If I weren't still dragging around the fear of what they might say, I would openly use my 500th blog post to email this letter to my friends and family. Dear Friend, I suffer from depression. (1) My life with depression started before I was 19, and depression has been a factor in most of my life’s decisions, both small and large. I do not say this to excuse my … [Read more...] about Stigma Has Kept Me From “Coming Out” With My Depression
Stigma
With Depression, I Feel Survivors Guilt for People I Do Not Know
I have felt guilty for being alive before. When someone I had been to group sessions with took his life, I felt very guilty to still be alive. The shock of his decision was more than I could handle at that moment. So, I jumped to feeling guilty that it was not me. And then there is the shame of not doing something, anything. Not that I could have. While we were in a … [Read more...] about With Depression, I Feel Survivors Guilt for People I Do Not Know
Real-Life Thoughts About My Life With Depression
I am a middle-class male who has worked since he was 10 years old. My career includes 43+ years in retail management and along with my wife, have raised 3 wonderful children. I have lived with Major Depressive Disorder for over 40 years. Depression often shows me paths to follow that end in my circling the drain and crashing into the abyss. My reason for writing is to let … [Read more...] about Real-Life Thoughts About My Life With Depression
Am I Strong Enough to Publicly Acknowledge my Depression?
Seeing others openly write about their personal struggles, I am feeling like a weakling. Their name is connected to their struggle with whatever is happening to them. I have a good friend who is sharing her thoughts about stress and anxiety. And there are all the celebrities who have come out and shared their stories about living with depression. Plus, the stories about … [Read more...] about Am I Strong Enough to Publicly Acknowledge my Depression?