That is a good question. There is a fine line between loss and depression, as depression is one of the five stages of “death.” I think that one crosses the line when the symptoms of sadness do not resolve themselves over time. At the beginning of my episode, I feared that based on my past experience something like that would happen to me. Fortunately, I think I was able to avoid falling into the abyss
Thank you for this comment. The prevention I was referring to is what I have seen in my support groups where people lend a caring hand. I was not referring to conventional psychiatric treatment.
Thanks for your kind words. I have been doing better since I wrote the blog and will be writing s follow-up in a month or two. Are you familiar with a book called Back From the Brink which was written by an Australian?
Thanks for your comments. My parents did not have rigid expectations of me, but I internalized the values of the culture I was raised in. I was surrounded by high achieving peers who went to Ivy League schools and pursued professions in medicine, law and business. As a “highly sensitive person,” I had to leave the East Coast and move to Oregon where life is much slower and less stressful. Becoming a writer has been a good fit for my temperament.
Thanks for your reply. In the fall of 1997, Idid make a full recovery from this episode. Since then, I have been able to lead groups, write, and help raise my two godchildren. I still deal with depression, but my ups and downs are more manageable and have not disabled me as they did in the past. I am also more accepting of my situation.
If you liked that Thoreau quote, here is another one that is a favorite:
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams
and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined,
he will meet with a success unexpected
in common hours.”
Yes, I agree that we have to be true to ourselves. I like Thoreau’s quote.
If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears,
however measured or far away.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I would like to clarify that the vision statement is not a panacea for depression recovery. If there are external circumstances that are getting in the way of recovery, those need to be addressed. However, the vision statement can lay the groundwork and provide the motivation for making such a change. The person might say, “I set the intention to overcome this limiting circumstance” and then take the action to change it.
I agree with you very much about support being a critical factor for good mental health. In fact, I wrote about this topic in my previous blog, “We Are Meant to Heal in Community.” Here is the link to the post: http://www.madinamerica.com/2013/10/healing-power-love-connection/
Thanks for sharing your experience. It is always good to hear of other people who are experiencing success with these universal principles. The vision statement of wellness is a tool that should be implemented by mental health professionals. It is cheap, effective, and empowers clients to take charge of their own recovery.
P.S. Is Margaret Wheatly the writer and management consultant who studies organizational behavior?
I hope that the state follows through with their holistic approach. But even if they do not, you can apply these holistic tools yourself. You can use the language of wellness and healing to direct your recovery. You can set the intention to heal and draw other resources to you in addition to those of the state.
I agree with your analysis. In every culture, there exists a dynamic tension between the needs of the group and the needs of the individual. Often, the individual finds him or herself at odds with the community–e.g., those who fought for the abolition of slavery, for the woman’s right to vote, for civil rights, etc. When the norms of the community violate the conscience of the individual, then the person should engage in civil disobedience.
I am sorry for your loss. As you probably know, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) offer support for survivors of suicide. I have used their services.
My hypothesis is that the drug acted as a catalyst that pushed me over the edge. I already was highly anxious and was in an unstable situation. Just recently a man came to my support group who had taken a single dose of Vivitrol, which triggered an agitated depression that lasted a year. The nervous system can be quite delicate, and a powerful stressor can trigger a cascade of changes.
I agree with you. Accepting a situation is not the same as approving it. What I went through was hell. But when we fight too hard against a situation, sometimes it makes the situation worse.
Thanks for the feedback and the book recommendation. I will take a look at Phillip’s book and website, as it sounds he has a lot of good information to share. I agree with you about the need for supportive friends. Ina future article, I will share how my connections to others was a huge factor in preventing me from taking my life.
Thanks for your feedback. It so happens that in 2011 I adopted a vegan diet, inspired by the book Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman. I lost 45 pounds and have noticed that I need to sleep rest and I have more energy. I have learned that becoming physically healthy is an important step on the road to mental health recovery.
Stephen, thanks for your honest sharing. Living in the present moment is the best way to insure that we don’t “catastrophize” about the future and get into hopeless thinking. If you go to my web site (healingfromdepression.com) and email me, I can send you a useful exercise that is designed to bring the wandering mind back to the present.
I was taking the antidepressant Elavil at the time to help me sleep. That was it. Sixteen years after the event, the nature of my healing still remains a mystery to me. Yet, I firmly believe that the group support had something to do with it.
That is a good question. There is a fine line between loss and depression, as depression is one of the five stages of “death.” I think that one crosses the line when the symptoms of sadness do not resolve themselves over time. At the beginning of my episode, I feared that based on my past experience something like that would happen to me. Fortunately, I think I was able to avoid falling into the abyss
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Thank you for this comment. The prevention I was referring to is what I have seen in my support groups where people lend a caring hand. I was not referring to conventional psychiatric treatment.
Report comment
Thanks for your concern. I have been feeling better since I wrote the blog and will be posting a follow-up in a month or two.
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Thanks for your kind words. I have been doing better since I wrote the blog and will be writing s follow-up in a month or two. Are you familiar with a book called Back From the Brink which was written by an Australian?
