Category: Mental Health

Spiraling Downward

The past several days my mood has spiraled downward. There have been pockets of light in the darkness – but not many. I find myself wanting to sleep constantly…and a lot of times I give in to the desire. How do I get out of this horrible pit?

My psychiatrist wants me to increase the dosage of one of my medications, but I’m still waiting to receive the meds in the mail. I’m hoping that this dosage change is going to help stabilize my mood. If it doesn’t, I’m not sure what the next step should be.

My work-from-home job has ended for the school season (I graded student essays), and I really need to find something else to do to help bring in money…and to keep me on a schedule. Without the need to get up for work, I tend to just stay in bed. And I can’t keep doing this – I’ve got to break out of this cycle!

Unfortunately sleep is my coping mechanism. When I feel deeply depressed, or face a task that is overwhelming, or just want to give up…I turn to sleep. I know that this isn’t pleasing to the Lord, and that it’s not a good use of the time He’s given me. But it’s a moment-by-moment struggle for which I need all of the prayers that I can get.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for praying. I really appreciate it. ❤

Why I Can Be Grateful for My Depression

I wrote yesterday about how much I hate my depression – and I DO hate it. But I realized today that because God has allowed this illness into my life, there must be some things about it for which I can be grateful.

Experiencing depression (along with anxiety and OCD) has allowed me to better understand other people who are struggling with the same illness(es). I’ve received messages from people who stumble across my blog and are so grateful, because it helped them feel like they were not so alone in their struggles. For this I am thankful to God! I’ve also become more empathetic towards people that I meet in day-to-day life. Everyone struggles with something, and I’ve found that because of my fight with depression, I am more sensitive to what others may be going through.

I’m also grateful for how it has taught me to rely on God more fully. When everything is going well in my life, I have less cause to reach out to the Lord for help. But when I am in a moment-by-moment battle, it forces me to cry out to God for strength, wisdom, and peace. So although I hate my depression and all that it entails, I can also be thankful – because my Father is teaching me that I can’t fight this battle in my own strength. I need His help!

Another reason why I can be grateful for my depression is that it’s taught me to think more positively. When you have depression, you often feel like you’re stuck in a deep, dark pit. You don’t exactly feel like being positive! But by keeping my eyes open each day for things to be grateful for, God has enabled me to change my perspective and to focus on the good things instead of the bad.

Depression has helped me to understand more fully the value of life – of each day, each moment. There have been times when I’ve wanted to end it all…when I didn’t want to go on anymore. Thank God He protected me! And even though I still struggle sometimes to see the purpose in another day with depression, I think that the Lord is slowly teaching me that He has a plan for me – and that each day is a gift.

Lastly, struggling with depression has shown me that I have many people in my life who love me, support me, and are willing to help me in any way that they can. From my husband, to my family, to my friends, to my neighbors, to my blogging community – I have a lot of people on my side. And that means…that I am not alone.

So although there are many reasons why I hate my depression, there are also reasons why I can be grateful for it. And I pray that God will teach me new reasons every day. ❤

Photo Credit: Eli DeFaria

10 Ways to Ease Depression

Depression is a monster that I struggle with everyday…but I fight hard to not let it overcome me! God has been teaching me little ways to gain some relief from that horrible feeling of being stuck in a pit.

I know that not every person who battles depression experiences it in the same way, or fights it in the same way. But I wanted to share these ideas that are borne from my daily struggle – with the hope that they will be able to help others, as well.

So if you battle with this monster, read on! Here is a list of ten ways that can ease depression.

  1. Give thanks for the little things. This is something that God has really been impressing on me. When you’re depressed, it’s so easy to focus on the negative. But when you change your perspective and start looking for things to be grateful for – no matter how small – it can transform the way that you see the world.
  2. Do something that you used to enjoy, even if you don’t find pleasure in it at the moment. For a long time I didn’t do much as far as activities, as I had no energy or motivation to participate in them. I used to love reading, writing, playing/listening to music, traveling, and taking photographs (among other things), but the depression effectively stole my enjoyment in them. Well, I decided to just try an activity anyhow – reading. The joy didn’t come back immediately. Actually, the first few times I had to force myself to skim the pages of the book. But then it became more natural, and I remembered why I liked to read. 🙂 I’ve also tried this with writing (it worked), and I hope to continue revisiting activities as time goes on.
  3. Get outside. There’s something about nature that can lift your spirit. I understand that it will be difficult – depression can often cause you to want to stay concealed inside. But if you can just take that first step outdoors, it may help to take your focus off of your discouragement. Try taking a short walk and tuning in to your senses. Is there a cool breeze against your skin? Are there birds chirping in a tree nearby? Is there a really pretty sunrise/sunset?
  4. Talk to a loved one. Whether it be a family member or friend, reach out to someone who you feel comfortable confiding in. It can be a normal tendency to shy away from other people when you are struggling with depression…so fight back against the isolation by making that phone call or sending that text.
  5. Do a small chore. I hate chores. I don’t know very many people who like them. And since my depression takes away my pleasure in things that I used to enjoy doing, it most certainly makes the daily chores of life almost unbearable. But they have to be done. What chores do I mean? Doing laundry, washing dishes, cleaning the house, and paying bills are a few. But I’ve found that if I break down the chores into small chunks, they are more manageable. For example, focusing on washing one dish at a time instead of the whole sink full. Or cleaning one small area of the house instead of every room. The good thing is, when I finish each small task, I feel a sense of accomplishment. And that gives me the energy to wash another dish, or clean another area of the house.
  6. Pray. The awesome thing about God is that you can tell Him anything – what you’re thinking, how you’re feeling, how you wish you were feeling…and He will be there to listen. Take a moment to lift your heart to the Lord and ask Him for strength and peace. Don’t forget to praise Him for all that He has done!
  7. Set early appointments for yourself. If you are like me, I have a very difficult time getting out of bed in the morning. Sleeping is when I can shut off all of the thoughts and emotions that plague me – so naturally I don’t want that to end. Something I found that helps with this is to set appointments early in the morning. If I know I have an appointment that I must go to, it forces me to get out of bed. Right now my work-from-home job helps me to get out of bed, and for this I am very grateful.
  8. Help someone else. Do you know anyone else who struggles with depression? Reach out to them! There’s a good possibility that you can encourage them by letting them know that they are not alone. And the bonus is that YOU will likely feel better knowing you have helped someone.
  9. Laugh. I have a difficult time with this one. I’m so literal that when people make jokes, they go right over my head! Plus, I don’t feel like laughing – I feel like crying. But I find that when I do come across something that tickles my funny bone and I end up laughing, it gives me a whole new (positive) feeling in my body. So pop in a funny movie or read a humorous book – it may just give you a boost!
  10. Acknowledge baby steps. Depression is a difficult illness to struggle with. Make sure you take the time to acknowledge small steps forward that you have taken on your journey. Looking back and seeing how you have improved will likely give you motivation to take that next baby step.

Thanks so much for reading! I pray that this list has been helpful to you. Just remember, this list is not all-inclusive, and not every idea will work for everyone.

Do you have any ways that help to ease your depression? I’d really love for you to share them in the comments section! ❤

Photo by: Benjamin Combs