Mental Health Day
Depressions and other mental illnesses are devastating.
Today the American Health Association is asking bloggers to spread the word about the importance of good mental health and reduce its stigma. My friend Marie has an excellent post regarding this issue.
My own experiences with depression date back to the 1970s. I was so ashamed when I needed help that I told no one about my weekly trips to my psychiatrist. My depression recurred in the early 1980s. Again I felt I should have been able to heal myself.
Somehow along the way I found the courage to be who I am and in my 2010 book, This Path We Share, I am quite open about my depressions. I am doing well now, thanks to those many talk sessions and medication.
Back to the motherhood series tomorrow. 🙂
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Comments
Why do we tend to think we should always be able to heal our minds by ourselves, but not our bodies? I’m always baffled by this. Thanks for writing.
I left a comment on The Pink Underbelly’s blog, where she quotes Dana Jennings writing of his post cancer depression and for me the most powerful part is when he writes ” In the end, though, I believe in and trust in the healing power of the stories that we tell each other. And I wouldn’t be truthful to you or myself if I ignored the fact that I’m depressed … ” That is what I believe is so powerful when we write about our experiences with depression – we shine a light into the dark places, and help each other feel less alone. Keep writing Lois – your words have the power to heal.
Thank you! I had never experienced depression until chemo, and I think it gave me a greater empathy for my family members who struggle with it on a regular basis.
I think it’s a care of “You had to have been there.”
Depression harbors such stigma. Will we ever come to recognize it for what it is in our society? Thanks for sharing your story. xx
Sometimes it seems as if progress has been made. Sometimes not.