May 3, 2015
March 1, 2015
January 25, 2015
The death of Robin Williams last summer gave the world a rude, and somewhat necessary awakening.... some of the seemingly happiest and funniest people can be silently suffering with severe depression. I think that the tragic death of the beloved actor made the world realize how real the disease is. I think the biggest resource I can share is awareness. Letting people know that they are certainly not alone. Here is a clip of another beloved comedian, Wayne Brady, who also suffers from depression. He talks about how the death of Robin Williams helped him realize even more that depression should be talked about and not pushed under the rug. I would like to point out that at the end of the clip, the reporter mentions that Wayne is not taking medication because it didn't work for him. Medication may not be the solution for everyone, but is one of the best options for some. However, even though Wayne does not use medication for his treatment of depression, he is STILL getting help by seeing a counselor. So whether it's medication, counseling, support groups, blog subscriptions, or a combination of several other things, please... if you are struggling with depression PLEASE get help. Whatever it might be. Fighting the fight alone is, in my opinion, never a good option. Something is always better than nothing.
Wayne Brady Opens Up About His Depression
January 17, 2015
In response to my last post, I would like to share this video of "Yoga for the Winter Blues." Doctors will tell you time and time again that one of the best ways to fight depression is to exercise. Well I can speak from personal experience that when you barely have the strength to get out of bed, the last thing you want to do is go to the gym or go on a long run. At least, that's how I felt. But it is true... exercise really DOES help fight depression. It gets your endorphins going in a way that many other things can't. Still... what about the whole "no-energy/motivation" thing? Well, I think this video is a good substitute for going on a run because you can stay in your pajamas in the comfort of you own home, and can engage in an activity that reduces stress in a very low key way. Give it a shot! It may be hard to get started, but when you are finished, you won't regret it!
Yoga for the Winter Blues
January 4, 2015
Happy New Year! I wish you all a healthy and hopeful 2015! One of my New Year's resolutions this year is to work on my blog more often! So this should be updated a lot more this year... yay! I found an article that I want to post today and I hope you find it helpful.
October 30, 2014
June 18, 2014
April 23, 2014
March 25, 2014
When I first posted this blog on Facebook, I had a friend share a video of Oprah Winfrey interviewing J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling suffered from depression and does an excellent job describing it not only in the interview... but in her books as well. You may not know it, but when she writes about the Dementors, she is actually describing depression... a dark figure that sucks all of the happiness out of you. The whole interview is really great, especially if you are a Harry Potter fan, but the part that she talks about her struggle with depression is so amazing. You can find that part of the interview during the minutes 29-31 of the video. As sad as it is to hear of other people who have had to suffer with depression, it is also very comforting to know that some of the most well know and liked people have suffered from depression and still live very fulfilling lives. Enjoy!
Click here to watch the video:
Oprah interviews J.k. Rowling
March 13, 2014
Rise Above
~An Outreach Group~
My dear friend Amelia came up with a brilliant idea to start an outreach group to those suffering with depression, anxiety, self harm, suicidal ideation/attempts, and the stereotypes associated with these things. She asked me to help her with this amazing program and I couldn't be more excited about it! Here is the description of the group:
"Rise Above is an outreach group designed to help everyone RISE ABOVE depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide and stereotypes of these difficulties. We are not doctors, but we are professionals who fight the fight on a regular basis. As we share and reach out together, we can create a unity and a group where we can all Rise Above."
The group is just starting out and once it is up and rolling will be a great resource for anyone wanting to Risse Above the challenges of mental illness.
You can follow Rise Above on Facebook at Rise Above or on Instagram at Riseabove.Utah
--The Power of Hope--
I think one of the closest synonyms to the word "depressed" is the word "hopeless." That is definitely how I felt during my most difficult moments of depression... that there was absolutely no hope. I remember one day trying to describe to my older brother, Joey how I felt. This is what I said, "I just feel like there is not point in even trying. It's like I'm stuck in this long dark tunnel and there is absolutely no light at the end of it. Not even a glimmer of light." I remember the pained look on his face when I told him this. I had lost all hope. But Joey hadn't lost hope in me. And neither had my other older brother, my Savior Jesus Christ. If you are feeling the same way I did, then I HOPE that this video gives you just a little bit of hope to hold onto. I hope that it gives you that glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
The death of Robin Williams last summer gave the world a rude, and somewhat necessary awakening.... some of the seemingly happiest and funniest people can be silently suffering with severe depression. I think that the tragic death of the beloved actor made the world realize how real the disease is. I think the biggest resource I can share is awareness. Letting people know that they are certainly not alone. Here is a clip of another beloved comedian, Wayne Brady, who also suffers from depression. He talks about how the death of Robin Williams helped him realize even more that depression should be talked about and not pushed under the rug. I would like to point out that at the end of the clip, the reporter mentions that Wayne is not taking medication because it didn't work for him. Medication may not be the solution for everyone, but is one of the best options for some. However, even though Wayne does not use medication for his treatment of depression, he is STILL getting help by seeing a counselor. So whether it's medication, counseling, support groups, blog subscriptions, or a combination of several other things, please... if you are struggling with depression PLEASE get help. Whatever it might be. Fighting the fight alone is, in my opinion, never a good option. Something is always better than nothing.
