15 Truths About Depression That Everyone Should Understand

1. Depression is an illness, it’s not a choice! No one would ever ‘choose’ to be depressed.

2. You can’t ‘snap out of’ depression or it can’t be made better by thinking happy thoughts. It goes much deeper then that.

3. Depression can be a chronic illness that can last a lifetime. It’s rare but it does happen.

4. That it devastates and destroys lives.

5. That 99.99% of what you think you know about depression is wrong.

6. That ‘sometimes’ medication and/or therapy has very little effect; it’s called treatment resistant. Not unlike someone who is receiving chemo and it’s just not working.

7. But then there’s the other side of the coin, the longer you leave it untreated the worse it can become. There is no wait and see with depression; it doesn’t just disappear one day!

8. Another truth is that everything can be lost to depression. Jobs, relationships, hobbies, passions and sometimes even lives. Depression kills!

9. That just because someone you know that is depressed laughs and smiles, it doesn’t mean they aren’t depressed, see point five.

10. Another sad truth is that not everyone ‘gets it’, not many really. Some people can help you through it but others can make it worse. The one ultimate person you can depend on is yourself; you are stronger then you think.

11. That depression is not a once in a lifetime occurrence. Relapses can happen at any time, at any age.

12. That you can try to explain how you feel with depression a million times and you still won’t be understood.

13. That stigma and prejudice are very much alive and kicking. Sometimes in places you would least expect it.

14. Depression can make a person feel like their life is over and there is no point in living. And this is why suicide is so common with someone who suffers from depression.

15. Lastly, depression is not a spiritual battle but an illness. Spirituality and mental illness are not directly connected, contrary to what many may think.

Fill My Cup

Today is one of those days when I feel like I’m running on empty. Just like a car, if we don’t refuel it, it will run out of gas and be of no use. So what do we do when our car is empty? We take it to the gas station and fill it up.

Well today I’m on empty, the challenges and responsibilities of life have left me empty. It seems there’s never a reprieve, a time when I can just breathe.

With Mom’s passing, time as not healed my wounds. It seems the more time passes the more I miss her and the reality hits me that she’s no longer with me. The telephone calls every day have ended, just hearing her voice is gone. So I call out to God; be my comfort today.

I’m guessing that most people wouldn’t admit to having a down day. And that’s okay, but for me I like to be real and by doing so to help others. We live in such a world that expects perfection, a ‘me’ society, a cookie cutter mentality of what we are supposed to feel, think and act. I guess I was never drawn into that way of thinking. I am who I am, nothing or no one more, just me. Sometimes maybe it would have been easier if I just went along with the status quo. But I didn’t always chose the path most travelled. Many times I made my own path, I found my own way.

Living with a mental illness can so easily drain you to a point of exhaustion. Every day is a struggle, some less then others. But lots of days I feel like I’m running on empty. Many days I just have to stop and refuel, to breathe.

And then there’s a caregivers life; that means 24/7, 365 days year. I’m not complaining; I would do it all over again if I had to. But I can’t say it’s an easy life, it’s tough, challenging, isolating and exhausting. I love Lauren more then life itself and that’s why I gave up my own life for her. But what I gained was far above anything I could ever imagine. John 15:13 says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”(his daughter, his family).

So it’s those days when I’m running on empty, when it seems humanly impossible to keep going. But it’s those days that I have learned to look to an higher power. To a strength that is not my own, to a God that is in the driver’s seat of my car. I’ve been singing this song all morning and it sums up what I’m trying to say. The words of the song are “my” words, my prayer for today. He is faithful!

Like the woman at the well I was seeking, for things that could not satisfy. And then I heard my Saviour speaking, “Draw from My well that never shall run dry”.

Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Come and quench this thirsting if my soul. Bread of Heaven, feed me ‘til I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.

There are millions in this world who are craving the pleasures, earthly things of gold. But none can match the wondrous treasure that I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.

I Do The Best That I Can With What I Have!

