That Time When Ducks Cured My Depression

Sometimes taking care of your own depression can be accomplished by taking care of somebody else.I ’ve been incrediblystressed and depressed lately, so when my 2nd oldest daughter, Cathryn, suggested last month that we celebrate the birthday of my youngest daughter, the Brownie, with a trip into the mountains, I thought it was a fantastic idea. Fresh air up in the clouds sounded like the perfect salve for my soul.My spirits are often lifted by a change of scenery and some exercise. There was only one problem: the Browniehates hiking.With mild cerebral palsy and a learning disability, “simple” hikes become arduous tasks for the Brownie. She becomes so focused on balance, foot placement, and pain that she doesn’t look beyond to see the beauty of nature. We’ve tried for years to find ways to help her enjoy these excursions into nature without much luck.Unfortunately, we can ’t tell which is a preconceived dislike and which is a sincere dislike with her, so we constantly reintroduce things because she’s changed her mind on a whim before. For example, she used to love bananas when she was younger, then ate an entire green batch and decided she hated them. Who could b lame her? I don’t enjoy green bananas either. Yet for years she wouldn’t touch them no matter what color they were—not until recently. Now she “hates” bananas, but she’ll get hungry and forget she dislikes them. I know this because I’ll offer her a banana, she’ll vehemently, announce she ...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Depression Family Goodreads Visualizing Source Type: blogs