Read more
The post 11 rarely known signs of depression appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>
rare depression symptoms
Experiencing depression
From my wedding in 2006 to the following December 2007, I was in the biggest depression of my life. At that time, I was a completely different person. I am still battling depression but not like that year. Those months leading up to my first psychiatrist appointment were brutally painful. Here I had just spent a decade in mania that was so powerful that I do not remember suffering any depression.
I laid around the house during that year of depression, unable to do anything. My job as a middle school teacher wore me down something awful to the point that I was useless at home to my husband and my dogs. Cooking was like caring a small fire in your hand while climbing Mt. Everest. Laundry was akin to being swallowed whole by a big fish. The effort to bring work home from school was practically futile since nothing would get done.
Need to be willing to learn
In order for me to know that what I was undergoing was depression, I needed to learn. I spoke with professionals. Read a ton of books and on the internet. I wrote down what I was feeling every day and got feedback from family and friends.
depression symptoms
11 rare depression symptoms
- Anger and irritability
Many men will display their depression in crankiness, grouchiness or anger. So what? Everybody gets angry. True. The intensity the depressed person experiences and reacts to are far more intense and lasts longer than any person without a mental illness.
- Sleeping patterns change
Sleeping too little, too much. Broken sleep. Restless sleep. Difficulty sleeping. Going back to bed after a partner leaves for work.
depression symptoms
- Forgetfulness and trouble concentrating
I can completely relate! That is me all the time! If it is a thought and can be forgotten, it will be forgotten by the person who is depressed.
Likewise with concentration.
- Beating yourself up
Their defect self-talk is all negative. Doubt. Lack of self-confidence.
- Drinking and drugs
“Drowning your sorrows.” The drugs and drinking could become a habit that once was not there or an uptick in the regular abuse.
- Feeling numb
Inability to feel affectionate or grieve a loss. When my Granny passed away, I was numb and had no feeling at all. Ironically enough, I was unable to grieve because I was depressed.
- Trouble starting your internal engine and getting started
Difficulty getting out of bed, going to work, starting on projects, cleaning, exercising or getting the kids ready for going to church.
- Changes in eating
Eating too much or not at all. Bingeing and purging. Barely eating.
- Not showing up
Disappearance from people and regular hangouts, is a sign of problems.
- Anxiety
Unnecessary worrying.
- Passive thoughts of dying
There is a difference between regular thoughts on dying and abnormal thoughts. That difference is the abnormal thoughts are thought all the time. Like an obsession.
depression symptoms
Comments
If you have a comment to make or to add to this blog, write your comment in the section labeled as such below. You can also email me if you want to keep your comments private.
References
https://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-public/20180219nchsdepression.html
Life Conquering and Psych Central (Mental Health Discoveries)
The post 11 rarely known signs of depression appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Read more
The post Stress and how to Diminish the Symptoms at the Workplace appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>
Do you have stress at your job? Are you beginning a new job? Trying to find some work friends to hang out with at lunch? Not even two weeks go by and still no work friends while the work stress mounts. And your boss announces he will be gone from the office for the next two days. He expects everything completed when he gets back. Sweat pools on my desk from the stress..
work stress
My life and stress go hand-in-hand
From the beginning of my life in school through my first “real” jobs, stress for me has been as constant as Big Ben is for England. Whether it was female co-workers being snooty and pretending I did not exist. Or the boss passing me over for the year-end bonus. The stress to eat and socialize at forced work functions. And the stress of not knowing something for your job.
What do you do about it?
My whole working life has been covered in stress. When you feel the heart burn and stomach aches, you need to find ways to survive at work until quitting time. When I was working a desk job in a law office or teaching middle school, I was beyond stressed. I had to discover ways to slow my beating heart or I was going to die way before my time was finished here on earth.
work stress
One fact still remains: stress is everywhere. You might spin your guts out in spin class at the gym. Or, hit the laces off the baseball into outer space. You might drink like a fish at the bar. But the stress will be back in the morning. Stress does not have to reduce you to a pile of tissues on the floor. Below are some coping skills I actually used while working a desk job to decrease the stress I was experiencing.
