When I first started this blog, I had a vision of what I would write about. I would write about Faith, Family, Food, Fun, Fitness (thus the titles of my categories menu) and about being a single mother. But as the blog is progressing, it seems to be more about how to deal with and overcome depression. Now, I certainly don’t want to be Debbie Downer all the time, but as they say- “you write what you know”.
There are many people who write about “10 Step to Being Happy” and thank God for it. Rarely does anybody write about the bad days and how to get through it. Sure, there are plenty of suggestions of how to get out of a bad mood and how to lift yourself from depression- and we all need that. But what if being depressed for a day or two isn’t such a bad thing?
The Good and the Bad
Stay with me here. I feel like I have about a 75/25 split of good days versus bad. Are the bad days fun? Of course not! But like the old saying goes, “You can’t appreciate the good without the bad.” My depression isn’t clinical like it used to be- meaning I’m not down every single day due to depleted serotonin. My depression is now more situational and hormone related.
This is both good and not so good. Good because it’s not every day and it’s more manageable- bad because there isn’t much I can do about it besides ride the wave until it goes away.
Possible Causes
So, what on earth could possibly be “good” about depression? Well, it makes you slow down. Sometimes we go, go, go until we are running on fumes. Then, suddenly, we are depressed. Why do you think that is? We aren’t taking care of ourselves. We are constantly pouring into others without refilling our cups. Somedays I forget to even drink water and eat only snack food all day because I’m too busy to cook. Guess what? The next day I’m depressed and feeling lousy. Time to slow down.
Second, we are ignoring something in our subconscious that needs attention. I’m not all “New Age” or anything, but sometimes we have fears, anxieties, to-dos that we stuff down and refuse to deal with. That’s all well and good until you have this constant nagging at your mind and you don’t know what in the world is wrong with you. For me, it’s usually something that I need to pray about and I haven’t prayed in a while. Yup, guilty! I’m not Sister Super Christian- surprise!
Ride the Wave
There are probably many, many other things that cause us to become occasionally depressed, but these are the usual suspects for me. Rather than try and “fake it ‘til I make it” (which does have some science to back it up, by the way), I find that if I just sit with my bad day, I can usually figure out the cause and get through it faster than trying to fight it.
So, I’m sorry if my blog is depressing at times, but if I can help someone realize they’re not alone and even “Jesus girls” have bad days, then I guess I’ve done my job.
Additional Help
If you are having major depression or suicidal thoughts, please seek help immediately! The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 or you can chat online with someone on their website. Much love and stay strong.
Apostolic Momma 