Wayne Brady Opens Up About His Depression
January 17, 2015
In response to my last post, I would like to share this video of "Yoga for the Winter Blues." Doctors will tell you time and time again that one of the best ways to fight depression is to exercise. Well I can speak from personal experience that when you barely have the strength to get out of bed, the last thing you want to do is go to the gym or go on a long run. At least, that's how I felt. But it is true... exercise really DOES help fight depression. It gets your endorphins going in a way that many other things can't. Still... what about the whole "no-energy/motivation" thing? Well, I think this video is a good substitute for going on a run because you can stay in your pajamas in the comfort of you own home, and can engage in an activity that reduces stress in a very low key way. Give it a shot! It may be hard to get started, but when you are finished, you won't regret it!
Yoga for the Winter Blues
January 4, 2015
Happy New Year! I wish you all a healthy and hopeful 2015! One of my New Year's resolutions this year is to work on my blog more often! So this should be updated a lot more this year... yay! I found an article that I want to post today and I hope you find it helpful.
~Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D): More commonly known as "Winter Blues"~
Some people suffer with depression all year long. Others can feel completely happy and fine nine months out of the year but during the winter months they can feel just as depressed as those that suffer all year long. The symptoms are the very similar and the pain is also very similar. And more than anything the feeling of hopelessness is very similar. Perhaps you are just now coming to this blog, because you are just now starting to feel depressed as the winter months have come upon us. There are many possible reasons why you are just now starting to feel depressed, and one of those reasons could be S.A.D. Quite the ironic acronym, am I right? There are many things you can do to start to feel a little better. I have shared the following article to help you understand more clearly what S.A.D is and some things you can do to make life a little less "SAD." These tips can also be used by those who suffer with depression all year long. I hope you find it beneficial.
~Sitting on the Bench~
The other night I was on lds.org and the following video was on the homepage. It is such a powerful video that I have watched several times so that I could make sure I caught all of great insight that it offers. A young man tells his story of depression in a very real way. He explains that the thing that saved him were those that took time out of their busy lives to "sit on the bench" with him. Just as Christ is doing in the photo above. Each time I watch this video, I have to hold back tears because I think of all of the people who "sat on the bench" with me, to show me how much they loved and cared about me. There were many many people who did this, but the one that I thought of the most during this video, was my little brother Cameron. During the darkest part of my depression, Cameron was a Senior in High School. He was on the varsity football team, he was the seminary president, and he was very popular. He was the top of the social pyramid, and yet he had a sister, who was at the time, the complete opposite of him. I was self conscious, insecure, and vulnerable. I felt that no one would hang around me, even if they were forced to. But Cameron... he hung out with me. Through his small and simple actions he showed me how much he cared about me and wanted me to get better. He would let me hang out with him and his best friend in the safety of our home. He would ask ME, his sister to wear his jersey at his football games, instead of one of his adoring female fans. He would invite me to go shopping with him because he needed "my fashion advice" (even though I know he didn't need my help, he was the most fashionable kid I knew). But he wanted to make me feel wanted and important. They were very small things, but they were enough to let me know that my little brother loved me enough to sit on the bench with me.
Click on the link below to see the video
~TED Talk: Confessions of a Depressed Comic~
"There is a pretty popular misconception that depression is just being sad when something in your life goes wrong... But that's sadness. That's a natural human emotion. Real depression isn't being sad when something in your life goes wrong. Real depression is being sad when everything in your life is going right."-Kevin Breel.
I couldn't have said that better myself. This is another TED Talk about depression that I found a while ago but forgot to post. Recently I had a friend post it on Facebook and I just had to share it on my blog because Kevin does such a wonderful job putting into words what so many are feeling.
Click here to listen to the talk:
~TED Talk: We Need to Talk About Depression~
I have always loved TED talks. I find them to be so motivational and uplifting! I found this one about depression and the speaker, Darryl Neher did an AMAZING job not only describing depression, but discussing the importance of getting rid of the stigma associated with mental illnesses.
