The Depression Diaries

Depression: My Unknown Battle

By Hannah Rice-Myers

 

I cry a lot. I just lost my mother to cancer six months ago. And yes, I sleep a lot. Who wouldn't? I set my alarm for 5 a.m. five days a week to make sure my kids are up and out the door on time. The naps during the day are due to my seizure medications...I think.
As a writer I began researching these symptoms and self-diagnosed. Aha! It's hypothyroidism. I knew there was a reason I couldn't lose weight...I knew there was a reason my cholesterol was so high. It couldn't be the fried food or lack of exercise. However, in the end it was depression. And here I am now, beating depression
Anyone who lives with this illness knows how devastating it is to your life. The good days are great, while the bad days are horrendous. You want to crawl inside yourself and make the world go away, even those you love the most. Your thoughts are all that matter, and they take over your mind...your emotions. I never thought I would experience this illness, but here I am, talking to you now about it and my road to recovery.
All you can do when you have depression is recognize any triggers and find ways to cope. For me, the death of my mother is my main trigger. Sometimes just saying her name makes my eyes well with tears, and these tears don't end right away. I don't talk about her to anyone simply because I believe those around me are getting tired of hearing about her. Instead I talk to her. Sometimes I write to her in a journal; this takes the place of our nightly phone calls.
I also take walks, especially when the sun is shining. This helps boost my mood. When he is being good, I take my German Shepherd with me. He is my buddy, and he does not talk back, he just listens.

Have you over come depression? Share your diary with us. And remain boundless.
One love.