• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Mental Health Resources
    • Depression Resources
  • Blog
    • Coping
    • Medication
    • Self Care
    • Stress and Anxiety
    • Unhelpful thinking
      • Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda
      • Fortune-Telling
      • Guilt and Shame
      • Time Travel
    • Sleep Issues
    • Depression
    • Covid19
    • Suicide & Self-Harm
    • Wellness Tools
      • SMART – Self Management And Recovery Training
      • WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)
      • Change Triangle
  • Contact

“I Suffer From Depression.” Here’s What I Am Learning.

Turnaround
You are here: Home / Depression / Two Years Later, My Depression Has Lifted

Two Years Later, My Depression Has Lifted

April 22, 2021 by Depression Is Not My Boss 1 Comment

Two years after my hospitalization for MDD, I have A wellness recovery action plan

Today, I am alive and thriving.

However, I know that:

Depression in the United States…

  • Affects over 18 million adults (one in ten) in any given year.3
  • Is the leading cause of disability for ages 15-44.4
  • Is the primary reason why someone dies of suicide about every 12 minutes. – over 41,000 people a year.5
  • In comparison: homicide claims less than 16,000 lives each year, according to 2013 CDC statistics.

3Kessler RC et al. Prevalence, Severity, and Comorbidity of Twelve-Month DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005 Jun; 62:617-627.
4Ibid
5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web -based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online].(2013,2011)National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC (producer).
Available from http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html.

My two-year journey towards recovery has not been a straight line upward.

In fact, shortly after getting out of the hospital, I wasn’t even sure there was a line. Or that there was a path forward. Two years later, it is getting easier to see my future. And I am back to planning future activities. This is something I could not comprehend when I was in the grips of depression.

Knowing I have a Wellness Recovery Action Plan that I have written, is one of the reasons I am once again confident in my future.

Understanding what I look like at different stages is a game-changer for me. I have written down what I look and feel like when I am on my game. I have written down what I look and feel like when I am I am beginning to slip. And I have made a list of things that help and things that do not help. And if the rails ever come off again, I know the signs that it’s too bad to handle on my own.

Additionally, I have a list of supporters I can reach out to any time.

While I am sure I have had this all my life, it still gives me comfort. Some of my newest supporters have been in my shoes. This makes their support feel different, mainly because they have lived it. And finally, I understand the signs that my crisis is over.

So, I am off to start today’s list of planned activities.

Yet, I have learned not to take things for granted. I am finding time just to sit on the porch, watching the birds at the feeders. No cell phone, no laptop, no multi-tasking, just being in the moment. Our house is nestled against the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail. It is not unusual to see rabbits, fox, deer, along with hawks, and bald eagles.

I am thankful to be alive and thankful for the help and support that has kept me going. As they say in SMART Recovery, “I am leading a balanced life with depression.”

Filed Under: Depression, Facts and myths about mental illness, Featured Home, Mental Health, Wellness Tools, WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) Tagged With: depression, depression is not my boss, depressionisreal, recovery, suicidal thoughts, wellness recovery action plan, WRAP, Wrap Plan

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Seriously, I Wasted 2 ½ Months Not Writing About My Depression? - says:
    August 14, 2021 at 10:24 AM

    […] The 399th blog post I titled: Two Years Later, My Depression Has Lifted. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

I write My Concealed Depression to create Mental Health AwarenessHello, I am Joel. I have Major Depressive Disorder.  I am genuinely determined to figure out my personal relationship with depression. With 40+ years of living with concealed depression, I write my blog to find answers. 

I once got so carried away searching for answers that I even earned a  certification in  SMART Recovery. 

Get my latest posts, (your email is never sold or rented)

I developed a 38 Page Mental Health Tools Flipbook. Complete the Form and Get Your Free Copy Now.

Privacy Policy

Discover Self-Care, Coping Strategies, Understand Anxiety, Track your Triggers, Mood, and Sleep; Recap Therapy Sessions, and more.

https://myconcealeddepression.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/my-concealed-depression-intro.mp4
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

More to See

The startling truth about coping statements for anxiety and depression

The Startling Truth About Coping Statements For Anxiety and Depression

October 28, 2020 By Depression Is Not My Boss

My 101 Coping Strategies for Anxiety

My 101 Best Coping Statements For Anxiety and Depression

October 18, 2020 By Depression Is Not My Boss

Am I Able to Be Happier, to Feel Joy?

January 24, 2023 By Depression Is Not My Boss

Depression almost kept me from summiting mount Kilimanjaro with unhelpful, all or nothing thinking

What Made Depression Almost Keep Me From Summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro?

January 21, 2023 By Depression Is Not My Boss

You Never Pay More, Yet Clicking These Links And Making a Purchase Helps Fund My Blog

PureFormulas.com-Pure Healthy Goodness, Highest-Grade Natural Supplements! Fast, Free Shipping!
Mosaic 250x250
Blog Meets Brand
Your Page Title

Footer

Contact

Email:  my.concealed.depression@gmail.com

Privacy Policy

Recent

  • Is My Anxiety Because I Am Still Unpacking from Africa?
  • Am I Able to Be Happier, to Feel Joy?
  • What Made Depression Almost Keep Me From Summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro?
  • 3 Years and 9 Months After Admitting Depression, I Can Say Merry Christmas
  • What I Learned Having Skin Cancer Removed from My Face

Search

© Copyright 2020 · My Concealed Depression · All Rights Reserved · Designed by The Marketing Momma