Depression Getaway with Wendy Love

It's no secret. My favourite depression getaway is laughter. When I was growing up I remember getting in a snit and wanting to pout and punish anyone around me. My Dad would say 'now don't you smile Wendy' and I would try to hold on to my pout. He would say 'no smiling, there will be no smiling in this house' and that was it! I would immediately smile and couldn't wipe that smile off of my face. It worked every time. Not that I was glad about that. I really did want to pout a little longer and punish those terrible parents who had caused my disappointment. But alas, smile I did and it made it much easier to move on from my troubles.

This cannot be kept a secret! Computer glasses can make a big difference. After a three year break from Depression Getaway due to computer eyestrain I am so happy to return! A simple pair of computer glasses now allow me to stay online for much longer, without headaches. I feel like I have some of my old life back. And that is a big deal!

The clue is in the picture. See the peanuts? Do you now know what blue jays and squirrels have in common? If you guessed that they both love peanuts, you'd be right!

If you read this blog regularly, you know I am a walker. Almost every day that I can, I will walk anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. I consider it the most important part of my depression management strategy as well as the most enjoyable part. We live out in the country and so I don't see many people on my walks but I do see the occasional wildlife. When I started seeing bears, I switched my walks to the town closest to us. That turned out to be the best thing ever.

Depression is an illness of the hopeless. My question for all of us: Is hopelessness a reality or a perception?

Everyone wanted to interview Rick Warren when he came out with his book 'The Purpose Driven Life' with the subtitle 'what on earth am I here for?'  Even Oprah . If you would like to know more about one of the most influential pastors in the United States today, check out his church website , or go to his own website called 'Daily Hope' .

  "Once you choose hope, anything's possible" ( Christopher Reeves) We cannot live without HOPE , and with the mentally ill, like us, hope is the sustaining diet. Hope will keep you from starving...to death....

There is a very little old lady in our small town who walks every morning with a bag in her hand picking up litter.One little lady, a few pieces of litter, what difference does it make? A lot of difference. Especially if you consider what the town might look like if she stopped doing it.

Have you heard this wonderful story before? A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

Oh that it could be so easy! Just dial 'H-O-P-E' The smart phone people are trying to make it that easy. Really! I received this email from Healthline recently all about mental health apps for your phone . You just might want to check this out. Some of it is a little 'fluffy' but some of it has real value. And most of the 17 apps described are FREE! As I begin a series about 'Hope' it seemed fitting to start with some of the most up-to-date products that attempt to bring hope for anyone struggling with mental illness. Big business is trying to respond to the current wave of awareness about mental illness. That is a good thing. It truly is a good time to be depressed. I know, I know, that is kind of stretching things isn't it? But did you click on that last link to see what I am referring to? I have written a lot about hope over the years. HOPE is something we absolutely cannot live without. I am going to spend the few weeks sharing

It is time to hang up your Bipolar Boot Camp Boots. Sure do hope you got a little something out of it. Depression Getaway is built on the premise that little things can make a big difference. The idea for the Bipolar Boot Camp came as a result of a workshop I did recently at our hospital mental health unit. In some ways I didn't learn anything new, but it helped me to review what I already know and apply some stuff that I haven't tried before.

Bipolar Bootcamp! How is it going so far for you? Are you getting anything out of it yet? Have you set your goals ?

They both understood the motivating power of music. John Philip Sousa was one of the greatest marching song writers of all time. I am not sure if Jane Fonda was the first to try and make exercising fun by adding music, but she certainly hit on a neat idea about making exercising enjoyable and even appealing!