Last month I opened up about my life with depression and anxiety. Thank you guys again for your sweet responses! In continuing with that conversation, I want to share with you one sure thing I know that clears my depression.
Going to counseling weekly for about a month and now bi-weekly, I’ve learned one thing about my depression: it will never go away completely. Honestly, that’s depressing in itself. (See what I did there?) It’s hard to imagine a life where depression will always be present and knowing that I will most likely always deal with this is hard to swallow. A few weeks ago I was doing really well but that damn depression just sneaks in on you and tries to take you down. But this time I was prepared.
My counselor preached to me in the first month that to combat depression I have to force myself, literally, to get up and do something. I did a terrible job at that for a long time. It. Was. Hard.
It’s easier to feel bad than to try and be happy.
But that’s exactly what I had to do. Fortunately, I had a clarifying moment last Sunday. The last week or so I had been feeling down despite going out and spending time with people and experiencing new things. I went to church and lunch on Sunday with a friend and then came home. I had plans that afternoon to visit my friend and her new baby in Plano and I was having a tough time motivating myself to get back up. I took a deep breath, sat up off the couch, put on pants and left the house. No, the grey-ness didn’t lift even in the car. But you know when it did? When I knocked on her door. When I walked in the house. When I held that baby.
Forcing myself to get up and live dissipates my depression. And I bet it’ll dissipate yours too.
How do you deal with depression? Is there a different way you work through it?
xx
I love that you said this. With it, though, I find that I actually disagreed with your bold statement.
I’ve found that it’s so much easier to be happy than it is to be unhappy.
The reason for this is that it hurts every part of you when you are depressed; it drains your energy and kills your spirit. You feel terrible about everything–lethargic, apathetic and bemused.
When you are happy, you are free.
Just “being happy” isn’t easy. Once you make yourself get up and do things that make you feel so much better and suddenly realize how much more uplifting it can be to just fester in it.
I don’t know if any of this makes any sense to me but happiness became a goal and a lifestyle for me. I strived to make myself feel a little better every day and for the most part it’s worked, it’s kind of saved my whole outlook on life. I even got a tattoo commemorating those first steps to really getting better.
But I definitely still have bad days and I have to make sure I always remind myself how important it is to get up and move and leave that depression in the dust.
http://herestothegoldendays.blogspot.com
What I meant in my bold statement is that once depression hits me, it’s harder to make myself get up and do the things necessary to be happy. It’s easier and more comfortable to just let myself be depressed. The challenge comes in listening to what my heart deep down is saying and to physically get up and take action.
You’re right! When you’re happy, you’re free. And that’s the challenge that depression presented me with. It took over that happiness and I had to fight to keep it. And still have to fight for it sometimes.
I love that you got a tattoo commemorating that. That’s my plan this summer too!
Thank you for always commenting. I really do enjoy it. 🙂