Stealing the Joy - 31 Days

My son just turned 17, and I have to tell you, I'm angry.  Oh, no--not at him.  At the depression that has stolen so much of his childhood, from both of us, actually.

You see, depression is a thief.

It stole his happy, laughing mom.  It stole many of the times we could have played Hi-Ho-Cherry-o or Mastermind or Parcheesi.  It stole many of my memories of special and everyday moments.

Two common signs of depression are fatigue and loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed.  Fatigue has definitely hit me hard.  For a long time I was exhausted all the time, then I napped every afternoon.  Finally, now I'm sleeping better at night and not feeling so tired.

Lack of interest in things I used to enjoy has been hard to deal with, too.  I always liked baking, scrapbooking, and making greeting cards.  I haven't scrapbooked at all for years.  I've made only a few cards.  I haven't baked nearly as much.

So one day I was talking to my doctor and she asked if I'd baked recently.  When I said No, that I hadn't felt like it, she said, "Do it anyway."  It didn't have to be anything fancy, just something.  I think it's something called activation:  when you do something fun, even when you don't feel like it, you feel a little better.

I baked brownies, and it helped.  I don't know whether it was the baking or the brownies, but I did feel a little better.

So, as cliche as it is, just do it.  Whether you're motivated or not, do something fun.  Don't let depression, or even "the blues" that we all get sometimes, steal your joy.

STOP

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photo credit: ★ spunkinator via photopin cc