While we continue to navigate life in the middle of a pandemic, it's important for us to distinguish between loneliness and despair or loss of hope. Because while one has a solution that is usually quick and simple, the other can be more dangerous. Friends, loneliness and depression are becoming a pandemic of their own. It's one we don't hear about as often, but it's there. It started in late April. This feeling of loneliness overtook me, and I realized I hadn’t hugged anyone outside the Continue Reading
The Lie We Believe About Hiding Our Depression
“Mama, the monsters are coming at me,” my son said. He stood by the bed with his face inches from mine, hands animated. My mid-REM cycle brain lingered between sleep and reality. “What?” I asked. I saw that my son was disturbed by something. After realizing I was going to have to get out of bed, I stumbled to his room. I gave the bunk a full examination before telling him to get back in. Five minutes later, he reappeared. The monsters were still there. For some reason, the miracle of Continue Reading
How to Not Feel So Alone During Seasons of Depression
Depression thrives on two things: isolation and silence. During one of my darkest seasons, I convinced myself that if I didn’t tell anyone about my depression, it would go away. I feared the verbalization of how I felt, thinking it would somehow become more real. Some days, I rationalized the constant sluggishness, numbness and fog that hung over me. I believed I was having a bad day, and the next would be better. So instead of being honest, I tried to be happy. Or at least, to put on a Continue Reading
