"Best Year Ever!" My First Year with Casey Depression Report Card





Happy New Year! Or is it happy for you?

 It's easy to forget that you have improved in handling your illness unless you journal now and then. Or possibly, like me you have a friend, in my case my husband, who you are accountable to.

 Often, when I am having a bad day and feeling sorry for myself and imagining that I haven't progressed at all in handling this illness my husband will say "you are so much better now on a bad day than you used to be."

And when he says that I can enjoy the knowledge of that progress instead of dwelling on yet another bad day. When you have a mental illness it is common to forget the good days when you are having a bad day, and forget the bad days when you are having a good day. That's why recording your moods and/or having an accountability partner is so helpful and you will be able to chart some progress.

 And so I would like to share some of my progress with you and hope that it will be an encouragement.

 I would like to announce in a big loud voice that

"This is the best I have felt for over 20 years!"

 And 'why is that?' you are probably wondering.

 I do believe it is my little Yorkie, Casey. He has made a world of difference. He is almost always by my side. Even the ad I read describing him said "you will be his whole world". He fulfills that promise every day.

 Here we are reading. In case you can't tell, he has his nose in my ear and I can hear him breathing!


He loves sorting laundry.


 He appreciates my quilting.


He goes just about everywhere with us.



 I continue to take my meds and use my many strategies for coping with depression such as walking, painting, writing, quilting, and rest plus a lot of solitude. I have not given up any of that just because Casey is so helpful. But he has made such a big difference. I wouldn't have believed this possible unless I had experienced it first hand.

WHAT ABOUT ME? I am so glad I didn't give up finding ways to cope with mental illness. I wouldn't have much of a life if I didn't adhere to my many coping strategies. It has been worth it to keep on trying.

 WHAT ABOUT YOU? How are you feeling today? What kind of year have you had? Have you found something new that helps? Are you still trying to find new solutions? 

 Don't give up! I am praying for you. There is hope for depression.



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