Click here to hear the talk:
April 9, 2014
~Real Women, Real Faith~
I usually don't pay much attention to the media that is shown in between the General Conference sessions. They are more often than not just the background noise as we prepare our Semi-Annual Conference Feast. But this year I was cuddled up on the couch with my husband, feeling slightly guilty that my mom was preparing dinner by herself. And then the short documentary, "Real Women, Real Faith," came on and I knew I was supposed to see it for the very purpose of this blog. The film was about four different women who have gone through very difficult things in their lives, and with the help of God and their faith, have become even stronger and more faithful women. The first woman in the film is Leilani Rorani. The trial that she has gone through is the trial of depression. She is so real about it. I was very inspired by her words and I hope that you are too. All of the women in this video are amazing as are all of you! (I just rhymed there didn't I?! Haha oops!)
P.S. After watching this I did end up going upstairs to help my mom... just so you didn't think I was a slacker;)
Click here to view the film:
~Depression and Dementors~
Click here to watch the video:
Oprah interviews J.k. Rowling
March 13, 2014
~Getting back Habits~
14 Day Token System
When you have depression it seems that everything you used to do before the depression has lost it's meaning. You may used to have many great habits that meant a lot to you, and now... they mean nothing. For me, two habits that flew out the window when I got depression were running every day and writing in my journal. Starting at the beginning of 2012, I had made it a habit to go running everyday. It felt amazing and I could literally see myself getting healthier. When the depression came later on that year, I had absolutely no desire to go running any more. Even though the doctor and several other people told me that one of the best things for depression is exercise, I just had no motivation! But not running wasn't the hardest good habit that I lost... the one that I think had the biggest impact on me was journal writing. Ever since I was in elementary school I had been an avid journal writer. Since the beginning of college, I hadn't missed a single day of writing (that was almost four years straight!) Then, almost over night.... it all stopped. I still remember my last journal entry before everything went ker-plop! I ended up ripping it to shreds because it was too painful to see "how I used to be." Journaling had always been the way I had coped with my feelings, and all of a sudden, just writing "Dear Journal," was a daunting and exhausting task. I missed it. I missed it ever so badly. I just wanted to write again. To let everything out. But at the same time, I was too afraid. I was afraid to actually express what I was feeling. It was too shameful and terrifying. I didn't want anyone coming across my journal entries. Luckily, as you will read in my post, "Writing Yourself a Love Letter," my awesome counselor helped me get back on track with my journal writing. And I eventually started running again too. But it wasn't an easy task... not at all. I would have a really good streak of both running and writing, and then I would have a really down day and not do either. But... I didn't give up! If we have had certain good habits before, we can have them again. Studies have said that it takes 21 days to form a habit... well that's to form one. What about just to get one back? I have discovered that for me it took about 14 consecutive days to get my habits back. Like I said, I didn't succeed immediately. I would be great for a week and then not so great. But I kept on trying and once I had a consecutive 14 days, I realized the habits were back! So... my resource for you today is called a token system, or a way to keep track of your consecutive days of habits! This could be a jar that you fill with pebbles, or a wall of sticky notes. Maybe even a bowl full of chocolates, and everyday you complete your habit, you get to eat a chocolate... once the bowl is empty... you should be in ship shape! (Unless your habit is going off of sugar;) Please don't get discouraged if on day 13 you forget to do whatever it is you are working on. That is the beauty of life... second chances!!!! (or fourth and one hundreth chances) And 14 just happened to be the magic number for me. Maybe for you it is seven or 22. Whatever it is... keep on going until your habits come back!
~Like A Broken Vessel~
One of the best resources that I can share was a talk that was given by Jeffrey R. Holland in an LDS General Conference in October 2013. The talk was titled, "Like A Broken Vessel." The talk was all about finding strength through the midst of mental and emotional challenges, the biggest focus being on depression. Even though I was no longer suffering from depression when that talk was given, I could not hold back my tears. Elder Holland's words were so powerful and full of hope. But they were also real and straight forward. He spoke with the understanding towards depression that only one who has gone through it could ever be able to speak. Yes, Elder Holland suffered from depression, and he is one of the most loved leaders of the church. I love, love LOVE this talk. Whether you are LDS or not, this talk can be applicable to all suffering from depression or those who know someone suffering from it. 
Click here to watch the talk: (The text is also available by clicking on this same link)
Like a Broken Vessel
March 8, 2014
~Writing Yourself A Love Letter~
I found this video titled, "Writing Yourself a Love Letter," and I really enjoyed it. The people in it seem to be all sorts of different personality types. I especially appreciated the older woman. She was so real and honest. She admitted that writing a love letter to herself was difficult because she knew that she hadn't always been kind to herself. She knew that it would take some work, but she was going to try really hard to get to the point where she could truly love herself and mean it. Enjoy!
Click here to see the video:
Writing Yourself a Love Letter
Thank you so much for posting this. I wrote a motivational article. Might want to check it out https://travelerinfohub.com/motivational-quotes-for-students/
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