After a long night of a torturous sleep, I awake with a head full of brain fog. It’s one of those nights when you are physically asleep but mentally your brain is going a mile a minute. Brain fog is characterized by confusion, forgetfulness, and a lack of focus and mental clarity. Mental exhaustion is by far more tiring then physical exhaustion; it affects how you maneuver through your life or should I say how you desperately try to live a ‘normal’ life. Mental exhaustion is one of the major causes of brain fog.

So how do I deal with mental exhaustion when life constantly demands my full attention with little time for self care? To be honest; it’s not easy. One thing that has truly helped my mental health is my painting. So every spare minute that I get, I paint! There are days I cannot even focus on that but when I can, I take advantage of a ‘good’ day and paint.

Bottom line is, I do the best that I can with what I have! I’m sure I don’t always measure up to what others expect of me but thats okay. I can only do what I know I’m capable of doing; I know my limits and I have to protect my mental health. I have to protect myself from another relapse because I know that I/we would not survive another relapse; a one that would leave me nonfunctioning . It happened before and if I’m not extremely careful, it could happen again. And I will not let that happen!

So if I wake up tomorrow morning and I’m unwell, I will make no apologies; I will do the best that I can with what I have. That’s all that’s required!

The Iceberg In My Life

Have you ever heard of the iceberg analogy for “invisible” illnesses? Illnesses that are invisible to the outside world are like an iceberg; others see just the tip and don’t realize there’s a massive structure hidden beneath the water. Living with major depression and anxiety disorder (my diagnosis); I’ve come to realize that mental illness is far more complex then what is visible; it goes much deeper.

Depression is much more than feeling sad. That’s just the tip of the iceberg! And those who have never experienced it for themselves, can never fully understand just what it is or even what it feels like. It can strip your world of all it’s colour and all you see is grey.

Similarly, anxiety isn’t just about worrying. It’s a disorder that can creep upon you at anytime and petrify you, making even simple decisions feel overwhelming. Even simple tasks that once came so easy are now insurmountable.

How have I survived? With a lot of hard work; chipping at that iceberg, one piece at a time. Never giving up!! Even on days when you really want to. Always believing that hope will bring a better day tomorrow. And do you know what? It does! Without hope I could never make it through the day. You have to believe in a power that is greater than yourself, an higher power; and that hope, that power can only be found in a God that is all powerful. He gives me strength and hope to face each day. I have proven this to be true. And you can too!

Mental Illness; the Joy Killer

I’m angry, there, I said it! Maybe angry is a bit of an harsh word but I can’t think of another that sums up how I’m feeling. This has been one of those days when I’ve needed to write but every time I attempted to, I couldn’t. I know if I started writing, I would never stop.

The thoughts and emotions were anything but joyous. I’m angry, angry at me for being me, I hate what mental illness has done to me; it kills my joy and leaves me empty. I need to fight back but I’m so exhausted. And then life itself has been more then any human being should have to deal with. We have fought two near death experiences where Lisa was intubated in order to save her life. This trauma has left us with scars that well last a lifetime. Then I lost my Mom, I loved her more then life itself. We only get one Mom and she’s gone; no second chances. It’s so hard to grieve when you have many other responsibilities that demand your every moment. And then two of our very good friends passed away, it seemed like death was all around us and we were losing those we loved much too soon.

To say the least; 2023 was not without its challenges, hurts, disappointments and pain. Then to top it off, Lauren had two major surgeries in Montreal. Surgeries that we struggled with for so long; were we doing the right thing? Was this in the best interest for Lauren? But what other choices did we have? None! This was early summer and now it’s the end of the year and we have faced so much disappointment. Right now discouragement invades our thoughts, we see little improvement and still so many uncertainties and yes we worry; with good reason.

Again today I was reminded of just how imprisoned I felt. Lisa had to attend our friend’s funeral alone because one of us had to stay home with the kids. It seems we can do very little as a couple. We are caregivers 24/7, 365 days a year. I’m not complaining, I’m just stating the facts; the reality of the life of caregivers. It’s tough!

I thought by now that things would have gotten a little easier but today just proved me wrong. It felt like my world was crumbling all around me and there was nothing I could do to stop it. And that reality stirred up some very unpleasant emotions within me. It made me feel once again that we were so isolated and that feeling of being alone in a very busy, big world just overwhelmed me once again.

