“We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.” – Barbara De Angelis
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog on The Face of Depression. I was in a bad place, and it felt like I wouldn’t come out of the depression. I shared that it was bipolar depression. There was no situation to cause the depression; I woke up one day severely depressed. If you want to know more about this incident, you can go to sunflowers4life.com to see that blog and others.
This depression was the worst I faced since I lost my son. I didn’t get dressed or shower for days, I was not interested in eating, and I isolated myself from others. But the scariest part for me was that my mind went to dark places, and I had lost hope.
I am fortunate because I had people praying for me and encouraging me to get out of the house. Although I did manage to get dressed and shower to go to church, I did not stay to meet with the other singles and went home to put my pajamas back on to hide in bed.
I shared before that there was no rhyme or reason for my depression. Sunday night was the most challenging night. I had lost hope and wasn’t sure I would pull through. I pleaded with God to take away this cycle of depression. Guess what, He did! On Monday morning, I woke feeling good and ready to face life again.
I love the above quote. I did not feel like I was courageous during this depression, but I realized that I did have courage as I thought about this challenging time. I did not give up and walked through this difficult time. I was not graceful, but I made it through.
I often face adversity, and I feel ready to face the world again because I successfully endured this challenge! Unfortunately, others in this world struggle with depression too. Going through this event has given me a voice once again to share about this dark place.
The following are some things you can do to help you overcome depression. Unfortunately, I was severely depressed and did not do any of them.
5 Ways to Help Yourself Through Depression
· Exercise. Take a 15- to 30-minute brisk walk every day.
· Eat healthy foods. Some people with depression don't feel much like eating.
· Don't dwell on problems. It can feel good to talk through a problem with a caring friend.
· Express yourself.
· Notice good things.
If you find yourself amid depression, I encourage you to allow others to help you. You do not have to face this alone. A helpful thing for me during the journey was to journal. Then, when you feel like giving up, call someone!!
I am thankful to be on this side of depression. So many of you that read my blogs prayed for me; thank you. I am grateful for my life and the people who are part of my life.