-
Visit another cube-mate
A co-worker’s cube was in another part of the building. When I got stressed out about something with my job, I would walk over to his cube. We would talk about work, his son, life in general and he would always make me laugh. Taking that simple break, gave me a reprieve from the pressure of my job. It was there when I came back; however spending a few minutes with my friend gave me a “second wind” in order to get through the day.
-
Breathe deeply with your eyes closed
Sometimes I would sit at my desk, close my eyes and breathe deep and cleansing breaths. This stress relieving activity is for the stressed-out employee chained to their desk or to others who have more freedom. Sometimes I got so relax that I almost fell asleep.
-
Drink plenty of water
I try to make water my main beverage throughout the day. When I worked a desk job, I brought a large insulated cup with me to work. I know when the brain gets dehydrated the lack of fluids in the body can cause muscle cramps and you may feel faint. You certainly do not want to feel sick at work! If you don’t have a cup, walk to the water fountain.
work stress
-
Self-hypnosis
If you do not know how to hypnotize yourself, it is easy to learn. When I got mega stressed out, my mind would begin to race, I was unable to concentrate and I got anxious. I closed my eyes, went to a safe place and let myself relax. The stress never went away. But, I felt better because my mind was clearer and the physical effects of the stress lessened.
-
Walk out to your car
When work’s demands engulfed me, a walk out to the car on any day was the perfect shot in the arm. Sometimes I would take a nap, while in the car. Sometimes I would stare at the sky, be amazed by nature or watch the traffic go by.
Comment
What do you do when you get stressed out? In the comment section below, write out the strategies you use while at work. You can email me, too at [email protected]. I will share these strategies with the community.
Going Further
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/work-stress.aspx
http://www.positivityblog.com/how-to-deal-with-stress/
https://lifeconquering.org/panic-attack/
The post Stress and how to Diminish the Symptoms at the Workplace appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Read more
The post Anxiety as a teenager can keep you from your prize appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>At school, your palms sweated when the teacher called you to give an answer in front of the class; your heart was pounding like a drum in your chest as you were walking up to the girl you wanted to ask out; your throat choked up when you had a feeling the teacher might accuse you of cheating on the mid-term exam; or a stomach ache just before your first presentation at the science fare.
The Objective
To realize how anxiety will keep you from your prize if you do not stop it.
It does not matter how old you are; rich or poor; what color your skin is; or what language you speak. Good ‘ole anxiety does not discriminate. Think of it this way,
- You want to go to the dance Friday night.
- You have no date.
- What are you going to do?
- The girl and the dance are ultimately the prize you are seeking.
- Then anxiety kicks in and tries to steal away your prize.
- How?
- Simple, anxiety makes you so afraid that you can’t speak, you have a stomach ache, your face is flushed, your palms are sweaty, and you get “cold feet”.
- If you want to own that prize, you have to fight off negative self-talk, loneliness, uncertainty, fear of failure and the list goes on.
All the colors of anxiety
A problem with your hands
The bridge between marching season in high school and regular band during my freshman year of high school, was like nothing I had experienced. After marching band was over, I switched from percussion to clarinet. No big deal, right? Wrong.
There was only one senior in the entire band…and she played clarinet. This meant she automatically would be first chair clarinet until a challenge. This is where we choose a “seat” in our individual sections. The people challenging and being challenged would have the same music selected before hand to play for that seat.
We had a substitute band teacher at that time. She set up a chair challenge. The point of the challenge was to perform for the seat you wanted. Of course I went for it! I was never last chair, second during a concert maybe, but majority of the time, I was first. I found my prize! Now where is the anxiety?
Clarinet
On the day of the challenge, I tried not to think about it. I had practiced my fingers off and was ready.
The challenge was in front of the entire band. I played first since I was the challenger. A chance to sit in the most covetous sea in the clarinet section! I wiped my sweaty hands onto my jeans before picking up my instrument. It felt as if something supernatural happened after I began the music selection. I closed my eyes or was in a trance and let my fingers do the playing. I did not remember even one note I played.
When it was her turn, she simply choked. I did feel horrible for her. I knew then like I know now, she was an extremely talented clarinet player in high school. Anxiety must have made her fingers feel like lead weights. At the same time, anxiety propelled me forward.
