Letting Go of a Depression Cure Can Set You Free

I keep going back to this quote by Vivian Greene when it comes to learning how to live with my chronic illness: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass… It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” In fact, every morning I drink out of a mug with that quote on it to remind myself of Vivian’s wisdom: IT’S NOT ABOUT GETTING TO THE OTHER SIDE. With chronic illness, the important exercise is to get out the rain boots and start stomping in the puddles — to not let the downpour stop you from living. Going into the second decade of living with a host of conditions — retractable depression, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hypothyroidism, pituitary tumor, aortic valve regurgitation, Raynaud’s disease, and connective tissue issues — one of the bigger mistakes I keep making is hanging on to the promise that if I do everything “right,” I will be freed from all symptoms for the rest of my life. If I follow the right diet that won’t aggravate my Crohn’s disease or cause brain inflammation that makes me depressed; if I exercise in such a way that doesn’t raise my cortisol and further deplete my adrenals (like running can) or wipe out my good gut bacteria (like swimming in chlorine can); if I practice mindfulness instead of cuss and reduce my stress…if I do all these things, I will be fixed! One day this past summer I was especially discouraged because, having returned home from a family vacation very depressed and anxious, I reali...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Depression Inspiration & Hope Mental Health and Wellness Motivation and Inspiration Personal Self-Help Bipolar Disorder Mood Disorder Stigma Source Type: blogs