I find it very difficult to look the other way and ignore the state of the world. The war in Gaza, the homeland of the birthplace of our Saviour, is left in ruin and war rages on with no, “Peace on Earth”. No cease fire for the Christmas Season. I believe there’s not much that I can do but I can pray for peace, we can all pray for peace.

In spite of all this turmoil within my own world and the world abroad; I still have to find peace and hope in that baby that was born in Bethlehem all those years ago. He is still in control, He still calms our storms or sometimes He just calms His child.

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

Yes, I have a mental illness and yes, I’m struggling. I’m not okay but it’s okay not to be okay. When you have a mental illness it’s like you are walking on thin ice and at any moment you are going to fall through and drown.

With life there comes so many challenges and facing those challenges when you are well or may I say, ‘normal’ can be tough. But when you struggle with your mental health these challenges can be a trigger; a trigger that can invade your already fragile mind. And God knows I have had my share of challenges and triggers over the pass few months. Let me share with those of you who are struggling, to those who find this joyous season, not so joyous. In reality, life is certainly not an Hallmark movie but sometimes life can throw hurdles at us that can easily break us and leave us overwhelmed, hopeless and alone. There’s a quote I thought worth mentioning, “The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us but those who win battles we know nothing about”. And believe me, in my lifetime with mental illness I have won many battles that others know nothing about.

Maneuvering through life’s triggers (meaning an event or situation that can ‘cause’ to happen or exist) that can attack our mental health and impede our ability to function, to feel and to thrive; can be all consuming. When our mental health gets to this point then what we are dealing with is more then poor mental health but a debilitating mental illness.

Personally, today, what I have learned in order to survive this illness is to know my boundaries. I know I can’t do what I could prior to my 2012 mental breakdown, and no it’s not just about my age but more about my ability to cope mentally. So, yes, I have to put boundaries in place; I know what my limits are. I know when to say, ‘no’ and make no apologies. We have to be gentle with ourselves and do what’s best for us and our own mental health. Self awareness and self care go hand in hand when it comes to attaining good mental health. Being aware of our triggers and doing what we have to do to overcome them is crucial in maintaining a functioning level of living.

There’s a simple concept that many people don’t get when it comes to mental health and mental illness; everyone has mental health, but not everyone has a diagnosis involving a mental illness. When we talk about mental health, we’re talking about our mental well-being; our emotions, our thoughts and feelings. In 2019, 1 in 8 people worldwide lived with a mental health condition, a mental illness, a mental disorder. Depression and anxiety disorders were the most common.

You can experience a low mood without living with depression or be anxious without having an anxiety disorder. We need to realize that being anxious (a natural human emotion that we all have) is not an anxiety disorder. A disorder affects your ability to function in your everyday life. A mental illness is largely affected by genetics and brain chemistry, things that are out of our control. Whereas our mental health is largely within our control.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that, ‘people that struggle with a mental illness are dealing with not just normal everyday anxiety and low mood but an intensified disorder that limits us from functioning properly in our everyday lives.’

The brain is said to be the most complex organ of the human body. Scientists and the medical field have yet so much to learn. I have lived with mental illness for all my life and yet after all those years, I still have so much to learn. It’s my goal in life to keep learning and to keep educating others; to help us understand, to de stigmatize this so misunderstood disorder of the brain.

If you are struggling today, you are not alone; I get it! Never give up! One day, one hour and sometimes; one minute at a time. And remember there is an higher power, someone that watches over us, He’s walking this journey with us. That is how I have survived thus far and will keep going. May we all find the peace that this season brings.

The Face of Chronic Depression

My day began with me feeling empty, I felt nothing, yet I felt everything. I was numb with pain, not physical pain but the pain from the battlefield of my mind. Yes I have struggled with chronic depression all my life and yes I’m struggling today and no it really doesn’t go away. Some days the pain/the struggle is unbearable and the last few weeks have been just that; unbearable. I want it to stop, but it is relentless, it won’t let me go. There is just no escaping this hell from within my mind.