Winning against anxiety
Your fight might be in the rugby team, track, football team, swim team, chess club, physics club, third period French or any myriad of opportunities to push against anxiety and win. If I flaked and did not challenge her, I would never known what I was capable of. Anxiety is tough, but focusing on the prize and not the fear, makes everything work out.
Claim your Prize
Going Further
Recommendations on Anxiety Books for Children whom have Anxiety Problems
Anxiety Fools Your Brain to Direct Your Actions and Thoughts
https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders#1
The post Anxiety as a teenager can keep you from your prize appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Read more
The post Guest Blogger, Shane Thomas, M.A., on Becoming Mentally Healthy appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>I would like to introduce you to guest blogger and friend, Shane Thomas, M.A., who discusses being mentally healthy with his college students on a regular basis. What makes Shane an expert on being mentally healthy? He is the Director of the Advising Center for Exploratory Students (ACES) at Indiana University Southeast in Southern Indian. In this role, Shane helps students find their true fit in a major and explore career options. When not working with students on time management, study skills, and their academic goals, he is writing songs, playing music and traveling throughout the United States.
Be Mentally Healthy While Becoming Mentally Healthy
By Shane Thomas, M.A.
As an academic advisor, I hear firsthand from students the stress that can occur when trying to adjust to college life. Beginning your academic career can be a difficult experience. In this article, I will offer some strategies to help students become mentally healthy while in college.
One of the best ways to launch your stress management plan is to become aware of the pressure. You can do this by simply paying attention to the three areas below. Start by noticing the following:
Stress
Be aware of the stress around you:
- Know the situations that make you stressed.
- Are there certain places that make you stressed? If so, where are they?
- Do you become stressed if you are around certain people? If yes, identify them.
- Do certain subjects that you are trying to learn cause stress? List them.
Symptoms can be both physiological and behavioral when it comes to stress. Become aware of the various ways how stress can present itself.
Physiological symptoms:
- Short, rapid breathing
- Muscle tension
- Perspiration
When it comes to stress, typically the behavioral symptoms come to mind.
Behavioral symptoms:
- Irritable and not pleasant to be around.
- People can sometimes start using alcohol and/or drugs to try to cope with the stress they encounter
- If your family and friends have noticed a negative change in your behavior and habits then you could be stressed.
Having an awareness of these changes and symptoms can start you on the way to being able to be mentally healthy while in college.
Stress Management Planning
Once you develop the habit of noticing the symptoms and situations of stress, you can learn to manage them. As a college student you have the challenge of trying to balance being a student with working, having time for a social life and for yourself. Let’s look at each one of these aspects of your life and learn how to maximize them in order to be mentally healthy.
As we go through each of these areas, it is important to keep in mind that you want to plan and prioritize. This will increase the chances of you thriving in each!
Student
We will start with your role as a student first. If you are enrolled in college, your studies should be a top priority. You can lessen the probability of stress as it relates to your academics by incorporating some of these tips.
Class Work Stress
- Plan your classes in a way that best fits your sleep patterns and when you are mentally at your peak. If you are not a morning person then strongly reconsider signing up for afternoon classes.
- A good formula to remember is for every credit hour you are enrolled in, you will want to plan 2-3 hours for homework, studying and working on group projects, etc.
For example if you are a full time college student that is enrolled in 15 credit hours then you will want to plan 2-3 hours for those classes. Therefore 15 x 2-3= 30-45 hours total for the week to make sure you budget enough time to succeed in the classroom.
- Visit your institution’s financial aid office to see what options you may have to reduce the financial stress of college.
- Prioritize your classes. Know which courses will require more energy and work. A key to having a nice course schedule that doesn’t overwhelm yourself is to balance out hard classes with ones that come fairly easy to you and that you are interested in.
Now that we have made being a college student a top priority, let’s look at fitting in your professional obligations.
Work
- Most college students have to and should earn income because it is important. Through work, you can potentially learn new skills, make friends and build your professional network that can benefit you for years to come. However, the vital item to remember is resist the temptation to work too much. If you are a full time college student which is typically 12 or more credit hours per semester, then try to work no more than 20 hours per week.
