Asking for professional medical help was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I started writing the morning after I was released from the hospital. In 5 North, I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, with suicidal ideation. Feeling up against the wall, seeking professional medical advice was the least hard of the three choices I felt I had. Choice #1 was to … [Read more...] about After Getting Help for Myself, I Can Now Share with Others
SMART Recovery
Depression Introduced Me to Unhelpful Thinking Styles
It has been 15 months since depression and I walked into the emergency room. The tools I have learned since that morning are making my day-to-day life more balanced. I am much more consistent in my mood and attitude. Frequently the days do not look daunting and I am able to get up and get going. Even a few months ago, I was wondering if I would ever be able to do that … [Read more...] about Depression Introduced Me to Unhelpful Thinking Styles
With Depression – 7 Reasons Average is Electrifying
You know your life has changed when average is thrilling. Going five days in a row being average is breathtaking. It has been several years since this has happened. Lately, I have been waking up and then getting up. The internal fight I would have with myself is gone. All the drama I would create around getting out of bed has disappeared. What is left is ME. I wish I … [Read more...] about With Depression – 7 Reasons Average is Electrifying
I’m Glad I Did Not Know How Bad I Was
Imagine saying this out loud: “My last bottom was the deepest, darkest, most horrible place I have ever been.†Yet that was me last year. Reading through some of my older writing, I came across this line. It reached out and stunned me. How could I have written that? I had no idea I was that bad. It’s no wonder I sought … [Read more...] about I’m Glad I Did Not Know How Bad I Was
Recent Raccoons and My Depression
I know my depression recovery is not a straight line. And, in the animal kingdom, some species are more active at certain times of the year. This includes raccoons that I see now on my nightly commute home. Having traveled the same back roads for almost a year, there are certain spots where I expect to see wildlife. Over the winter, I saw way more foxes than I am seeing now. … [Read more...] about Recent Raccoons and My Depression
