Depression Getaway with Wendy Love

'Angry Andrew' is next in my cast of characters for my series I am calling "The Depression Go-Aways".  The thing is with these characters is that yes, you do want them to go away. However, you also want to pay attention to what they may be trying to tell you. No character can do you and others more harm than 'Angry Andrew' . If you let him stay, he will get bigger , and bigger and BIGGER! How big a topic is ANGER ? huge! HUGE! HUGE!

No introduction is necessary for 'Worried Wanda'. Why you don't even have to be depressed to know about worry. Everyone worries, right? Yes, everyone worries. That is why I say that 'Worried Wanda' is the 'sneakiest 'Depression Go-Away' . She seems normal. But for those struggling with depression she is more than normal. She is a serious symptom to be dealt with. Why? Because there is a difference between everyday worry and depression worry.

Fighting Frank, is that you these days? One of the symptoms of a depression coming on is this thought: 'What's wrong with everyone?' You really believe that there is something wrong with everybody but you when you are becoming depressed. There is a significant difference between men and women in everything, including depression. When a woman is depressed she may feel guilty, and self-blaming. When a man is depressed he  may feel anger and blame others for his sad feelings. That is why I named this emotion for a man, Fighting Frank .

'Irrational Irene', do you know her? Is she you? Sometimes? Often? Seldom? Why have I chosen this smiling positive face for 'Irrational Irene' ? Because, if you have a mental disorder, and you are being irrational, you usually don't know you are. You may believe at that moment you are more rational than you have ever been in your life. You are often confident and forthright like this image of 'Irrational Irene' . Do you understand what I am saying?

I know this fellow looks carefree but he is actually 'manic'. He is one of my 'Depression Go-Aways' cast of characters. I call him Manic Matthew. 'Manic' can present itself in many ways. 'Manic' is the other side of the mental disorder called 'Bipolar Disorder'. Bipolar is a form of depression which shares the same symptoms as other forms of depression but also has a flip side to the depressive side and that is 'manic'.

We all know this guy, Angry Andrew. He is the second 'Depression Go-Away' character I am introducing to you. Of course Angry Andrew is no stranger to anyone who lives with depression. Anger is a huge component in depression and one which cannot be ignored, or entertained for too long.

Warning: Don't invite any of my 'Depression Go-Aways' for tea! I will never forget the day I met my first mother-in-law. It didn't take her long to get right into chatting about her woeful life with me even though we had just met. I couldn't believe so many awful things could happen to one person! I was a young innocent nineteen year old college student. I grew up in a very sheltered positive home, one where the motto was 'if you couldn't say anything nice, don't say anything at all' . I was not used to such negativity. I was overwhelmed with her sad stories.

There used to be a Purina Cat Chow commercial that I loved. I really wanted to share it with you but it is no longer available and so I have had to edit this post. There is a cat in it named 'Stephen' and he is very particular that you spell his name right, which, by the way is 'Stephen' with a 'ph', NOT a 'v'. Silly but somehow I never forgot that commercial. Well, my son-in-law is named Stephen too, and he also spells it with a 'ph' and not a 'v'. He has been my son-in-law for quite awhile now but I just realized at Christmas that I often spell his name wrong. Well, that just won't do so I had to figure out a way to remember it the right way all the time.

This year I decided to live in Italy. It is now the sixth country that I’ve been a resident of.  The other countries I’ve been a resident of are, Poland, Finland, England, Thailand, and my birth country Canada. I’m a hockey coach and writer, and I’ve been very blessed to have those jobs take me all over the world. I’ve worked with NHL hockey teams (LA Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets) I’ve won some championships, and lost some championships. I’ve been hired and fired. I’ve made some amazing friends along the way, and some enemies too. Oh, and through it all I’ve been struggling with depression.

 Don't you just love the way children laugh? They hold nothing back. They are so free! FREE is not a word we associate with depression, but if you decide to add laughter to your medicine chest, then for a moment or two, you can be as free as this child.

Oh this is such fun. Just talking about laughter makes me feel better, at least while I am doing it. If you haven't laughed yet today, you better go here first to the American's Funniest Home Videos site and watch for awhile. Now for a little scientific talk on why laughing is so medicinal. Here are a few pieces of information which I gleaned from an article on Naturalnews.  The article is based on a book 'The Five Habits of Health Transformation' by Mike Adams.

Bet you didn't know horses can laugh, did you?  Okay, so I think we probably all agree that it is fun to laugh. Laughing is universal. But maybe if you are reading this and you are one of the many who suffer from depression, you are wondering if laughing isn't a little pointless. I mean, what difference is it really going to make in the long run?

The secret's out! Laughter is depression's secret weapon which you have already discovered if you my previous post. You may as well get started benefiting from this wonderful free weapon. Go ahead and laugh! If you need a little assistance, maybe you would like to look at a couple of silly YouTube sites and see if you can resist laughing. Try 'babies laughing' for starters. Bill Cosby said: "Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it." Do you agree with Bill Cosby? (Despite the recent demise of Bill Cosby's reputation, he was one of the best comedians of my day, wholesome, funny, family humour.)