Working as a college studemt
- Once you plan on working 20 hours or less a week, then make it a priority to find employment that will work around your class schedule.
- Ideally find a job that interests you and that you can gain valuable experience. You can also put the knowledge you gained on your resume. It is never too early to get skills in a field that interests you!
Social
Just as important as making time to succeed in the classroom and work, you need a social life. Human beings are social creatures that require connection with others. Here are strategies to help you devise and maintain a healthy social life. Building a healthy social life has a direct correlation to optimal mental health.
- Plan enough time to spend time with those that have your best interest at heart. Having a strong support system that you can trust is imperative. These include family members, friends, mentors or even pets. Have people in your life that you care about and that care about you.
- Get involved – but not too much! You might hear from people that work at colleges encouraging you to get involved and for good reason. Extra-curricular involvement has numerous benefits. You can make friends, hold leadership positions, build your resume and it offers opportunities to give back. However, many college students take on too much and over-commit It is highly recommended to put quality over quantity. Join 2-3 organizations and clubs that you really want to commit to and make those a priority and excel at them. However, do not get too involved so much that you neglect your academics and your grade point average suffers.
Personal
Last but certainly not least is finding time for yourself. “Me time” is synonymous with being mentally healthy. Let’s look at some ways to make the most out of our personal time.
Me Time
- Make sure you take care of yourself and your health. If you don’t look after yourself then you won’t be in good shape to thrive academically, professionally, or socially. Unfortunately, many students try to take care of everyone but themselves. Therefore plan to get 30 minutes or more of physical activity at least 5 days a week if not daily. Also get plenty of sleep and rest that is free from distractions. Make nutritious food choices.
- Prioritize time for things that you enjoy doing. This could be watching Netflix, traveling, or cooking. It doesn’t matter what the activity. What does matter is that you like engaging in them.
- Besides getting adequate activity, nutrition and sleep, make sure you have enough quiet time to de-stress and reflect. The contemplation, relaxation and deep breathing that results from activities such as mediation, yoga, and tai chi have been shown to improve mental health.
There you have it. A blueprint for you to be mentally healthy during your college years. To summarize, be aware of the things that can elevate your stress. Then when stressful situations arise and they will, be aware of both the physical and behavioral symptoms of stress. Next, plan your life in a way that allows you to optimally balance being a student with having a productive, fulfilling professional and social life, while still allowing time for yourself. Finally, prioritize the things that you need to do in each of these areas along with things that are important to you and bring you enjoyment.
College Graduate
College can be one of the biggest transitions you will ever make in your life. And stress can sometimes accompany transitions. However, college can also be some of those most memorable times of your life. Your college years can be one of tremendous growth and a time when you become your own person and find your way in life. Hopefully some of the tips in this article cannot only help you survive but thrive mentally while you are on the road to become a college graduate.
IUS image via https://www.ius.edu/
Contacting Shane Thomas
Below are the links where you can find Shane Thomas, M.A. on the internet.
Website: https://www.shanethomasmusic.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNWSy2Yt8vj6Z8Pgp64okjw
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shanesmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanethomasmusician/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanethomasmusician/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/share?app=110&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shanethomasmusic.com%2F
RSS: https://www.shanethomasmusic.com/feed/
Email: https://www.specificfeeds.com/shanethomasmusic
Going Further
About Amy Pierce Romine
I am a content and freelance writer, published writer, award-winning blogger, public speaker, copy editor and social media consultant. Life Conquering Blog for Mental Health was chosen to be one of the “Top 100 Bipolar Blogs”. Please visit my award-winning blog at the address below.
https://blog.feedspot.com/bipolar_disorder_blogs/.
Check us out on the web and become a Follower while you are there.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lifeconquering/
Twitter https://twitter.com/lifeconquering
Google + https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LifeConquering
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lifeconquering/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-pierce-romine-a22153147/
FOLLOW. LIKE. SHARE.
mental health blog
The post Guest Blogger, Shane Thomas, M.A., on Becoming Mentally Healthy appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Read more
The post Adderall Review appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>When I first started, the side effects were few if any. Many of the items on the list were symptoms I have with my other medications and from the illness itself. For instance these are a few of the side effects you might experience while on Adderall: anxiety, headache; weakness, dizziness, a terrible taste in your mouth, diarrhea, constipation, nausea and hair falling out. This list is just the tip of the ice burg.
