Joy is supposed to feel simple, right? But lately, joy hasn’t felt simple. Or easy. Or even something I expect to feel.. If you’ve read My Concealed Depression before, you know I’ve talked about this—how joy, for me, sometimes slips quietly out of reach. Not with drama. Not with a breakdown. Just… gone. Like the volume’s been turned down on life, and I forgot how to turn … [Read more...] about The Path Back to Joy Starts with One Small Moment
mental health matters
When Do I Know What I Want?
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash Is it something I can share, or is it more esoteric? Am I going to write about it or am I going to spend a page or more, avoiding talking about it. Sometimes I just need to warm up my brain before I can open up about what I actually decided to write about. Ok, it’s most of the time. I almost always seem to ramble on about something, … [Read more...] about When Do I Know What I Want?
My Depression Says The Holidays Are Here, So Why Am I Not Happier?
Roxana Zerni UNSPLASH My depression is glad that I am sad and not happier. It gets to think that it is doing its job. Sewing seeds of doubt in myself and my actions is a key part of its MO. Once my depression gets me second-guessing myself, the journey down the rabbit hole has begun. This will lead to me being up against the wall with no discernable way forward. And it … [Read more...] about My Depression Says The Holidays Are Here, So Why Am I Not Happier?
What Makes Me Choose to Live with Depression?
Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash Choosing not to live with depression is, for me, choosing suicide. Because of my family history, I see that I either learn to face depression and live with it, or check out. And my one instance of contemplating checking out occurred almost 50 years ago. Since then, I have understood that I am more afraid of death than I am of living with … [Read more...] about What Makes Me Choose to Live with Depression?
There’s a Lot Going On, So Is Being OK, OK?
Unsplash I am amazed at the changes the last month has brought. A month ago, I had just returned from trekking in the Grand Canyon. Things were better than OK, the family was great, and I had just booked a flight up north for Thanksgiving. Work was good, and I was getting to use the wood stove some mornings to take the chill out of the living room. And then stuff hit … [Read more...] about There’s a Lot Going On, So Is Being OK, OK?
