Saturday, January 15, 2011

Peaks and Valleys

And, that, folks, is how recovery from depression works. You feel good for one hour or one day or one week, and you think, "It's finally over". I am finally done with this depression thing. You even start to think, "Maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought it was". You start to think about the future, and how great it will be. Things that seemed scary before--like having another child--would be no problem anymore. And then it comes back. And sometimes it comes back hard.
The 11th was a wonderful day. I was me again. Now, here we are just a few days later, and I am struggling again. The scary thoughts, the shakey-panicky feeling, the deep sense of sadness.....they all strike again. But this time, I have tools. I have even more tools than I had when I went through postpartum depression, and I have more tools than I had even the last time I was in this valley. So, I pray, and I go to church. I take a medication. I correct my negative thinking. When I find myself worrying, I direct my worries to God in the form of prayers. I write on my blog. I visit a friend, and spend time with family. And it gets better, as it always does. Then the moment passes, and I get glimpses of what it's like to be me again. And I have hope.

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