This stimulant has revolutionized my life. Between the narcolepsy, AD/HD and the bipolar, I was going out of my mind mad! Once I got the Adderall in my system, the sleeping and the attention issues faded away. My energy can be amazing, too! However, I did learn that I could not rely solely on the pill I swallowed everyday four times a day.
I had moments when I was like a zombie. I started again to fall asleep at inappropriate or dangerous times. I knew I needed the Adderall and understood that the medicine and my behavior should work together for optimal satisfaction. This culminated to shine a light on my poor sleep hygiene habits. The medicine’s poor performance pointed to the facts that I was not getting enough sleep at night. And I might need to rethink when I should take my medicine during the day.
Likewise, I would get a few minor glitches with the AD/HD. As an example, not being able to have an attention span greater than a gnat. I want to scream “this is taking me increasingly more time to write anything!” I cannot stay focused and the results are cutting about half of the first draft because I have so much crap in the article/post that it makes no sense.
Writing and editing is getting more and more difficult to do
For me to be a successful writer, I need to be awake, focused and have my whits about me. When I write, I do so with as much time that I can to squeeze every second out of the day.
For me, the outside distractions are minimal. It is my internal distractions that wreak havoc on my writing. I may have a sick dog and another dog to tend to. Laundry. Phone calls. Then the bipolar and the other mental health issues that come along for a ride are ready to muck up the waters.
Then it starts. I have brain freeze, next a starring contest with my monitor, I can’t figure out a title or the subject, don’t forget wasting time on writing something that does not fit in the first place, I lose interest once I get frustrated and I am not being productive, forgetting that one word that would be perfect, and…inability to spell. YES! SPELL! Then I look at the clock and I react:
“Now it is quarter-to-one?!”
“All I want to do is take a nap.”
adderall
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adderall
http://www.alaskasleep.com/blog/narcolepsy-definition-symptoms-causes-treatment
https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-a-pulmonologist
https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/diagnosing-narcolepsy
http://www.alaskasleep.com/blog/what-is-a-polysomnogram-test
http://www.efpa.be/psychologist-psychiatrist.htm
https://www.rxlist.com/adderall-side-effects-drug-center.htm
Going Further
The post Adderall Review appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Read more
The post How do you deal with a bipolar brain that is made of Laffy Taffy? appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Well, this morning has been successful in one way and a total failure in another in bipolar land. I was able to type a draft last night for Blasting News where I am a contributing author. I just got an email indicating that my article I submitted is being published. Ya-hooo!
On the flip side I just tried to edit a blog I also drafted last night and get it read for publishing today. I can’t tell if I have two different topics or just one or five. It feels as if I am walking through a corridor of Laffy Taffy. I just feel like this blog is all sticky and I am unable to fight through the bands of taffy in order to see clearly.
A day I didn’t see coming
Have you ever had a day like that? Hmmm. It happens to all of us. We feel inadequate at our job because we feel like we have just forgotten the entire manual on their job. While waiting tables you break almost every coffee cup you touch. The copier is jammed every time you go to use it. You just now noticed you have a coffee stain in a very prominent place on your suit. And the meeting you are chairing is set for five minutes from now.
Life happens, doesn’t it? On these days I usually can’t get a topic to write about. My words do not flow. And if I were to look at the main ideas coming from my head down my arms to my fingers to type onto the laptop, it would look like a game of Pick-up Sticks. Just ideas going all over the place, intersecting in bizzare places.
On these days, I want to give up. At least that is what I used to do. I gave up. I too a nap. I chatted on social media. I did everything except address the problem. Now I want to F.I.G.H.T.! No more wimping out. I am resolved not to let this mental illness get the best of me.
Just now as I write this blog about fighting against the battles of life, I am sleepy from staying up later than usual. I would like to take a nap. However, I know all the work that needs to be done will swirl around in my brain, keeping me from sleep.
