The Maze

Instructions: Do not read ahead! Choose the course of action that you wish to take, and pick the outcome that occurs. Continue in this fashion until you find the way out.

(Start) You are depressed. You have 7 possible actions:

(1) Talk to a therapist or friend for reassurance
____A. The discussion, or continued discussion, does not help
________I. Exasperated, you take a different action
________II. You talk to a different therapist or friend, and are
__________back at (1)
____B. The discussion(s) provide(s) some relief
________I. In the course of the discussion it is suggested to take
_________another action, so you do
________II. You assume this relief is permanent
____________a- In time it wears away, and you are back at the
______________start
____________b- It lasts until outside influences lead you to the
______________start
________III. You assume this relief is temporary
____________a- You move to (1)A-II
____________b- You follow up with another action for more
______________lasting relief

(2) Take one or more drug(s), prescribed or not, for relief
____A. No relief is found in the particular drug
________I. You change the drug(s), and so are back at item (2).
________II. You change the dose or regimen
____________a- The change is ineffective and you return to (2)
____________b- The change is effective and you move to (2)B.
________III. Exasperated, you return to the start
____B. The drug(s) provide(s) some relief
________I. You assume this is permanent
____________a- In time, you feel that you don’t need it anymore
______________and cease intake
________________i. You do need it, and return to (2)
________________ii. Cessation has no ill effects, but outside
__________________influences lead you to the start
____________b- The effect wears off
________________i. You return to (2)A
________________ii. You return to the start
________II. You assume this is temporary
____________a- You move to (2)A-I
____________b- You follow up with another item for more lasting
______________relief

(3) Seek out a romantic relationship to feel loved
____A. You cannot find or attain one, and return to the start
____B. You find one
________I. No relief is felt
____________a- You take action (1) with this person as the
______________“friend”
____________b- You return to the start with or without this
______________relationship
________II. Some relief is felt
____________a- In time this fades. You return to the start with or
______________without the relationship
____________b- Your partner severs it. You return to (3) or the
______________start
____________c- The relationship has conflicts
_______________i. The conflicts are resolved and you are back at
________________(3)B-II.
_______________ii. Exasperated, you sever it and return to (3) or
_________________the start
_______________iii. Your partner severs it and you return to (3)
_________________or the start

(4) Exercise
____A. No relief is felt, and you are still at the start
____B. Some relief is felt
________I. You assume this is permanent
____________a- Eventually this fades and you return to the start
______________or (4)B-I-b-i
____________b- Because of scheduling or drive, you cannot
______________maintain the regimen
_______________i. You change the kind of exercise, and are again
________________at (4)
_______________ii. Exasperated, you return to the start
________II. You assume this is temporary
____________a- You follow up with another action for more
______________lasting relief
____________b- You move to (4)B-I-b-I

(5) Attempt to eliminate the reasons for your condition
____A. No reasons can be found, so you return to the start
____B. The reasons found can’t be eliminated, so you return to the
______start
____C. You eliminate the reasons
________I. No relief is achieved, and you are back at the start
________II. Some relief is achieved
____________a- You periodically return to the starting line when
______________the reasons reoccur
____________b- You seek more relief, and so follow with another
______________action.

(6) Ignore it in hopes that it will go away
____A. You can’t ignore it, and are back at the start
____B. This provides some relief
________I. Outside influences consistently remind you, putting
__________you back at the start
________II. You turn to another action for distraction in order to
__________continue ignoring it

(7) Attempt suicide
____A. You fail at your attempt
________I. You return to the start
________II. You keep trying until you are at (7)B
____B. You succeed at your attempt
________I. You have escaped! Congratulations, you’re dead.

(8) Sleep and hope to wake feeling better
____A. You cannot get to sleep
________I. Exasperated, you take a different action
________II. You move to (2) or (4) for the purpose of inducing
__________sleep
____B. When you wake, there is no relief, and you return to the
______start
____C. When you wake, there is some relief
________I. You assume this is permanent
____________a- In time, this fades and you are return to (8) or the
______________start
____________b- It lasts until (8)A unexpectedly occurs
____________c- It lasts until outside influences return you to the
______________start
________II. You assume this is temporary
____________a- You follow up with another action for more
______________lasting relief.