Just what is going on within my mind? Well, depression is often described as a chemical imbalance in the brain. Your brain chemicals or neurotransmitters, are not at the levels they should be to maintain a positive/feel good/happy mood. The neurotransmitters that affect how we feel are serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. When our brain is producing too much or not enough of these chemicals then our mood is greatly effected and thus we suffer depression and other mood disorders.

I knew from a very early age that there was something not quite right within my brain and by saying that, I don’t mean I was crazy, quite the opposite really. I had to fight to be okay, it didn’t come naturally; I had an illness; pure and simple. The sad part about having a mental illness was that there was so little known about it. Which led to much misunderstanding, ignorance, stigma, prejudice and judgment. The same is somewhat true today but at a lesser degree. And I guess that’s why I keep writing about my experience with mental illness; so people can have a better understanding of what this illness is. It’s an opportunity for me to give my illness, chronic depression and anxiety disorder, a face. And hopefully to give to those who are suffering in silence – a voice. It is a fact that 15% of people with chronic depression die by suicide. But this fact as to change, there is hope, there is a purpose in living no matter how painful it can be at times. We all matter!

No matter how I’m feeling today, I have to pray that tomorrow will be better, the pain will subside no matter how hopeless I may feel. And believe me, fighting this illness every day can wear you down to the point where you just want it all to stop, to end. I wish there was a magic pill; but there’s not. So I guess I will take it one day , one hour and some days, one minute at a time.

Where Is God In All This Suffering?

Ever since our return from Montreal, after Lauren’s surgery, I have experienced an overwhelming sense of depression that I can’t seem to shake. Depression is so disabling, so cruel, so unexplainable, so isolating. But yet I have suffered so many years with this crippling disorder. So often I have asked the question. “Where is God in all this suffering?” In this blog I’d like to answer this question to the best of my ability, to try and make sense to suffering. Especially when it comes to such a loving God.

To begin with I need to clarify that I don’t have the answer, not really, I can’t speak for God; God is all knowing, He is omniscient. Who am I? I am mortal – I am subject to death. I am not equal to God, God is sovereign; He is supreme, He has power over all things. Isaiah 55:8-9 sums it up best, “For  my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Therefore I can only speak about what my own thoughts and experiences are when it comes to this subject.

With my own illness I could never understand what good could come of this. It done more harm than good from what I could see. And then there was so much in this world that I couldn’t understand. For example, world hunger, wars, earthquakes, floods, poverty, homelessness, cancer, disease, suicide, the loss of a child, the death of a spouse and the list could go on. Was God the blame or the answer to all of this chaos and unfairness? I think we need to remember that we live in a fallen world, and we experience the effects of the fall. One of those effects is injustice and seemingly senseless suffering and unfairness. But as Christians we know that in this life we will have suffering and experience pain. John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.” But also we must remember that this life is not the end but the beginning of everlasting life for those who believe. Revelation 21;4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

Sometimes I just have to remember that I don’t always have to know the why to my suffering. Sometimes I just have to trust and let God do the rest. Romans 8:18&28, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him.”

There is one thing I have learned in all this suffering is that it has allowed me to help others who are experiencing similar situations. 2 Corinthians 1;3-4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles/’sufferings’, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

I hope I have in some small way helped you to better understand why we sometimes suffer and experience loss. God definitely comforts us in our pain, suffering and loss. Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Again God says in 2 Kings 20:5 “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears.” So when we are in the midst of despair, grief, pain and loneliness; God sees us, God hears us, God loves us!

When Life Gets Tough

The morning arrives as I sit on my bed with my thoughts. Not always a good place for me to be; alone with my thoughts. In reality, I do have a lot to think about, to process, life is tough. Sometimes I wonder where the strength comes from, it’s certainly not my own, if it were I would have given up a long time ago. But I have to believe there is someone greater then I am, someone who watches over us, especially in the storm, especially in the tough times.

