Depression Getaway with Wendy Love

  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.

"More Good Days" Retired NHL hockey play Kelly Hrudey has become an eager mental health advocate. He is open about his own experience. Men are not typically known for reaching out for help for mental illness, or for even admitting that they might have any emotional struggles at all. So it is helpful when some of these sports guys who struggle, become open about their own experiences.  You may want to read more about men and depression.

Hackers Unite! Crack Codes for  21 Depression Getaways It sure looks like Cliff and I are having a good day in this photo, and we were. We were having a fun time in Myrtle Beach (before Covid) at a flea market and we were with family we love. Cliff had just purchased this funny hat with fake hair on it. (Normally he is quite bald). We were 'laughing' at his hat, 'holding hands' while we walked around, enjoying the 'sunshine' and basking in our 'healthy relationships' with our family. When you get to the end of this post you will see how these pleasant activities factor into our hacking project.

Researching depression - sound depressing? Not to me. - I grew up in a family where the World Book Encyclopedias were often brought to the dinner table.  We used them to settle arguments or satisfy someone's curiosity. Not that we were so intellectual, we just liked finding out stuff. So to me research is fun. Research is something that few people are indifferent to. You either love it or you hate it. No matter how you feel about it, no one will do this part for you. A little research is key to giving you a good foundation about this life-threatening disease.

Water depression, it is as good as crying for depression. We have been talking about the positive effects of crying. Certainly if crying is good for everyone, it is also good for those of us who are challenged by depression. We need no longer hide our heads in guilt over the tears that come so freely. We should welcome those tears and their healing benefits. Water depression? Tears are apparently not the only kind of water that is good for the brain.

Authentic crying might be a new term for you, I know it was for me. But don't judge until you have read the rest of this post. What isn't a new term though is 'a really good cry'. Have you had one of those lately?

Did you know you can benefit from tears? Now there is a tear for you! One single precious tear. I wonder what happened to produce that single tear? "...crying is the vehicle the body and system uses to clear out and release old held emotional energy." There is more to a good cry than my mother realized. It is necessary, natural and good for you. It provides some emotional freedom. The benefit from tears is worth knowing.

Crying was not only acceptable in the home I grew up in, it was encouraged. I come from a family of cryers. I can still hear my mother say after crying "I haven't had a good cry for long time. That was wonderful!" You would think she had just devoured a chocolate brownie!

Prescription for depression: take depression temperature - daily. I try most days. My temperature checklist is food, mood, mind, body, weather, yesterday, today, tomorrow. I answer good, bad, or ok beside each item on the list.   This is my reality check to start the day. It not only forces me to measure and consciously think about my mood, but to acknowledge factors that might affect my mood such as weather or what I did yesterday.

You are a hero, so am I. You are brave, so am I. Recently I watched a 'hero' movie, "My All American" . In a grand hollywood ending, the 'hero' walked out onto a football field and an entire stadium full of people stood up and cheered him. That should be us , we folks who are challenged every day with mental illness. We should be getting those cheers every day that we make it through another day without quitting.

Smart husband! He did not answer that question with the truth. How much honesty do we need when we are struggling with depression? A lot! We need a lot of truth. Why? Because the illness itself is built on lies that are based on thoughts and feelings. They are just thoughts. They are just feelings. They are not facts.

'Positive thinking' however unreachable it seems to be, is one of our great hopes for depression. Depression Getaway is designed to encourage and inform. Last time we talked about how positive thinking, although valuable, is on the one hand not the definitive answer for depression, but on the other hand, shouldn't be tossed out the window as pointless. I promised to share with you some of the pioneers of 'positive thinking' . Norman Vincent Peale coined this phrase with his best selling book 'The Power of Positive Thinking' . The poster above is one of his memorable sayings. He had a strong faith in God and was one of the first ministers to combine that Christian faith with popular psychology. He became a dynamic speaker and the author of over 40 books.

"If you believe books can help us survive adversity, heal, live more fully, and change in ways we never thought we could - or if you simply can't live without books - this blog is for you" says Valerie Grace Hallinan of  'Books Can Save a Life'. Valerie's blog appealed to the reader in me but when I realized she had written some insightful posts about mental health, I had to include her in my interviews with 'Victorious Sufferers'.

This woman is accepting a present. She looks pretty happy. Now accepting precedes opening. Acceptance is the first step. I remember when I was in my twenties I had chronic back pain, it was severe, discouraging, inconvenient. I tried everything, X-rays which showed 'there was nothing wrong', cortisone shots, chiropractic, changing some of the ways that I lifted things and how I sat. Very little made any difference. I ran into an old friend who asked how my back was. I said 'It's the same. I've given up going to doctors though.' "Good"  she said "you've accepted it." "Yes, I guess I have" I replied. But just because I accepted it didn't mean I quit searching for solutions and making changes that I hoped would help. Just because I accepted it didn't mean I was giving up. What would the opposite of acceptance be? Maybe denial? Or resistance? or rebellion? Those emotions require a lot of energy and are counter...

How is it possible for someone who writes books titled  ' Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top: Sweet, Funny Reminders of God’s Heart for You'    or  'The Heart of Humor '  to be battling depression? With Jeanette Levellie it is totally possible. Check out her dynamic blog 'Hope Splashes'  and see for yourself. She is one of many 'victorious sufferers'.

"A Storied Mind: Recover Life from Depression" is a timeless blog by John Folk-Williams. The keyword in this title is 'RECOVER'. 'Recovery' is what John Folk-Williams is all about. Every title points to recovery from depression, every idea shared assumes recovery is possible. If you haven't accessed his website yet, you really must. Do any of these titles tweak your interest? "If Your Partner's Depression Returns" "The Healing Garden" "How Couples Stay Together"

But do we really want to hear everyone's depression story? I mean isn't it a little bit depressing? Let's face it - DEPRESSION IS DEPRESSING! Whether it's hearing someone else's story or your own over again, it can be a downer, but not always. If someone just shares the details of how awful depression is, well, I'm not too thrilled. I already know about that stuff. But, if there is a purpose to those details, if it is leading to some idea which is productive or insightful or encouraging or inspiring, well count me in!

If you are depressed right now the last thing you need to hear is that you're doing something wrong - right?  I know, believe me, I know. When you're depressed you already feel like a big fat failure. I confess that I am using the word ' MISTAKES' for two reasons. One reason really is to help you and the other is to get your attention. DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?

'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.