Tag Archives: depression

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Taking Care of Yourself


 

” We have the power to begin the world over again.”   —Thomas Paine

Creative people do tend to suffer from depression more than the remainder of the population.  There are ways to cope with depression.  Creating new works and then receiving acknowledgement for that work is one of the best ways for a creative soul to deal with depression.
I have written, many times, about the importance of finding meaning in our lives, and since many of us are writing blogs, it is safe to say that we all have some creativity within us.

 

If you suffer from depression, there is help.  Every city, every state and nearly every country has at least one suicide hotline.

If you are in treatment, and find that this is not helping, you can make a change.  Find a new therapist or doctor.  Don’t give up.

 

In time, the medical community will find a way to treat this chronic disease so that you can live with it, without being in pain and suffering every day.

 

As a sufferer of clinical depression which is, in my case, both genetic and the result of trauma, I can tell you that I have been working since I was a child to combat this disease.  I have used therapy, medication, and alternative treatments such as meditation, and I will say that I am, for the most part, doing fairly well.  There are bad days, but fewer than before.

 

Just as a diabetic suffers with their disease and must keep an eye on blood levels and take the prescribed medication, so do people with depression or any mental health issue have to keep an eye on their emotional state and, in many cases, stay on medication.  Part of this is knowing how and when to stay away from the toxic people in your life.

 

I want to say that  there is no shame in depression or other forms of mental illness. If you are depressed and there are people in your life who put you down or judge you for this, you have to know that this is their issue and not yours.  Depression is a disease.  The best way to answer the people who attack or belittle you is to function to your very best ability every day.  If there is a day when you cannot, or if you can function a little less well, that’s all right.  Curing or even treating any disease is a process, and as anyone who suffers from chronic illness knows, there is a point of pride from making it through the hard days, the bad days.

 

If you feel that you are beyond help, if you feel that you cannot go on, DON’T GIVE UP.  There IS a way.  It might take some time to find it for you, but there is a way.

 

Sometimes, all it takes is a reason to smile, and the realization that sometimes you have to decide to think about the good in your life, the things you can be grateful for.  An exercise that many people use is to start a journal, and list 5 things, each day, that you are grateful for:  the rain in your garden; the mail brought you no bills and a card from a dear friend; the clouds are making interesting shapes; the sun peaked out for 5 minutes on a grey day.    A gratitude journal, kept near you, can help remind you of what is good in your life, the things you have been grateful for in the past, and can perhaps remember to be grateful for again.

 

 

 

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A Terrible Loss (a guest blog)


My lovely sister, IdealisticRebel, has graciously consented to let me steal her place for the day.

The news was released less than 1/2 an hour ago, that comedian/actor/creative genius Robin Williams has died.

He was one of the great comedic, and dramatic, talents of our day, and I challenge anyone, anywhere to find person of his generation who had a more facile, creative, inventive, mad, wild and just plain wonderful mind.

His loss to the world is huge.

In a statement released to the press, his wife has expressed her hope that his life will be more the focus than the manner of his death, and I respect that, I truly do.

And yet, I cannot ignore the manner of his death:  suicide due to severe depression.

Can we think about this for a second?  Robin Williams, arguably the funniest man in the world (certainly in the top 5), died because of depression.

He never hid his depression, or his issues with alcohol and drugs, but talked about it often and openly with anyone who would listen.  But in the end, it was too much for him.

It’s kind of blowing my mind, that Robin Williams died from depression.

This wonderful, caring, funny, loving man never hid his problems, any of them, and in that he set a wonderful example.

Depression, this horrible disease, has been taken by the Black Hole that so many of us face and so many of us hide from, ashamed.   Many of us who suffer from depression (and yes, I do include myself in that list) are ashamed of this disease, and will not discuss it, and will not own it and, most tragically, will not get treatment.

Robin Williams will be sorely missed, but his loss should be learned from.

If this amazing human being can have this disease, and lose to it, how can any of use feel ashamed, that we are some unworthy just because we have this horrible disease?

I’m probably not saying this well, but I will say this:  If you are depressed, if there is a black hole in your soul and our mind that is sucking the joy from not only everyday things, but from the great things, the beautiful precious things in your life — GET HELP.  Tell someone.  

You have  nothing to be ashamed of, and everything to live for.

There is a beautiful blogger, TheBloggess, who says it best;  DEPRESSION LIES.

We will probably never know what lies depression whispered to Robin Williams, but in the end, he listened.

Don’t listen to Depression.

Listen to life, listen to the people around you who are telling you they love you and that it will get better.  It can be hard — impossible almost — to believe that it will get better, but it will get better.   Fight the shame, fight the fear, fight the depression and its lies, but don’t fight the love and light that surrounds you.

Let things get better.  It is not easy, and it takes work, but the work is worth it.

The work is worth it.  

AND SO ARE YOU.

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Meaning Crisis


Lake Erie sunset by Barbara Mattio

Finding our voice is most important to any artist, regardless of their medium. Looking for the authentic voice within is important for all creative people but it is not always easy.  All people, including all artists must find their authentic self within. That doesn’t happen without real work and self examination. This is not an easy excavation but it is a necessary one for each of us. Finding inner authenticity is harder than most imagine.

There are those who hear the call early, as early as 6, and find their voices. The voice of a creative person is one that leads them to the place where they know they are separate, yet they are not alone.

We struggle to fill our bellies, we must find a shelter for our heads. As humans we stop at times, just a pause and look with wonder at what we find around us. There is only one conclusion we can come to. Without the creativity we have inside,  we are shocked by the world. By the emptiness of the world without, art, literature, music, performance art. Without art, life can appear to be an empty vessel. We have a great desire to fill the empty vessel with the beauty within us. We have to create. We have to have solitude at times to find the deepest parts of our souls. That is what gives us the urgent need to continue to create. The creations represent our humanness and we find our solace and courage.

The courage to be an artist is great. It takes a greater need to produce something which reflects what is inside than to protect our egos and souls from the words of others due to our creation. This is a joy and a burden for artists.

We are subject to meaning crisis. Sometimes these can lead to depression which is why it is so important to be aware of every moment that The One is within us and therefore we do have meaning.

Meaning comes and goes, it ebbs and flows. We must, as creative people learn how to find meaning for ourselves. Life can puncture us and our meaning can leak like an old rusty pipe. Meaning then drains away and we are left to dry up and become unproductive. This is what we must be aware of and change before it lasts too long and we aren’t able to hear the voice within. Each of us must find our own meaning and keep the spark of meaning fed and the spark burning bright. We must not let this effort wear us out. If you are an artist, you are supposed to create and to make the mainstream search the lack of meaning in their own lives. For all who have not struggled with meaning and for those who haven’t tried, depression can be a huge roadblock. We need to find out what we need to make our life meanful. Start now and you will find a new life in your creativity. The beauty you create will make everyone experience your meaning. That increases their own meaning.