Category: Mental Health

Lord, Where Are You?

Do you ever get the feeling that you are all alone? Do you ever question whether or not God is with you, even though you know that He is? Do you ever think about the future and instead of feeling optimistic, feel something akin to apathy?

That’s how I feel right now. I feel very “blah.”

I woke up this morning extremely tired. I worked from home for a few hours, drank lots of coffee, ate lunch, and was still tired. I tried my best to get some chores done this afternoon. I went to the grocery store, cleaned up a bit, and paid bills. I even took the dog for a walk. But I never seemed to get that jolt of energy I was seeking.

The Hubby came home, we took some pics outside of the pretty trees and flowers, and I ate dinner. And now I’m writing…with the hope that I can regain my creativity and optimism.

It’s a struggle. Each day is a struggle. But I have so much to be grateful for…I KNOW that I do! I haven’t been doing very well with keeping my gratitude list, so maybe that’s part of the reason why I’m feeling this way. I need to maintain a thankful heart.

So let me think of some things I have to be grateful for: the smell of the air after a rain shower. A nice time with family for Easter. That our handbell choir played well at church. Hot running water to take a shower. Air conditioning to keep us cool in the house. A good walk with Daisy. Bringing my Honey home safely from work.

Wow, when you start to think about it, there really ARE a lot of things to be grateful for. 🙂 You just have to take the time to acknowledge them. And I already feel like my spirit is lifting a little.

I must keep focusing on the positives, on the endless number of things I have to be thankful for. Yes, the depression and anxiety pull me down…but by relying on God’s help I can find a ruby in the rubble.

So where is the Lord when I can’t feel His presence? He is as close as can be. He is with me, He is in me, He is beside me…and He will never leave. ❤

Photo Credit: Aaron Burden

When You Feel Like an Outsider

Have you ever felt like an outlier (outsider)? Like someone who is just different from everyone else, who is far away and separated from other  “normal” people?

I feel that way sometimes. When I have weird thoughts in my head…when I have emotions that don’t make sense (or no emotions at all when I should have them)…and when I just can’t seem to say the *right* thing in conversations – for these reasons, and others, I sometimes feel like I am an outlier.

But AM I an outlier? I have to believe that I am not. I know that I have many people who love me and accept me just the way that I am…and for this I am grateful.

So then WHY do I feel this way at times?

I think it has to do with the conversations that I have with myself in my mind. For example, I tell myself that I am not important because no one “liked” what I posted on social media. I tell myself that a certain person is mad at me, because I interpret (wrongly) what they are saying to me or how they are treating me. Or I tell myself that I am strange and will never fit in, because I compare the way I look, talk, and act to others around me.

I know that these are not good thought patterns. I don’t need to worry about what other people think of me. I don’t need to over-analyze their words and actions. And I don’t need to compare myself with others.

How do I know this? The Bible says in Philippians 4:8 (the VOICE) –

Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth. Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy.

The thoughts that I previously mentioned certainly do not fit the criteria in this passage (beautiful, true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy)!

So I ask for prayer…that I will fill my mind with beauty and truth, so that I don’t continue to feel like an outlier. And if you struggle with this as well, please leave me a comment so I can pray for you, also! ❤

I created this post based today’s Daily Prompt from WordPress: Outlier.

Photo Credit: Agnieszka P

10 Things that People with Depression Want You to Know

  1. Depression is not just “being sad.” Yes, you feel despair and discouragement often when you struggle with depression. But you also feel a lack of energy, low motivation, irritability, and a host of other things. Sadness just does not encompass all of the emotions that you struggle with when you are depressed.
  2. We can’t just “snap out of it.” We did not “choose” to be depressed, and we can’t just force ourselves to feel better again.
  3. There isn’t always a specific reason for why we’re feeling depressed. People often think that our depression is linked to a devastating event in our lives – although sometimes that can trigger it. But depression is not as simple as feeling low because of something bad that happens (whether big or little).
  4. We may try to hide how we’re feeling so as to appear “normal.” Sometimes we don’t feel like we “fit in,” or we feel like we’re “strange” because of our illness. Please encourage us to be open about our emotions.
  5. Things that may be easy for you can take a huge effort for us. Many times, just getting out of bed in the morning drains all of our energy. So things like making meals, taking care of our families, and navigating the work world can be overwhelming. Help us to feel good about little victories.
  6. We just need you to listen. Oftentimes friends and family members want to give advice that might help us feel better. We appreciate this, but what we really need is a listening ear. Just like any other disorder or illness, it’s difficult for someone who has never experienced the illness to be able to understand. And that’s okay! Just knowing that you are there to listen is enough.
  7. We tend to isolate ourselves without realizing it. Our homes may be our safe places. It can be easy to stay indoors during the day – especially if there’s bad weather – instead of getting outside for some fresh air. And when we make plans to get together but don’t keep them…it’s not because we don’t care about you. It’s because interacting with others takes a lot of our energy – and energy is not something we have a lot of!
  8. We can’t just “take a pill” to make depression go away. Some people with depression take medication to help with the symptoms of their illness – I am one of them. However, I don’t believe that medication fully cures depression. Many times, it assists with controlling some of the symptoms, but also causes new symptoms (like making you feel emotionless).
  9. Just because we have a good day (or week or month) doesn’t mean we’re cured. Depression is complicated, and it can come and go. So please don’t think we’ve got this thing beat if we have a period where we feel better.
  10. We’re doing our best to fight this monster. We haven’t given in to defeat. Just because we struggle doesn’t mean that we’re not doing our best to live full lives. And we appreciate all that you do to help us!

I hope that this list has been helpful, and I encourage you to leave a comment with any thoughts you might have! ❤

I got my inspiration for this post from this website.

Photo Credit: Maria Victoria Heredia Reyes