For people that live with Depression, daily life can become a constant struggle just to maintain the status quo. Bathing, eating, and showing up for work can become enormous undertakings when living in the shadow of this disorder. A few months ago, my therapist diagnosed me with Major Depressive Disorder, something I have been dealing with since the age of 16. Over the years, I had always turned to weightlifting for its depression fighting side effects, and alcohol for its ability to take me into another state of consciousness. After a psychologically traumatic event, these avenues were no longer available to me. The breaks between weightlifting sets proved to be enough free time for my mind to delve back into my problems, often leaving me crying at the gym. Alcohol became a poison, crippling my ability to socialize. Rather than giving me the confidence to interact with strangers, I would often be reduced to tears when men approached me in public if I was under the influence. With Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) and recovery from alcohol addiction added into the mix, and without weightlifting to provide relief, I finally turned to counseling and began exploring other ways to find peace.
The purpose of this blog is to detail the various strategies I have explored for combating depression as I slowly try to dig myself out of this hole in hopes that it will bring some insight and light to others who are suffering. Please read, explore and share your own personal insights that you have discovered on your journey. For those who are curious about the events leading up to my current mental state, I refer you to my other blog: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Deconstructing a Relationship with a Narcissist.
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