Tag: depressed

If you’ve ever had a pet, you’ve experienced the many benefits animals bring to our lives. They are friends and companions, sometimes even a part of who we are—and despite the occasional potty-training accident or destroyed shoe, our pets bring us untold amounts of joy, humor, love, and happiness.

For people who are experiencing depression, however, pets can provide something even more important: a reason to live, and to keep on living.

When someone you know seems to be struggling, how should you handle it? If you’re like many people, you may hesitate to cross boundaries or get involved—especially given the stigma attached to depression and mental illness. But the worst thing you can do is say nothing.

It is incredibly important that the distressed person in your life knows there is hope. Your silence may suggest there is not. It may feel uncomfortable, but it is an act of love and friendship to ask, "Are you okay?"

As a kid, the month of December was always packed with wonder for me. I couldn't wait to get the tree up, decorate, and down some of those festive holiday cookies. I loved looking at all the lights and gazing at the store décor. I got a special kick out of putting the dollar bill my dad slipped into my pocket into the Salvation Army bucket.

The holidays are here. It's a season of joy and celebration. It can also be a little crazy.

Black Friday has invaded Thanksgiving. The frantic hunt for perfect deals is underway. Holiday shopping has become a contact sport. You can feel the tension amid bright lights and the tinkling bells. We’re impatient, hurried, even frantic. As the traffic increases, so does our blood pressure.

Holidays are also stressful for another reason. They surface our losses like nothing else can. We're keenly aware of who's missing.

We have loved ones who can’t be with us this year. Some have died. Others are still here, but no longer remember. Some are chronically ill. Some are alone in ways they’ve never have been before.

The holidays are a joyous season to celebrate with family for many people, yet for others, the gloomy weather, stress, busy schedules, financial pressures, and family expectations can trigger symptoms of anxiety and depression—commonly called the holiday blues.

This may be surprising to some people who consider the holidays the happiest time of the year, rarely noticing a friend or loved one that may be dealing with the holiday blues.

When you have a cold, the guy who sits next to you at work says, "Hey, you sound better."

If you recently had a baby, your neighbor smiles and asks, "Are you getting any sleep, yet?"

If your mom's chemo has ended, your friends want to know, "What did the doctors say? How's she doing?"

But what if you've spent the last three or four months struggling with getting out of bed?

The presents are all open. The living room is a wreck. The new trike is on its side in the hall. The tree is dropping pine needles on the wrapping that hasn’t been picked up. Two toys are already broken. Dad’s sweater is too scratchy. You’ve come to grips with the fact that your MasterCard bill totals four house payments. Your oldest daughter likes none of her new clothes. The whole family is exhausted and depressed and seemingly there’s no reason to be happy for another 363 days.