To finish up my series about favorite getaways, I am going to share about not only my favorite getaway, but my favorite thing ever - LAUGHTER! Can you imagine that there is something you have been doing all of your life, that you could do right now if you wanted to and it would give you a much needed break from your depression?  What is it?  Laughing! That's right - laughter is depression's secret weapon. What makes you laugh? Who do you laugh most with? Who makes you laugh by just thinking about them?

Routine check-ups are a good thing. Whether I’m having the oil changed in my car, or I am visiting the dentist for my annual cleaning, regularly scheduled appointments help me identify potential problems. I’ve found the same thing to be true with my thinking. Regular evaluation of my thinking goes a long way toward heading off the blues. Here are some of my favorite, free depression zappers:

Meet guest blogger Tina Barbour. She is a victorious veteran of living with depression. Here's her story and some great tips. I have had depression since I was a teenager, perhaps even earlier, but I wasn’t officially diagnosed by a doctor until I was 26 years old. Since then, I have been in treatment for it. That treatment has included medications and therapy. Recently, I was diagnosed by my therapist as having not just episodes of depression, but chronic depression. Medications have helped me tremendously, but I have learned that they can’t help with every aspect of depression. So I have learned other tools for helping when the darkness descends and I need relief. Here are some of those tools:

Today's guest blogger is both a doctor and an author. You will want to see what she has to say. Depression is an experience of depletion. You’re worn down, hollowed out, devoid of enthusiasm or vitality. Your senses are dull, perhaps to the point of taking in very little around you. When I find my depression beginning to worsen, my go-to getaway is to feed my 5 senses. Take a look and see if any of these can help you when depression hits.

Today's guest blogger, Jeanette Levellie has some 'great escape' ideas that will inspire you.  When depression knocks on my heart’s door, do I run away? You bet. These are the places I run to, where I find my best weapons for overcoming despair: 1. I run to the Bible , especially the Psalms and the New Testament epistles. Although King David was referred to as “a man after God’s own heart,” he often asks the Lord to deliver him from his misery. I find it comforting that even the most spiritual of leaders fought with depression. But he knew where to go to find comfort and wisdom. I enjoy the letters such as Romans, Philippians, and Colossians written from Paul to early churches because they are full of hope. They also tell me what God thinks of me. And that helps me gain a more positive perspective.

Favorite Free Depression Getaways © Nikki Rosen Getting out in nature tops my list of favorite free depression getaways. I need alone time. I need distance from frenetic rush and pressure of everyday life. Heading to some wooded trail or going down by the lake or driving the hills to hike – it’s where I feel free. I can let go, breath and renew my courage and strength and hope.

Hi all--I'm Ann Becker-Schutte, a counseling psychologist in Kansas City, MO.  I specialize in helping patients and caregivers cope with serious illness, and depression comes up regularly in my office.  So, I was thrilled when Wendy asked me to share a post with you for the "Depression Getaway" series. I love the idea of a depression getaway--something that allows you to take a brief break from the weight and pressure depression can bring into your life.  As you might guess, I often suggest coping tools, and so choosing just one to earn the "favorite depression getaway" label was a tough challenge.  But when I reflected on this post, one idea kept coming up.  So here it is . . . drum roll please . . . my free favorite depression getaway is:

Everyone needs a getaway now and then. We all have something we need to get away from. If you choose the right kind of getaway, you will come home refreshed and ready to face your life once again. A really well-chosen getaway could even inspire and fortify you. You could come away from it with a whole new perspective. I hope 'Depression Getaway' will do that very thing - refresh, refuel, inspire and encourage. But, a good getaway is different for each of us. It's personal. You need to know yourself well to know how to chose a good getaway.

Have you ever experienced a hot air balloon ride? Looks exciting doesn't it. It would be easy to imagine that once up in that balloon and looking down on the world would be a super duper depression getaway. But it is not that easy. Welcome to February where we are going to celebrate 'Favorite Depression Getaways' with a little help from my friends. One time I was taking a road trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in the fall when the colours are magnificent. The views were amazing. But I was in a depressive episode at the time and even those mountain views were beautiful they did nothing to lift my mood.

I did it! I took 'the Ultimate Blogging Challenge' https://ultimateblogchallenge.com/ and I blogged for 31 days in a row! Why did I do it? It just seemed like a fun idea at the time. I live a quiet life. I don't do a lot. I don't get out a lot. I am always having to 'be careful', 'don't overdo it', 'pace myself'... you get the picture. But every so once in a while, something comes along and I say 'I could do that!' and I give it a try.

I have saved the best for last. The best what? The best form of self-expression for depression - writing!  Is it the best because I love writing? No it is the best because it is so essential for dealing with the racing thoughts that accompany any form of mental illness. This is the last post about self-expression for awhile. Now if you don't like writing, don't stop here. Let me tell you of its benefits.

I went to see my five year old granddaughter have her swimming lesson at the Y recently. She loves it! She can't wipe the smile off of her face. If you have children, you have seen that SWIM GRIN! I saw all sorts of other people, all shapes and sizes and ages, expressing themselves through exercise at the Y. It is such a positive, almost calming experience to be able to move those body parts that work. It is a gift, not a chore. Self-expression is good for depression and exercise is a form of self-expression.