state close to depression. Make use of it. Be persistent. Stick with it, and then you will find yourself being successful. (The following text is taken from Master Okawa’s publication “Awakening to the Truth“)