Depression Road

I often wondered if I was born with the tendency of depression.  I asked my Mom last night what she could remember about my behavior that would be an indicator of depression.  Here is what I learned: Age 3 Mom's spontaneous hug and kiss attempt often resulted in my response: "Mom don't kiss me" I earned the label "moody" which stuck with me 'till puberty. My parents dismissed this sign and attributed it to me being independent, smart, opinionated and the likes. Age 5 I was often found as a center of attention 'lecturing' others.  I used my wit and reasoning ability to keep people at arms length. Age 7 First grade offered another platform to perfect my craft distancing myself from others.  I used every opportunity to show that I was different than the rest both in mental abilities and behavior.  While I loved the 'admiration' of my peers, I was also bored with them.  I was seeking adult acceptance. Age 8 In an attempt to wri...

Many of us with depression are highly functional which makes it even more difficult to decide on getting help. You don't have to go very far to see what I mean.  Michael Phelps is arguably the greatest swimmer in history and also a spokesperson for talkspace , an online platform that offers convenient and affordable therapy. Functional doesn't mean healthy! Finding joy in our everyday activities, looking forward to the next hour and things that are coming, waking up with drive, and feeling no dread/fear/anxiety about what's coming is where your life could be... so start walking the depression road one step at the time. Tip: Put yourself to the test! 1. Ask yourself each evening what portion of the day you spent feeling that you did chores (this is not the activity but the general feeling of having to do rather than wanting to do). 2. Keep tabs for two week. 3. If you spend more than half of your time this way, it is time to change something and feel better. Only...