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Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I remember meeting you at the symposium. Did you get a chance to look at the book Healing From Depression?
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Steve,
Thanks for your comments. My parents did not have rigid expectations of me, but I internalized the values of the culture I was raised in. I was surrounded by high achieving peers who went to Ivy League schools and pursued professions in medicine, law and business. As a “highly sensitive person,” I had to leave the East Coast and move to Oregon where life is much slower and less stressful. Becoming a writer has been a good fit for my temperament.
Report comment
Thanks for your reply. In the fall of 1997, Idid make a full recovery from this episode. Since then, I have been able to lead groups, write, and help raise my two godchildren. I still deal with depression, but my ups and downs are more manageable and have not disabled me as they did in the past. I am also more accepting of my situation.
Report comment
If you liked that Thoreau quote, here is another one that is a favorite:
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams
and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined,
he will meet with a success unexpected
in common hours.”
Report comment
Yes, I agree that we have to be true to ourselves. I like Thoreau’s quote.
If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears,
however measured or far away.
Report comment
Thanks Duane,
These are simple concepts though they are not always easy to put into practice. But at least we know the way.
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Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I would like to clarify that the vision statement is not a panacea for depression recovery. If there are external circumstances that are getting in the way of recovery, those need to be addressed. However, the vision statement can lay the groundwork and provide the motivation for making such a change. The person might say, “I set the intention to overcome this limiting circumstance” and then take the action to change it.
I agree with you very much about support being a critical factor for good mental health. In fact, I wrote about this topic in my previous blog, “We Are Meant to Heal in Community.” Here is the link to the post: http://www.madinamerica.com/2013/10/healing-power-love-connection/
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Thanks. I will look for his work.
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Thanks for sharing your experience. It is always good to hear of other people who are experiencing success with these universal principles. The vision statement of wellness is a tool that should be implemented by mental health professionals. It is cheap, effective, and empowers clients to take charge of their own recovery.
P.S. Is Margaret Wheatly the writer and management consultant who studies organizational behavior?
Report comment
I’m glad you have found such success with this technique.
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I hope that the state follows through with their holistic approach. But even if they do not, you can apply these holistic tools yourself. You can use the language of wellness and healing to direct your recovery. You can set the intention to heal and draw other resources to you in addition to those of the state.
Report comment
Thanks Alex. I’m glad that you have discovered the power of intention and have used it to improve your life.
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I agree with your analysis. In every culture, there exists a dynamic tension between the needs of the group and the needs of the individual. Often, the individual finds him or herself at odds with the community–e.g., those who fought for the abolition of slavery, for the woman’s right to vote, for civil rights, etc. When the norms of the community violate the conscience of the individual, then the person should engage in civil disobedience.
Report comment
I am sorry for your loss. As you probably know, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) offer support for survivors of suicide. I have used their services.
Report comment
I agree. I believe that the lack of community in the United States is one of the reason that rates of depression and other mood disorders are so high.
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Corinna,
Thanks for your feedback. Here is an article from the New Yorker that elaborates on what Friedman said.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/09/psychiatry-prozac-ssri-mental-health-theory-discredited.html?mbid=gnep&google_editors_picks=true
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Duane,
Thanks for your feedback. Here is an article from the New Yorker that elaborates on what Friedman said.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/09/psychiatry-prozac-ssri-mental-health-theory-discredited.html?mbid=gnep&google_editors_picks=true
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My hypothesis is that the drug acted as a catalyst that pushed me over the edge. I already was highly anxious and was in an unstable situation. Just recently a man came to my support group who had taken a single dose of Vivitrol, which triggered an agitated depression that lasted a year. The nervous system can be quite delicate, and a powerful stressor can trigger a cascade of changes.
Report comment
I stopped it immediately, but the symptoms continued anyway.
Report comment
Thanks again for your feedback. I plan to write my follow-up post in another month.
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I agree with you. Accepting a situation is not the same as approving it. What I went through was hell. But when we fight too hard against a situation, sometimes it makes the situation worse.
Report comment
Jennifer,
Thanks for the feedback and the book recommendation. I will take a look at Phillip’s book and website, as it sounds he has a lot of good information to share. I agree with you about the need for supportive friends. Ina future article, I will share how my connections to others was a huge factor in preventing me from taking my life.
Report comment
Thanks for your feedback. It so happens that in 2011 I adopted a vegan diet, inspired by the book Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman. I lost 45 pounds and have noticed that I need to sleep rest and I have more energy. I have learned that becoming physically healthy is an important step on the road to mental health recovery.
Report comment
Stephen, thanks for your honest sharing. Living in the present moment is the best way to insure that we don’t “catastrophize” about the future and get into hopeless thinking. If you go to my web site (healingfromdepression.com) and email me, I can send you a useful exercise that is designed to bring the wandering mind back to the present.
Report comment
I like this exercise. Thanks for sharing it.
Report comment
I was taking the antidepressant Elavil at the time to help me sleep. That was it. Sixteen years after the event, the nature of my healing still remains a mystery to me. Yet, I firmly believe that the group support had something to do with it.
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Thanks Duane. I always appreciate Mother Theresa’s quotations.
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