Stay in the game
As you go about your day, whether you have a mental illness or have a flat tire on the side of the road, FIGHT to stay in the game. Don’t check out! You have a lot to learn from yourself today. But if you you don’t fight, that is okay too. There is always tomorrow.
A Call To Action
If you have a success story or a failure story where you learned to FIGHT and as a result learned something from it, please email. I would love to read the story as well as the lesson learned. [email protected]
Going Further
http://www.pendulum.org/bpcoping.htm
22 Mindfulness Exercises, Techniques & Activities For Adults (+ PDF’s)
The post How do you deal with a bipolar brain that is made of Laffy Taffy? appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Read more
The post Social anxiety stress reliever for the holidays appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>
Thanksgiving
This may sound like your typical wallflower. It has more impactful consequences than just someone who is shy. Joyable brings up a scary statistic. 38% of our social anxiety sufferers will use alcohol to make it through holiday parties.
The young adults of our society who suffer with this sort of anxiety rely on social media to get through a holiday party as discussed by Fortune. When these adults go to holiday parties, they say their crutch is their smartphone.
Stress relievers for social anxiety
This holiday season, we are looking at a breathing technique known as square breathing. No matter what your stress level, you might be able to benefit from this very easy exercise to help get your breathing under control.
Let me introduce you to square breathing
When you feel the social anxiety rise up and begin to get out of control at a holiday party, do the following:
- In your surroundings, find something square. A TV, a coffee table, a door, a fence, a billboard, sidewalk, a picture frame, a present, a serving dish, etc.
- Start your eyes at the top left corner of your square and move horizontally to the right while inhaling.
- Make sure your movements are slow along with your breath.
- Once you are at the upper right corner, move your eyes down while exhaling.
- Breathe in from bottom corner right to left.
- Next breathe out from the bottom left to top right.
- Continue doing this exercise, slowing down your breath.
- You can repeat several rounds or two-five minutes.
- You can start it over again if you feel the stress is coming back.
- You can even move your eyes in the opposite direction.
Anxiety
This can help obviously with social anxiety as well as any anxiety that has its hold on you. If you use this technique to bring you peace and calm during a stressful holiday situation, email me at [email protected] or send me a message on Facebook or Twitter and let me know your experience.
Reference
“Relieve Stress – 20 Quick Techniques” by Katrin Schubert, M.D.
http://fortune.com/2015/12/22/social-anxiety-joyable/
https://joyable.com/blog/joyable-holiday-survey-2015/
Going further
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relievers/art-20047257
http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot
The post Social anxiety stress reliever for the holidays appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Read more
The post Articles published by Blasting News! – Hillary Clinton demands teaching a nationwide mental illness curriculum appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Education and mental illness – two subjects I know very well. Please visit the article and share it with people you know. Also, visit Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and my website.
https://www.facebook.com/lifeconquering/
https://twitter.com/lifeconquering
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LifeConquering
https://lifeconquering.org/…
mental iIlness curriculum
Work and Stress
This used to be the way of life for me. Consequently I gained a lot of extra weight.
http://us.blastingnews.com/lifestyle/2017/11/stress-triggers-obesity-in-women-002170707.html
work and stress
Therapy Dogs and Their Role in Mental Illness
I have two dogs and they help me out all the time with my bipolar.
therapy dogs
Even the Army is taking notice of Mental Illnesses
The Army waivers the ban on mental illnesses of recruits.
mental illness waiver
The post Articles published by Blasting News! – Hillary Clinton demands teaching a nationwide mental illness curriculum appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Read more
The post Depression Valleys Light Up with Faith appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>The depression statistics I have for 2017 shows the seriousness of the illness. Depression is underdiagnosed. Often times, the mental illness is not treated at all. There are over 300 million depressed people in the world. The number of people with common mental disorders globally like depression is rising.
Depression
Alternative to depression
I believe that in many ways, we have so much more to learn about depression. Depression just happens to be the number one cause of death by a mental illness. In this post, I want to offer you an alternative to depression and give you hope. Now, I am not saying you will be free and clear of your depression. You will be better able to cope.
