Archive for the ‘depression’ Category
What are You Looking At?
What do you watch when you are too tired or too depressed to do anything else?
Do you watch stuff that is encouraging, uplifting, and positive?
Or do watch stuff that is negative, insulting, violent, and outrageous?
Do you look at people and images on the TV or in movies that make you envious and even more depressed?
Are you careful about what you look at?
What are you looking at?
Recently on one of my days when I was too tired to participate in life, I was thrilled to find this movie ‘Return to Me’. Have you seen it?
It is delightful. No violence, no sex but a great story. The characters were charming and believable but not so outlandishly gorgeous that you could not identify with them. And it had a happy ending!
These kinds of movies are rare and so when I find one I like to tell everybody about it!
HOW ABOUT YOU? Are you careful about what you watch? Depression is a battle of the mind. Are you feeding your mind good stuff or awful stuff? Are you making your depression worse by what you watch?
I am so glad you dropped by today!
Join me again at ‘Depression Getaway’ and together we will…
…live, care, laugh, share, learn, discover, forgive and recover.
Don’t give up, I’m praying for you!
Wendy Love
What Do Woodpeckers and Machine Guns have in Common?
Oh you may have guessed it already. What do woodpeckers and machine guns have in common? The noise?
Well, if your woodpecker is pecking on the steel eavestroughing on your house, then yes! It is as noisy as a machine gun! And…as fast! Boy do they go fast.
So, as you may have figured out, we have a woodpecker doing just that at our house – pecking on the steel eavestrough. And what time of day? Five o’clock in the morning! Annoying…. Read the rest of this entry »
Happiness on the Streets
Old houses, small towns, main streets lined with big old trees…. that can put a smile onto my face just about any time.
We spend some time in South Carolina every winter and one town that gives me that happy feeling is Conway. They have an historic district that I just love. Read the rest of this entry »
Happiness at my Front Door
‘Happiness Therapy’ is my topic for awhile.
Just because we have depression doesn’t mean we have to be, or are going to be, SAD ALL THE TIME!
A little happiness sprinkled around can give you a wonderful ‘depression getaway’. Read the rest of this entry »
My Very Own Personal “Hope Project”
What’s warm, and colorful, and made with love, and free! One of my ‘hope projects’!
Last time I shared David Small’s concept of a ‘hope project’. I loved his idea! He said it should be something you enjoy, have talent for and helpful to someone else.
Depression has made it impossible for me to be ‘out there’ in the world, volunteering, committing to committees, babysitting grandchildren, etc. The list of what I don’t do anymore is long and sometimes I feel kind of worthless.
But I still have a creative side to my little artistic self and need to do SOMETHING! I need to feel useful, creative, and make a contribution of some kind.
So, here is my hope project. Read the rest of this entry »
Did You See the Robin wearing a Winter Coat?
SPRING HAS ARRIVED IN ONTARIO
Yes, spring has arrived in Ontario! It is dazzling, sparkling and not what we expected at all!
Ice storms are both spectacular and destructive. I love to go outside after an ice storm and take a rake and hit the branches of the trees to encourage the ice to fall off so there is less chance of breakage, but it was a noisy job. Read the rest of this entry »
Is Anger a Cause or Symptom of Depression?
ANGRY ANDREW
‘Angry Andrew’ is next in my cast of characters for my series I am calling “The Depression Go-Aways”. The thing is with these characters is that yes, you do want them to go away. However, you also want to pay attention to what they may be trying to tell you.
No character can do you and others more harm than ‘Angry Andrew’. If you let him stay, he will get bigger, and bigger and BIGGER!
How big a topic is ANGER? huge! HUGE! HUGE! Read the rest of this entry »
Picking Arguments is a Sign of Depression
Fighting Frank, is that you these days?
One of the symptoms of a depression coming on is this thought: ‘What’s wrong with everyone?’ You really believe that there is something wrong with everybody but you when you are becoming depressed.
There is a significant difference between men and women in everything, including depression. When a woman is depressed she may feel guilty, and self-blaming. When a man is depressed he may feel anger and blame others for his sad feelings. That is why I named this emotion for a man, Fighting Frank.
Of course it isn’t always this way but still, something to think about. Dr. Grant Mullen has written the best description of the difference between men and women and depression that I know of:
“In my years of practice I have noticed a profound difference in how men and women suffer with depression. When a woman is depressed, she will usually come to my office and complain that there is something wrong, that it is her fault and she wants help to fix the problem. When a man is depressed, if he comes to the office at all, which in itself is rare, he will say that there is something wrong, it’s the fault of his wife and would I please fix her.
Instead of admitting to the problem, he will run from it, busy himself, watch TV or abuse alcohol to distract himself from the discomfort. It is very frustrating to try and get men into treatment for depression.”
You might even start picking fights with those close to you. It is once again part of the irrational cycle of thoughts.
When I feel the desire to pick a fight now I realize that the person I am finding fault with (usually always my poor husband) is probably at no fault at all. The feelings I have are most likely associated with depression. It is a warning sign for me.
If you are feeling particularly argumentative these days, if you are picking fights more than usual, you might be facing depression. This is a big topic so we will continue with it next time and I will introduce ‘Angry Andrew’ to you!
I am so glad you dropped by today!
Join me again at ‘Depression Getaway’ and together we will…
…live, care, laugh, share, learn, discover, forgive and recover.
Don’t give up, I’m praying for you!
Wendy Love
‘Worried Wanda’, the sneakiest ‘Depression Go-Away’
No introduction is necessary for ‘Worried Wanda’. Why you don’t even have to be depressed to know about worry. Everyone worries, right?
Yes, everyone worries. That is why I say that ‘Worried Wanda’ is the ‘sneakiest ‘Depression Go-Away’. She seems normal. But for those struggling with depression she is more than normal. She is a serious symptom to be dealt with.
Why? Because there is a difference between everyday worry and depression worry. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in cognitive-therapy, counselling, depression, emotions, strategies, symptoms, therapy, thoughts | 
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How to tell the Difference between Rational Thoughts and Irrational Thoughts
IRRATIONAL IRENE
‘Irrational Irene’, do you know her? Is she you? Sometimes? Often? Seldom?
Why have I chosen this smiling positive face for ‘Irrational Irene’?
Because, if you have a mental disorder, and you are being irrational, you usually don’t know you are irrational at all. You may believe at that moment you are more rational than you have ever been in your life. You are often confident and forthright like this image of ‘Irrational Irene’. Do you understand what I am saying? Read the rest of this entry »
