Depression is a serious mental illness that affects most of us at some point in our lives through our friends, loved ones, or personally. Lots of folks have some experience of depression during their teen years, but what if that depths-of-the-ocean kraken never went away? What if there was an ongoing lingering threat that you could slip back into it at any time?
My experience of depression has been sort of like that, an ongoing, cyclic struggle with depression that’s worse in the winter and then a little easier to manage when I’m out in the sun. I cope with therapy, UV light treatment, meds, and a host of strategies implemented from therapy. Currently, my depression is peeking through all of that as it’s January. Friends on meds have suggested I increase my dose in the winter, which is a great idea.
Today, I have one of my older friends, wicked, on the show. Her experience with depression isn’t that different from mine, but I’ll let her tell you about it herself.
Resources
Unhelpful Thinking Styles ( https://healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/U_Z/Unhelpful-thinking-styles )
https://twitter.com/odawnip/status/1003036622429016071 (or if broken see https://intimatevictor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/unhelpful-thinking-styles.jpg )
Questions
- Do you identify as a person with depression?
- What have been your experiences and symptoms of depression as a teenager?
- How has it changed with age as you’ve grown and what is your experience of depression now?
- How have your self-perceptions of failure or success impacted your depression? (Thinking styles that don’t serve us, CBT)
- What’s your gender?
- How has gender stuff impacted your depression?