Paralyzing, bondage
When I have been in the valley of bipolar depression and surrounded on all sides by hills of anxiety and fear, I become practically paralyzed. I do not know what to do or to say to free myself from this bondage. My default is to stare out the window for an indefinite amount of time, lose all sense of time and reality, unaware of the things around me.
Help
The valleys are as deep as they are wide and the hills are as tall as they are long. In the valley of depression, under the shadow of the hills of anxiety and fear, I must look for help, in order to survive. I must remember that the God of the universe is my help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). I tell you today, I can call out to Him and He will help me. Honestly, He will not leave me alone in the valley of depression.
Depression
I have learned many lessons through my experiences with bipolar depression. One lesson is that my faith in God goes a long way in getting me through the valleys and seeing past the mountains. In Matthew 17:20, we read Jesus saying to his disciples “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
I know I could do that, if I just had enough faith that God will move the mountain. However, that is okay. He knows and understands. So, I lean on my Savior. I lean on Jesus like I do for every other thing in my life. Paying the bills. Finding a job. A sick child. An overworked father. The threat to turn off the heat.
The weight and power of depression
When bipolar depression hits me like a ton of bricks and it feels like I am moving through mud, it is difficult to do this thing called life on my own. It takes an enormous amount of faith on my part to be able to trust Him to carry me through every minute of every day. And not to take back the control.
There is no way without the help of the Almighty God that I can be a wife, go to work, take care of my dogs, let alone take care of myself. Some days I cannot even get out of bed or take a shower. Those things are sometimes my mountains that tower over me. Life gets that hard. However, over time I have grown in my faith in God and those mountains quake and move during those dark hours.
Faith
Move
Our Savior says to tell that mountain “move” and it will move. When was the last time you mustered up a little bit of faith of your own? All you need is faith the size of a mustard seed and you can make your mountains move.
Realize this, you are not moving the mountain by yourself, God is moving the mountain. Just the same, you are not curing your depression, God is walking you through your mental illness. Having a mustard-size faith in God, the Maker of heaven and earth can cause your mountains to move and fall at your feet.
References
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs369/en/
https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers
Call to action
Do you have depression? You may not believe in the God that I have been talking about. He actually may sound different than the One you have heard of. Find some quiet time and spend it talking, yes just talking, regular language. Listen with your heart. If you would like to share, leave a comment below or email me at [email protected].
Going Further
The post Depression Valleys Light Up with Faith appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Read more
The post Bipolar Roller Coaster: Nineteen Jobs since College appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>Today is day five after quitting my nineteenth job since college. When I was in my twenties, single and on the bipolar roller coaster, I quit a lot of jobs simply because I liked the risks involved and did not care about the consequences. My mental illness created a thrill for job hopping, lust for the challenge of conquering an interview and the excitement of starting all over again. However, as I look back at the jobs I had as a paralegal and a middle school teacher, my decisions to quit were not out of thrill seeking. I was leaving those careers so I could take care of my mental and physical health.
The Fruit of the Spirit Trumps Bipolar Roller Coaster
I have had mixed responses recently when I told people I have bipolar. I get that. Normal people do not think mentally ill people are “normal looking”.
To keep me somewhat stable, of course I am on a medicine cabinet full of pills. I also see my psychiatrist and psychologist on a regular basis. I am so blessed to have the Holy Spirit within me. One of His fruit is self-control. If I did not have the Holy Spirit, I would probably be divorced, homeless or in jail. THANK YOU GOD FOR YOUR GRACE!
What is next on the Bipolar Roller Coaster?
I really want to be a freelance writer. I want to continue my mission with Life Conquering full time. Life Conquering exists to encourage people with a mental illness through my journey as well as teach others about mental illnesses and to tear down the walls of stigma.
Email Me
Send me an email describing a time when the Holy Spirit helped you be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle or self-controlled. Email me at [email protected].
Going Further
http://ibpf.org/blog/finding-work-works-when-you-have-bipolar-disorder
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5:22-23
http://www.allaboutgod.com/fruit-of-the-spirit.htm
Life Conquering Ministries Debuts at Southeast Christian Church Southwest Campus
The post Bipolar Roller Coaster: Nineteen Jobs since College appeared first on Life Conquering Blog.
]]>