I feel I have to reiterate some of the storms that we have encountered and are still experiencing to this present day. I don’t share this for no other reason then to encourage those who are experiencing their own tough times and to show us just how resilient we really are. Even in times when we think we are going to crumble beneath the load. “We can do ALL things through Him who strengthens us.” And that is the extent of my preaching, enough said, that verse from Philippians 4:13 says it all.

The morning began with me feeling totally exhausted, not just tired but exhausted. Life has certainly sucked every ounce of energy from my body it seems. And it seemed that there was no amount of sleep that could alleviate my exhaustion. Then to add “insult to injury”, I started to scroll down through Facebook, big mistake in the best of times. Facebook can be a blessing at times but then it can also be a curse. And this morning it lead me down a path that I should not have taken. Not that I am envious or jealous but all I saw were everyone enjoying summer, travelling, leisure, relaxing, etc. Really the way summer should be. But I wasn’t feeling it. How could I when we were experiencing the complete opposite? And no I am not throwing a ‘pity party’, I am saying it like it is, it’s our reality. We have experienced more sickness, uncertainty, struggles and hardships then I care to remember. I have certainly been forced to look to God to try and make sense of it all, to find the purpose. And believe you me, I had to look deep. Trying to find the light in the darkness, the calm in the storm. In my human thinking I could make no sense of anything. Why was Lauren born with Cerebral Palsy? Why did I have to struggle every day with a depressive disorder? Why did Lisa have to endure four life threatening experiences? Why did life have to be so tough? Why? Why? Why?

The whys are just too many today and there are going to be days like that for all of us I’m sure. In my finite mind and my mortal being I will probably never know all the answers to life’s whys. The song says, “We’ll talk it over in the by and by. I’ll ask the reasons, He’ll tell me why, when we talk it over in the by and by.”

So I guess I will trust and wait. 1 Cor. 15:53 “For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.” So on that day when Christ returns, we shall be changed and then I won’t need to ask the reason why, this mortal will become immortal and we shall be like Him. So if you have questions that you have no answers to, trust that He knows and we will to on His return. 1 Thess. 4:16-17 “For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. What an amazing hope that we have.

I said I wasn’t going to preach and I am not really, I am not a preacher. I am someone who finds much hope, peace and encouragement in the promises of Jesus. It is what gives me the strength to go on; even when life gets tough.

Lauren’s Continuing Journey

July 3, 2023. Yesterday was quite the busy day but a successful one. Lauren’s Fundraiser Market may have been a lot of work but I think it was worth it. Sometimes you do what you have to do in order to make it. It was pretty exhausting just the same, especially having to leave for Montreal the next morning. But here we are, boarded our plane, waiting for takeoff.

Lauren’s journey begins. It was only a few weeks ago that we were in Montreal for Lauren’s trial surgery for her baclofen pump, which was quite successful. So now we are going back to have the pump permanently placed inside her abdomen. It’s bitter sweet really, we hate having to put her through yet another surgery but we know that this surgery will give her a better quality of life, less pain, less spasticity and better function overall.

The journey itself; from getting here to there, is very difficult on all of us. But I guess you do what you have to do, it’s not like we have a choice and really we would do whatever it takes to protect both our children. So it’s, Montreal here we come, for about the millionth time it seems.

July 6,2023. Here we are sitting in the waiting room of The Sick Kids Hospital in Montreal. Lauren just went into the OR for what’s to be a 3 hrs and twenty minutes surgery. The worry, anxiety and a million different emotions run through your mind. There are no words to really describe how you feel, you just wait.

It’s 12:50 pm, Dr Farmer just returned from the OR and came to the waiting room to speak to us. You literally freeze for a moment in time. The surgery went well and he was very pleased. What a relief! Now we are waiting for her to get settled into recovery and then we can see her. Needless to say, we can’t wait.

My cellphone notifies me of a text. It’s the recovery room, telling us that Lauren is now ready to see us. She’s still asleep when we get there. Only a few minutes later and she starts to move her eyes and she’s awake! Oh my, I wish I could trade places with her; I would. So hard to watch her lying flat on her back once again. But she really is a trooper; courageous and brave, a warrior princess for sure. So now the next leg of her journey begins…..