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…
Tag: SMART
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…
Am I going too fast?
Several people now have mentioned I should be slowing down. Is this what recovering from depression is about? Taking it easy? Making sure I have lots of self-care built into my day? Being aware of my automatic thoughts and slowing down my thinking so I do not make impulsive decisions? That seems like a lot…
You won’t believe where I have been
I took my time and read all 37 of my blog posts, back to day one when I came home from the hospital. What a journey already. I sound so bad, so sad, so out of it, on day one. And then I look at my recent writings and see how far I have come….
Who said you can’t be SMART?
I went to my first CBT training meeting this evening. The group meets at On Our Own, a non-profit group that has been helping citizens deal with life issues since the 1970s. The room was packed beyond capacity, with over 24 attending. The turnout surprised the administrator. Last weeks attendance was only 12. The group…
