My flight leaves at 1 PM today. It is almost 8;30 AM. I am usually packed the night before, ready to go. But my clean laundry is still in the laundry room. I did get my suitcase out of the closet yesterday and put my shaving kit on top of the suitcase. They are both…
Tag: SMART
First time on a plane
Ok, so it’s the first time I will have flown since being in the hospital for depression. I am an avid adventurer and have been flying for over 50 years. I remember when people smoked on a plane. I remember pre 9/11 security and when we called flight attendants “stewardesses.” Giving up control to the…
I want to say thank you for yesterday.
Focusing on the one thing I could control, I decided to look at my attitude towards the weekend. On Friday, I had decided to understand how I needed to think if I was going to relax and enjoy the day. It was clear that I normally would be stressed out about not doing things I…
My new idea in my relationship with depression
Recently, I was up against the wall. 100 or so days ago, I was sure that I had no way forward; I could not even see that there was a way. It was pitch black, or worse, colorless, and my life was emotionless, too. I was going through the motions, not appreciating or enjoying anything….
New thinking is helping me achieve balance in my life
How much time do you spend on self-care? I have been asked that question now for months. I have been jumping and running from one thing to another in my quest to learn all I can about depression. While this has been hugely helpful in understanding and facing depression, it has not left much time…
I found a new place to be SMART
Now that I am back in the workforce, my schedule doesn’t allow me the flexibility to go to support group meetings whenever I want. Before starting back to a “day job,” I was going to three different support group meetings each week held on three different days. There is the SMART group, focusing on Self-management…
My uncharted journey into the future
As I travel the new road facing my depression, it is clear the path is not straight. As I read and learn more about depression, I ran across the concept of stages of change. Currently, I am reading the SMART Recovery Handbook. It reminds me that it’s difficult to change long-standing behaviors, even when new…
Sometimes I want to go where everybody knows my name
OK, so I am dating myself by using the line from Cheers! But they were on to something special. Sam Malone, a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox’s and a recovering alcoholic, is running a bar. I always felt the show seemed genuine, and that the characters portrayed the lives of people I…
Yesterday was the 4th of July, but do I have Independence?
Do I have independence from depression? In the self-rule sense maybe. But I still have depression. It is a medically diagnosed condition. Whether it’s in my genes, which seems true looking at my family history, or situational, which explains the highs and lows, I am living with depression. in·de·pend·ence /ˌindəˈpendəns/ noun noun: independence the fact or…
Hurry up and wait
That’s how I am beginning to feel. As I get a better understanding of depression and my responsibilities for keeping it under control, I am slowing down. This is new to me. Being very competitive, I am always measuring things. How many steps to the top entrance to the building, how many tiles on the…
