Depression Getaway with Wendy Love

Depression therapy is SUPPOSED to help. I just haven't experienced that personally yet. However, having said that, and having 'hit a brick wall' with another dip into depression, I have decided to give it another try. I will catch you up to date on how effective that was in a few weeks. It would be a shame if your doctor gave you a diagnosis, prescribed some medication and then sent you home to work things out on your own. However, that is exactly what happens for many of us. It may not be until your symptoms persist that your doctor will suggest some sort of therapy. Everyone can benefit from therapy, even if they aren't depressed, but if you are depressed it could be another useful tool in your get well kit.

If you were 'as happy as a pig in mud' you would be very happy. Apparently pigs love mud. Finger painting was always popular when I was an elementary school art teacher. Who doesn't like squishing wet gooey stuff between their fingers? When I taught a painting class to the older children they loved to play with their paint trays after they were done, making a wonderful mess out of the remaining paint. And don't get me started on paper mache, always a hit with any age. You could really lose yourself in that gushy paste!

Wow! These guys seem to have a great technique for one of the most difficult races of all time, the three-legged race. Now this would be more typical, two trying to work together but pulling each other down. Maybe they had communication problems.

One of the great things about therapy, if it is working for you, is that once a week, or once a month you know you are going to spend time with someone whose only purpose for one hour is to listen to you and focus on you. That is a luxury.  And during that time between sessions, if something comes up either in your circumstances or your symptoms, you know you will have an upcoming opportunity to discuss it with someone you trust.

The first time I went to a therapist I didn't give it much thought ahead of time. I was desperate for any kind of help, any kind of soft pillow for my hard feelings.  Experiencing an unwanted and unexpected divorce, my life was falling apart and so was I. I was questioning everything I ever did and wondering what happened to lead me to this confusing place.  I just needed to be in a room with someone compassionate who would listen to my sorrows, over and over and over. I wasn't even depressed - yet. And so a lot of thought didn't go into this choice. Gratefully, the good Lord gave me a kind and gentle therapist who had probably listened to many other women cry their way through divorce and knew more about such things than I did. It was comforting.

Recently I decided to try a new therapist. I had hit a particularly low period which was lasting too long. I was desperate. Feeling depressed, vulnerable and needy, off I trotted to a stranger's office.   I figured there was no way I could feel worse than I was already feeling, and maybe, just maybe a new therapist might have some fresh insights. It turned out to be a poor choice. We often make poor choices when we are feeling our worst.

Scrapbook while you journal? It may be a little less intimidating for some of you than writing a journal. 'Cutting out feelings' - doesn't that sound like fun? Scrapbooking joined with journaling can be more fun than you can imagine! Even a scrapbook that has nothing to do with depression can be fun therapy for you. We have been chatting about journaling and the benefits for depression. I have cited several articles on the subject. For those of you who enjoy research, an even more in-depth scientific article called ‘Emotional and Physical Health Benefits of Expressive Writing’. But for those of you who are tired of the serious aspects of this subject and wish it could be made to sound like a bit more fun, I will refer you to my sister’s blog . She has a creative way of journaling which just might make it more appealing for some of you! She combines scrapbooking with journaling.

Did you ever keep a diary? Like many young girls, I did. What a special treat to spend time alone with my thoughts and my diary. For a few precious moments I was in a safe place, able to express myself without being corrected, challenged, embarrassed, or exposed.  "Journaling therapy"  was already working for me and I didn't even know what it was! "Cheaper than therapy" is a term that people use, often jokingly. I grew up in the sixties when it cost a lot of extra money to talk long distance on your phone. In my family, we used to make the excuse about indulging in long-distance phone calls that it was "cheaper than therapy" . And it was!