Embrace Good Emotions: Part 4 of Lessons for Depression from my Grandchildren


Depression is an emotional illness but sometimes we're too numb or weak to even engage in emotion.

 Grandchild #4 is two years old in this picture. She is still able to find a lot of joy in every little thing. She emotes easily, especially happy emotions. I will call her 'Emoticon'.

 In this picture she didn't even understand the victory that was being won on the TV but everyone else in the room was happy and so she was happy too!

Depression is such a selfish illness. Our thoughts turn inward. We have little to laugh at when we are really sick.

 How many reasons could you find to smile today, right now? 
How about smiling for no reason at all? Right Now!

 Unknown Object
Even when it comes to sad emotions, 'Emoticon' just lets it all out and gets rid of it so she can move on to the next great life experience. Recently she lost two 'pets' in one day. Oh they were just bugs, but she was heartbroken. She sobbed and sobbed to her sympathetic mother.

 So what can we learn from 'Emoticon'?

 EXAMPLE: laughing just because others are
LESSON: laugh for no reason, go ahead, laugh!

 EXAMPLE: telling her mom when she feels sad
LESSON: pick the right person to emote with, make sure they are sympathetic and on your side

 EXAMPLE: grieving over the loss of her pets
LESSON: when was the last time you grieved over what depression has stolen from you? Grief helps us move on.

 Emoting is good for the depressed.

 And yet one of the symptoms of depression is 'a lack of emotion where there once was emotion'. 

 WHAT ABOUT YOU? How are you feeling today? Do you need some emoticons to help you express depression or are you ready to get it all out there by yourself?

 Don't give up! There is hope for depression.



Popular posts from this blog

My Little Helper

Image
  My Little Helper Casey Writes a Book! I am writing another book! This time it is a Christian devotional and I am looking forward to sharing it with you when I am done. In the meantime, just for fun, I googled 'yorkie writing a book' and this is the picture that came up. It's a beautiful picture, isn't it? Actually looks like a painting to me, what do you think? Anyways, that reminded me of how much you can find on the internet just with a few words to google. It's amazing, isn't it? And that got me thinking about how much information I have found over the years about depression that has helped me.
Read more

Joy and Sorrow - Together?

Image
  Joy and Sorrow - At the Same Time? Have you ever experienced joy in the middle of sorrow? I have. My father died suddenly at the age of 59. I remember the moment. I was at his funeral, sitting in the front pew holding my mother's right hand with my sister on the other side holding her left hand. The three of us were drenched with tears. The big church was packed. But despite my sorrow I was filled with joy at the life my dad had lived, at the lives he had impacted in a good way, and at the thankfulness I felt for having him all those years.
Read more